# Vic

The capital of Osona, 69 km from Barcelona: a great arcaded square with a market on Tuesdays and Saturdays, a cathedral with murals by Sert and a museum of medieval art.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/catalonia/vic · Revisado: 2026-11-12

## How do I get there and where do I park?

Vic is 69 km from Barcelona along the C-17 autovía, about 55 minutes, and 60 km from Girona along the Eix Transversal C-25, about 50. From Olot you come by the C-37. By train, the Rodalies R3 runs from Barcelona to Vic and continues to Ripoll and Puigcerdà; by bus, Sagalés links Barcelona and Vic, and Teisa links Olot and Vic.

The historic centre is explored on foot. The town council has a dozen free public car parks around it: the one by the station, behind the tracks; Miramarges, opposite the Parc dels Estudis; those at l'Horta d'en Canellas, next to the Blanqueig bridge, or those at Torre dels Frares, next to the university. If you prefer to leave the car beneath the centre, the paid car park at Plaza Mayor, on Rambla Davallades, is open 24 hours.

## What can I see in a day?

Start at the Plaza Mayor, a great arcaded square that is still what it always was: the market place. On Tuesdays and Saturdays it fills with stalls, and it is the best day to come. The tourist office is next door, on Plaça del Pes, in the Llotja del Blat building, and hires out an audioguide of about 90 minutes around the historic centre in Spanish, Catalan, French and English.

From the square, the streets lead down to the Cathedral of Sant Pere. It has a Romanesque crypt and bell tower, visited with a guide, and inside the great mural paintings by Josep Maria Sert: the city publishes its own leaflet, Vic, city of Sert. Next to the cathedral is the Museu Episcopal de Vic, the MEV, the city's museum of medieval art, and in the very centre, the Roman temple, which on summer nights becomes the screen for a light mapping show.

Vic is a bishop's seat and the capital of Osona, with about 47,500 inhabitants at 485 metres above sea level, in the middle of the Plana de Vic. It is also a slow city, and you notice it in the rhythm of the centre on non-market days.

## Dónde está
- Cerca: Rupit (a 20.3 km), Montseny (a 22.3 km), Ripoll (a 30.5 km), Caldes de Montbui (a 33.8 km)

## Qué hacer
- **Plaza Mayor, Sant Pere Cathedral and Old Town** (1 h 30 · All ages · Self-guided, free; cathedral full visit €5, guided €8; MEV €8.50): What it is
A walk through the historic centre of Vic, from the Plaza Mayor to Sant Pere cathedral, with the Roman temple and the medieval art museum on the way. Everything is within a few minutes' walk of each other. Self-guided, with the tourist office's audio guide, it takes about 90 minutes; if you go into the cathedral and the museum, allow half a day.
The Plaza Mayor and the market
The Plaza Mayor, which in Vic they call the Mercadal, is a large arcaded square surrounded by houses from various periods. The market came before the buildings: things have been sold here since the 9th century. On Tuesday and Saturday mornings the square fills with stalls of local produce, flowers, crafts, poultry, clothing and accessories, and the market spreads along the Rambla del Carme and the Rambla del Passeig. On Sundays there is another market, from 9:00 to 14:00, on Passeig de la Generalitat, mainly fruit, vegetables and fresh produce.
If you can choose, come on a Tuesday or a Saturday: with the market, the square makes sense. On a Sunday afternoon, without stalls and with the shops closed, it is very quiet.
Sant Pere cathedral
From the square, the streets go down towards the cathedral. Of the 11th-century Romanesque cathedral, the crypt and the bell tower remain; the current church is neoclassical and the cloister is Gothic, from the 14th century. Inside, the highlights are Pere Oller's alabaster altarpiece, the Baroque chapel of Sant Bernat Calbó and, above all, the mural paintings by Josep Maria Sert, which cover the central nave. The Espai Sert explains his three projects for the cathedral: the pastel-toned trials of 1906, the four evangelists of 1926 and the ochre, voluminous figures from after 1939, which are the ones that fill the nave today.

