Hotel Celimar Centre

January, the three Magic Kings

by Labrix

The legend says that when Jesus was born, 3 Magic Kings arrived from Orient bringing gifts. Is tradition in Spain, not only in Sitges, that the 3 kings comes on the night of the 5 of January bringing presents for the children, so the previous days all the children have a wonderful behaviour, if not, they wouldn't have anything, and the morning of the 6 of January all of them are very happy and excited with their new toys.

Sitges also follows this tradition, so you can see the Three Magic Kings Cavalcade every 5 of January in the afternoon. Is the children's party and is very sweet, even more because the Kings and their pages throw millions of candys through the streets!

Sanctuary of Mare de Déu del Vinyet

by Labrix

Everybody knows the church of Sant Bartomeu in Sitges, but who knows the Sanctuary of Mare de Déu del Vinyet? No one, excepting the people from the town, in fact it's so popular for them that many parents give their daughters the name of Vinyet.

The festivity of the Mare de Déu del Vinyet is the 5th of August and they do several celebrations that day.

The first documents about this church are from the XIIIth century, though the older part that you can see today is from the XVIth century: if you look at the side door you'll see engraved in a stone the year 1552. The current building is from the XVIIIth Century, when big changes were done for having a more spacious church.

You can arrive there taking a beautiful walk (about 20-25 min. from the town centre) along the Passeig Marítim. When you arrive to the monument dedicated to the Doctor Benapres turn right, and follow the street Doctor Benapres until the end, you will get there directly. When going back from there to the town centre, you can walk trough the Vinyet neighbourhood, which has a lot of beautiful houses.

If you want to go by car, you have to take the road C-31 from Sitges towards Vilanova i la Geltrú, and before the end of Sitges the church will appear on your left.

Walking in the old town : El Cau Ferrat

by ptitetoile

This is the house of the famous Catalan artist, Santiago Rusiñol, bought at the end of the 19th century when he was seduced by Sitges on his way to the neighboring town of Vilanova. Rusiñol was one of the most active developers of Art Nouveau movement "Els Quatre Gats" joining artists and vanguard writers. He also was linked with "L'avenç" a magazine treating Art Nouveau themes.
The Cau Ferrat was the seat of literary competitions during the "Modernist Parties" (Festes Modernistes) between 1892 and 1899, that made Sitges worldwide famous among artistic circles.
The first floor of this building used to be the residence of this unique artist. The rooms are decorated with paintings by Rusiñol himself, Ramon Casas, Ignacio Zuloaga, Pichot and Manolo Hugué, among others. The second floor, decorated with works of El Greco, Zuloaga, Casas and Picasso, used to be his workshop. Nowadays the building is a museum, the "Museu del Cau Ferrat", and can be visited.

SITGES, NOT ONLY A GAY-PARADISE!!!

by Aidasss

"Good option for your next holidays:"

I love Sitges, its architechture, its restaurants, its bars & pubs, its beaches... I live here since a couple of years ago, I didn't want to move, but now I can assure is the best decision my parents took.
It's a quite place (not too much in summer...) very close to Barcelona city centre, a perfect place for living, but also for visiting! ;)

frommers.com - for my own refernce (temp t'log)

by call_me_rhia

The old part of Sitges used to be a fortified medieval enclosure. The castle is now the seat of the town government. The local parish church, called La Punta (The Point) and built next to the sea on top of a promontory, presides over an extensive maritime esplanade, where people parade in the early evening. Behind the side of the church are the Museu Cau Ferrat and the Museu Maricel.

Most people are here to hit the beach. The beaches have showers, bathing cabins, and stalls; kiosks rent motorboats and watersports equipment. Beaches on the eastern end and those inside the town center are the most peaceful-for example, Aiguadoic and Els Balomins. Playa San Sebastian, Fragata Beach, and the "Beach of the Boats" (below the church and next to the yacht club) are the area's family beaches. A young, happening crowd heads for the Playa de la Ribera to the west.

All along the coast, women can and certainly do go topless. Farther west are the most solitary beaches, where the scene grows more racy, especially along the Playas del Muerto, where two tiny nude beaches lie between Sitges and Vilanova i la Geltru. A shuttle bus runs between the cathedral and Golf Terramar. From Golf Terramar, go along the road to the club L'Atlantida, then walk along the railway. The first beach draws nudists of every sexual persuasion, and the second is almost solely gay. Be advised that lots of action takes place in the woods in back of these beaches.

"webpages to read"

http://www.ilovesitges.com/paraiso.htm

http://www.gaudiallgaudi.com/AA905.htm

http://www.upc.es/web/QR2002/Sitges.htm

http://www.sitges.com/

http://www.sitges.org/