La Volta del Rector

Top choice in Catalonia


Twelfth-century stone walls mix with wild violet decor at La Volta del Rector, in the heart of medieval Cardona. The atmosphere is rustic, romantic and fashionable all at once, while dishes – from grills and wild game to the house special: mountain potatoes with free-range fried eggs and/or chorizo – are whipped up with flair.

The region's best wines are expertly recommended.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Catalonia attractions

1. Castell de Cardona

0.25 MILES

Visible long before entering Cardona, this hilltop fortress broods above the modern town. From this strategic position, centuries of noblemen have kept a…

2. Canònica de Sant Vicenç

0.26 MILES

The 11th-century Romanesque church within Cardona's castle complex has an elegant stone-walled interior and a collection of fine 12th- and 13th-century…

3. Muntanya de Sal

0.58 MILES

Guided tours (in Catalan or Spanish) take visitors to explore Cardona's salt valley, the source of the region's former wealth. You'll see old mining…

4. Palau Episcopal

10.01 MILES

Next to Solsona's cathedral, the 18th-century neoclassical Palau Episcopal now houses an engaging little museum with collections spanning Neolithic…

5. Catedral de Santa Maria

10.01 MILES

Built around a Romanesque church, Solsona's cathedral was reshaped in Gothic style during the twilight of the 13th century. It's worth wandering for its…

6. Carrer del Balç

15.2 MILES

Originally an artisans' street, this hushed, slender alley is one of only two entirely medieval streets that survive in Catalonia. It was privatised in…

7. La Seu

15.24 MILES

On the site of a Romanesque predecessor, Manresa's elegantly austere basilica is a gem of Catalan Gothic architecture, commissioned in 1322 yet 160 years…

8. Cova de Sant Ignasi

15.39 MILES

Basque theologian Ignatius of Loyola (Basque: Ignazio Loiolakoa), founder of the Jesuits, spent 1522 in Manresa, during which time he was inspired to…