Opening hours: every day from 10:00 to 13:00 and 16:00 to 19:00 from October to April; from 10:00 to 13:00 and 16:30 to 19:30 from May to September. It cannot be visited during liturgical services.
Price: entry to the central nave is free. The full visit (nave, crypt, ambulatory, Espai Sert and cloister) costs €5, €4 for over-65s and is free for under-18s. The Espai Sert alone, €2.
Guided visits: €8 per person, at 11:30, on Wednesdays and Saturdays. On the first and third Wednesday and Saturday of the month the tour is of the Romanesque cathedral, with crypt and the climb up the bell tower; on the second and fourth, the nave, crypt and Gothic cloister. Places are limited: book at info@catedraldevic.org or on 621 194 432.

The Roman temple
In the very centre, the Roman temple is Vic's oldest monument: it was built in the early 1st century. For centuries nobody knew it existed, because it was enclosed within the castle of the Montcada family, built at the end of the 11th century. It was recovered from 1882, when the building that enveloped it was demolished. Entry is free, Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00 to 13:00 and Tuesday to Sunday from 18:00 to 20:00; it closes on Mondays.
The Museu Episcopal (MEV)
Next to the cathedral, in Plaça del Bisbe Oliba, 3, the Museu Episcopal de Vic holds Catalan Romanesque and Gothic painting and sculpture and, in all, more than 29,000 pieces, including archaeology, goldwork, textiles, glass and ceramics. Admission is €8.50; €5.50 reduced (ages 10 to 18, students, pensioners) and free for under-10s and on the first Thursday of every month. It closes on Mondays that are not public holidays, on 1 and 6 January, Easter Monday and 25 and 26 December. Opening hours change with the season: check the museum's website before going.
The audio guide and the tourist office
The tourist office is in Plaça del Pes, in the Llotja del Blat building, next to the Plaza Mayor. It hires out an audio guide to the historic centre of about 90 minutes in Spanish, Catalan, French and English, with two descriptive channels for people with visual impairments. It is open Monday to Friday from 9:00 to 14:00 and 16:00 to 18:00 (until 19:00 from April to September), Saturdays from 9:00 to 19:00 and Sundays and public holidays from 10:00 to 14:00.
Getting there and parking
By train, the Rodalies R3 arrives from Barcelona; the station is a short walk from the centre. By car, the town council has free car parks around the old town, such as the one near the station, behind the tracks, or Miramarges, opposite the Parc dels Estudis. If you prefer to leave the car below the centre, the paid car park at the Plaza Mayor, on Rambla Davallades, is open 24 hours.
With children, dogs and accessibility
The centre is flat and easy to get around with a pushchair. With children, the market and the Roman temple are more entertaining than the cathedral; at the MEV, under-10s go in free.
Where to eat
A few steps from the square is El Jardinet, with rice dishes and fish, and in Casa Fontcuberta, VIA.
- **Sant Pere Cathedral and the Sert Paintings** (1 h · Everyone · General €5 · over-65s €4 · cloister €2 · under-18s free · central nave free): The cathedral of Sant Pere stands in the lower part of Vic's old town, near the river, where the churches and bishopric buildings were founded in the 11th century. The Romanesque crypt and bell tower survive from that time. The church you see is neoclassical, and what makes it different is inside: the murals by Josep Maria Sert that cover the central nave, his largest work.
Sert three times over
Sert worked for this cathedral on three different projects, and the recently opened Espai Sert lets you see canvases from all three together for the first time. The first studies, from 1906, in pastel tones. The four evangelists of 1926, which are now in the ambulatory. And the ochre figures he designed from 1939, which are the ones that fill the nave today. If you only enter the nave, you see the final version; with the general ticket you also see the earlier ones.
Oller, the cloister and the crypt
Besides Sert, the general visit takes in the Romanesque crypt, the ambulatory and the 14th-century Gothic cloister. Of the same style as the cloister is Pere Oller's alabaster altarpiece, and among the chapels the Baroque chapel of Sant Bernat Calbó stands out.
Free nave, €5 with Sert and cloister
The central nave is free to enter. The general ticket, with nave, crypt, ambulatory, Espai Sert and cloister, costs €5, €4 for over-65s and €4 per person in groups of 15 or more. The cloister visit, which includes the nave, costs €2, €1 for over-65s. Under-18s do not pay in any case.
From October to April it opens every day from 10:00 to 13:00 and from 16:00 to 19:00; from May to September, from 10:00 to 13:00 and from 16:30 to 19:30. Two warnings: the Espai Sert is closed on Sundays and Mondays, and there are no visits during liturgical celebrations.
With a guide, Wednesdays and Saturdays
Until 28 November 2026 there are guided visits on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 11:30, at €8 per person and with limited places. Two routes alternate: on the second and fourth Wednesday and Saturday of the month, the nave, ambulatory, crypt, Espai Sert and cloister; on the first and third, the Romanesque cathedral, the crypt and the climb up the bell tower. Book at info@catedraldevic.org or on 621 194 432. For later dates, ask at the tourist office.
The cathedral is a few steps from the MEV, with its collection of Catalan Romanesque and Gothic art, and a few minutes from the Main Square. The Sunday in Vic combines them in one day; bear in mind that on Sundays the Espai Sert is closed.
- **MEV, Museu d'Art Medieval de Vic** (1 h 30 · Everyone; with offerings for families · €8.50 · reduced €5.50 · under-10s free): The MEV, formerly the Museu Episcopal de Vic, is at Plaça Bisbe Oliba, 3, right next to the cathedral. It was founded by Bishop Josep Morgades in 1891 and since 18 May 2002 has occupied a new building. It holds more than 29,000 pieces: above all Catalan Romanesque and Gothic painting and sculpture, and also archaeology, stonework, textiles, glass, leather, furniture, goldsmithing, ironwork, ceramics and coins.
The Davallament of Erill la Vall and the Ribes baldachin
The museum's "Masterpieces" route brings together the main works, with pieces from the churches of the district and the Pyrenees: the Davallament of Erill la Vall, carvings of the Descent from the Cross from the first half of the 12th century whose originals are split between the MEV and the MNAC, and of which Santa Eulàlia d'Erill la Vall holds a copy; the Ribes baldachin, from 1119 to 1134; the altar frontal from Sant Martí de Puigbò; the apse paintings from Sant Sadurní d'Osormort, or the Majesty of Sant Boi de Lluçanès. Beyond the medieval period, the same route includes an Egyptian mummy with its sarcophagus and an Iberian stele with warriors and a wolf.
If you do not want to go round on your own, the museum also offers the "Essential Itinerary" and "Today, a thousand years ago!", with its mobile website and the Visitmuseum app, and a 360º virtual tour to prepare from home.
Winter and summer hours
From October to March it opens Tuesday to Friday from 10:00 to 13:00 and from 15:00 to 18:00; from April to September, Tuesday to Friday from 10:00 to 19:00. All year, Saturdays from 10:00 to 19:00 and Sundays and public holidays from 10:00 to 14:00. It closes on Mondays that are not public holidays, on 1 and 6 January, on Easter Monday and on 25 and 26 December. Tickets are sold until half an hour before closing.
€8.50, or free on the first Thursday
Entry costs €8.50. The reduced rate, €5.50, applies to pensioners, the unemployed, young people aged 10 to 18, students, people with disabilities and their companion and large or single-parent families, among others. It is free for under-10s, on the first Thursday of each month except public holidays, on 18 May and on 5 July. If you will be coming back, the annual pass costs €22. Temporary exhibitions are paid separately, €2.
With children and with a backpack
At reception they give out a free clue game, observation sheets on the Romanesque altar frontals and animals, in Spanish, Catalan, English and French, and sheets to find and colour for the little ones. Each season there is a different family activity; from September to November it is a proposal about art through the senses, from age 5. Workshops cost €6 per child and accompanying adults do not pay.
Bags, backpacks and umbrellas larger than 40 x 40 cm go to the cloakroom, which is free. The building has ramps and lifts, and lends wheelchairs. By car, the historic centre has restricted access: the nearest adapted car park is on Carrer de Sant Antoni Maria Claret.
From the door, the Sant Pere cathedral is a few steps away, and the Main Square a few minutes' walk.
- **Main Square Market** (1 h 30 · Everyone · Free): Vic has been a market town since the Middle Ages, and it still is: on Tuesdays and Saturdays, the Main Square, arcaded all the way round, fills with stalls. It is the best way to see the square full of life and to buy cured meats from the Plana de Vic, cheeses and farm produce.
What it is
According to Vic Turisme, there has been a market on the site of the Main Square, the old Mercadal, since the 9th century, long before the buildings that surround it today were put up. The weekly market occupies the square and spreads along the Rambla del Carme and the Rambla del Passeig. In the square the stalls for farm produce, flowers, crafts and poultry are concentrated; on the ramblas there are also clothes and accessories.
It is the city's everyday shopping market, not a fair set up for visitors. It is best to look around unhurriedly, ask at the stalls and bring your own bag if you plan to take home cured meats or vegetables.
When to go
Come in the morning. Vic Turisme does not publish hours for the weekly market; the stalls go up early and in the afternoon the square is empty again, so do not leave it until after lunch.
If you go on a Sunday, the market is not in the Main Square but on the Passeig de la Generalitat, from 9:00 to 14:00, with fruit, vegetables, food and some textiles.
Throughout the year there are two big events. The Mercat del Ram, held every year before Easter, adds farm produce, a gastronomic area and livestock exhibitions. The Mercat Medieval coincides with the Immaculate Conception long weekend, in early December, and turns the centre into a medieval town; in recent editions it has topped 100,000 visitors. On those days access and traffic change: check beforehand with the Tourist Office.
How to organise it
Park outside the old town and come in on foot; if you arrive by train, the Vic station, with the R3 from Barcelona, is a few minutes' walk away. An hour and a half is enough to go round the stalls and have something under the arcades.
From the square, the whole centre is close: the walk around the square and old town, the Sant Pere cathedral, with a guided visit on Saturdays at 11:30 until 28 November 2026, and the Episcopal Museum. For lunch, El Jardinet is a few steps from the Main Square.
- **Kayaking on the Sau Reservoir to the Bell Tower** (1 h 30 · Families and beginners · Desde 20 € per person): The Sau Reservoir, on the Ter about 25 km from Vic, covered the old village of Sant Romà de Sau in the 1960s, and its bell tower still pokes out above the water. Aquaterra Club, based at the Mas la Riba in Vilanova de Sau, takes you there by kayak on a guided hour-and-a-half paddle, with the story of the reservoir told from the water.
Right now, on land
Aquaterra's water activities stop from 31 October to 31 March. The kayak season runs from April to October; in winter the company stays open with land activities, except from 1 to 15 December and at Christmas. The next paddle to the bell tower is in April.
The paddle to the bell tower
Before you get into the kayak, the instructor gives a short briefing on land about handling and safety. You wear a life jacket and use stable touring kayaks, and the instructors hold the qualification of the Spanish Canoeing Federation. Then you paddle across the reservoir to the bell tower and back. It lasts an hour and a half and costs from €20 per person.
You do not need to know how to swim, according to the website itself, which also says that capsizing is rare. Children always go with an adult and with adapted equipment; the website sets no minimum age, so mention it when you book. In hot weather, you can swim afterwards in the areas they point out.
If an hour and a half is too short
The two-hour excursion, from €25, passes the bell tower and goes a little further at the group's pace. The beginner courses are three hours, from €65, and six hours, from €110, to learn to go on your own. The full route lasts a day and reaches the monastery of Sant Pere de Casserres, the Salt del Cabrit and the Riera de les Gorgues, from €75. If you already know how to paddle, they rent kayaks from €13, with equipment and a brief explanation. And there are packs that combine kayaking with archery, stand-up paddleboarding, segway or a walk around the Morro de l'Abella, from €40.
Water shoes, a dry change and the Mas la Riba
Swimwear, comfortable sports clothes, footwear that can get wet (water shoes or closed sandals; no flip-flops), sun cream, a cap, water and a dry change of clothes. Everything is booked in advance, on 620 762 432, which answers every day from 9:00 to 20:00. If the weather is bad, the company changes or cancels the outing and lets you know.
The meeting point is the Mas la Riba, s/n, at the Sau reservoir, 08519 Vilanova de Sau. To sleep beside the same reservoir there is the Parador de Vic-Sau, and to make a full day of it, the morning on the water fits with the afternoon in the old town of Vic.

## Dónde comer
- **El Jardinet** (Restaurant, Vic, €€). Qué pedir: llonganissa from Riera Ordeix to start and one of its paellas to share, such as the chicken and Dublin Bay prawn one.
- **VIA** (Restaurant, Vic, €€€). Qué pedir: the Nico tasting menu, which is served to the whole table, or from the seasonal menu the Segovia suckling pig shank.

## By car: By Car, Vic and the Sau Reservoir
Vic is 55 minutes from Barcelona on the C-17. With a car, the day in the city can be rounded off with the Sau Reservoir and the Guilleries, half an hour away, where the train does not reach.
Presupuesto orientativo: 70–140 € por persona y día.
### Dónde dormir if you're driving
- **Hotel Can Pamplona** (Hotel): Can Pamplona is a family-feel hotel, part of the Litt Hotels group, on Vic's Eix Onze de Setembre. From the door to the Main Square it is a little under a kilometre on foot. Its advantage is the car: the outdoor car park is free, and in the old town car access is restricted.
Six room types, for one to four people
There are 34 rooms, all with private bathroom, heating, air conditioning, wifi, flat-screen television, telephone, hairdryer and toiletries. The single has one bed and a shower. The double suite has a double bed, and the standard double has two beds and a shower or bath; in both, and in the triple, some rooms have a terrace with views of the city, subject to availability. The triple has a bed and a sofa bed and a larger bathroom. For four there are two options: the quadruple, with three single beds and a sofa bed in a single room, and the family room, with one double bed and two singles in two separate areas.
A breakfast from Osona
Breakfast is a buffet with local products: cured meats, cheeses, yoghurts and fruit. The website does not publish its hours or whether it is included in every rate; check when you book. There are common rooms for reading or watching TV, with the day's newspapers, and staff who speak several languages.
Garage and a workshop for the bike
It is a hotel designed for those travelling by bicycle: it stores bikes under lock, has a self-service workshop to adjust and clean them and a charging point for electric ones. For routes around Osona it works with Tracks Bikefriendly, which provides GPS tracks, sheets and maps.
No pets, and 5% off for booking direct
It does not admit pets and is smoke-free. Payment is made at check-in. Booking on its website gets you a 5% discount all year, and they have family and couples' getaway packs whose contents and price are shown in the booking engine. The website does not give check-in and check-out times or reception hours: if you arrive late, let them know on 938 833 112 or at info@canpamplona.com.
For a weekend, Saturday has room for the square, the Sant Pere cathedral and the MEV; for dinner in the old town, El Jardinet is beside the square.
- **Parador de Vic-Sau** (Hotel): The Parador de Vic-Sau occupies an old Catalan farmhouse in the Bac de Sau area, a step from the reservoir, with the Guilleries range all around. It is at km 10 of the Tavèrnoles road, outside Vic: you come here to sleep among forest and water, not to stroll into the city from the door.
A farmhouse looking at the reservoir
The building has a well-kept garden, an outdoor pool that opens in season and a bright interior. The rooms are spacious and some have a terrace. There are five types: standard double, superior double, junior suite, single and accessible double. They have air conditioning, minibar, a safe big enough for a laptop, flat-screen television and hairdryer, and the building has a lift.
Paradores also presents it as the parador closest to Barcelona, so it also works as a quiet base for anyone who wants to spend the day in the city and come back to sleep in the countryside.
Game and Osona pork at the table
The restaurant serves traditional Catalan cooking with the dishes of the Osona district, where game and pork are the staples. The dining room looks onto the reservoir and the Guilleries. There is room service, and half board appears among the rates when you book. For lunch in Vic, El Jardinet, beside the Main Square, is the alternative in the city.
Closed in January and February
The parador is closed from 1 January to 28 February 2027. If you are thinking of a winter getaway, it has to be before New Year or from March onwards.
Car, charger and pet
The outdoor car park is free; there is also a paid garage and a charging point for electric cars. Wifi is free. Pets are accepted, but Paradores asks you to check the conditions before booking, because it does not publish them in the listing. You arrive via the Eix Transversal C-25, exit 183 towards Roda de Ter (C-153), and then the BV-5213, on the right, which leads straight to the parador.
Casserres, Tavertet and Rupit from the Tavèrnoles road
On the same reservoir, from April to October, the kayak to the Sau bell tower departs. Paradores recommends the Romanesque monastery of Sant Pere de Casserres and the church of Sant Esteve de Tavèrnoles, the l'Esquerda site (13 km), Santa Maria de Corcó (16 km) and the villages of Tavertet (35 km) and Rupit (38 km). Vic, with the Sant Pere cathedral and the MEV, is a short drive away.

## As a family: Market Square and a Bell Tower in the Water

Vic can be seen on foot in a morning; with children, it is best to come on a market day and keep the afternoon for the water.

### What works best
The market in the Main Square, Tuesday and Saturday mornings

The cathedral, free for under-18s

The MEV, free up to age 10, with a short 45-minute route

Kayaking to the Sau bell tower, from €20

### Sleep
Hotel Can Pamplona, with quadruple rooms

Parador de Vic-Sau, with a pool in season

### Eat
El Jardinet, in the old town, near the square

### Keep in mind
The old town is pedestrianised with gentle slopes: fine with a pushchair

In winter the Plana dawns cold and foggy

### Qué hacer as a family
- Sant Pere Cathedral and the Sert Paintings
- MEV, Museu d'Art Medieval de Vic
- Main Square Market
- Kayaking on the Sau Reservoir to the Bell Tower

## With teenagers: Medieval Art and Paddling at Sau

For a teenager, Vic lasts a morning. What makes it interesting is combining it with the Sau Reservoir: kayaking or an off-road segway route.

### What works best
Kayaking at Sau to the bell tower, or the two-hour excursion

The Sert murals in the cathedral: free up to age 18

The MEV, with a reduced ticket for ages 10 to 18

### Sleep
Parador de Vic-Sau, beside the water

### Eat
VIA, at the Casa Fontcuberta, with menus for the whole table

### Keep in mind
Sau activities require advance booking

### Qué hacer with teenagers
- Sant Pere Cathedral and the Sert Paintings
- MEV, Museu d'Art Medieval de Vic
- Kayaking on the Sau Reservoir to the Bell Tower

## Consejos

### Come on a Tuesday or Saturday
The market fills the Plaza Mayor in the morning and gives the arcades their meaning.

### Book the cathedral visit
Guided visits cost €8 and start at 11:30, Wednesdays and Saturdays, with limited places: book at info@catedraldevic.org or on 621 194 432.

### Hire the audioguide
At the tourist office: 90 minutes around the historic centre at your own pace, with descriptive channels for visually impaired people.

### Park outside the centre
The free car parks at the station and Miramarges are a few minutes' walk from the square.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### How long does it take from Barcelona?
About 55 minutes by car on the C-17. By train, on the Rodalies R3; by bus, with Sagalés.

### Which days is there a market?
Tuesdays and Saturdays, in the Plaza Mayor.

### How do I visit the cathedral?
With a guided visit on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 11:30, for €8. On the second and fourth Wednesday and Saturday of each month it includes the nave, ambulatory, crypt, the Sert space and the cloister; on the first and third, the Romanesque cathedral, the crypt and the climb up the bell tower.

### When is the tourist office open?
Monday to Friday from 9:00 to 14:00 and 16:00 to 18:00 from October to March, and until 19:00 from April to September; Saturdays from 9:00 to 19:00 and Sundays and public holidays from 10:00 to 14:00. It is closed on 25 and 26 December and 1 and 6 January. Telephone 938 862 091.

### What festivals or fairs are there?
In early November, the Fira de la Muntanya; in 2026 it ran from 6 to 8 November. The L'Atlàntida theatre has a season all year round.

### Where can I stay in Vic?
In the city, the Hotel Can Pamplona, a few minutes' walk from the centre and with free parking. Outside, the Parador de Vic-Sau, above the Sau reservoir, about 14 km away.

### What is there to do near Vic?
The Sau reservoir, half an hour away: Aquaterra Club runs guided kayak trips to the bell tower of the sunken village from €20.

### Do I have to pay to park?
Not if you use the free public car parks around the centre. The paid ones, such as the one at the Plaza Mayor, are open 24 hours.