Day Trip Guide to visiting Medieval Vic

About Vic Medieval Town

Vic, sometimes known as Vich, is the capital of the Osona county of the province of Barcelona in Catalonia, Spain. Vic can be found 69 km inland from Barcelona halfway between Barcelona and the Pyrenees. Vic lies in the middle of the Plains of Vic on the banks of the river Mèder. The small Catalan city of Vic is an excellent day trip from Barcelona by train, bus or car.

The Buildings in Vic today are of Roman and medieval origin, with the city being founded in the 4th Century BC by an Iberian tribe known as the Ausa. The town fell under roman Rule and later Visgoth rule. Vic was completely destroyed by fire in 826 in a battle with the Saracens. Since then Vic has thrived and grown into a prosperous town thanks to industries like leather and meat (saussage) production. The construction of the Transpirinenc railway in 1875 from Barcelona to Vic (today known as the R3 Rodalies line) brought connection to the the capital of Barcelona and helped to secure Vic as a popular tourist destination.

Vic is famous for meat products such as llonganissas (long thin chorizo like saussage that is served sliced and cold or hot), fuet (peppered sausages served sliced and cold) and Butifarra (pork Sausage served hot with ali-oli garlic and mayonnaise sauce and white beans).

Vic has plenty of old world charm and a collection of very good museums. Vic is a popular day trip for tourists and residents of Barcelona and hosts several events throughout the year which make it especially worth a visit and is one of my favourite Winter destinations.

History of the town of Vic

Vic dates from at least the 4th Century BC when it was called Ausa for the Iberian Ausetanos tribe. During the Roman Empire the town grew is size and was an important town in the Region gaining a temple in the second century AD.

Ausa continued to expand under Visigoth rule until until it was isolated between the Moorish invasion of the Iberian peninsula from the south of Spain and the Christian lands to the north. Ausa was almost completely destroyed during a Cristian-Moor battle in 788 AD.

The town was conquered by Cristian forces under Wilfred, Count of Urgel and renamed it Vich, derived from latin Vicus Ausonae. A castle was built in the area of the Roman temple burying it in the foundations of the castle.

In the Middle ages, the city had two parts, the Episcopal part under the jurisdiction of the Cathedral and the part around the castle controlled by the counts. Wilfred raised a defensive wall around the town with seven gates.

The land belonging to the church was handed over to the crown and in 1450, Alfonso V of Aragon bought out the Montcada counts. The three centuries which followed Vic suffered the consequences wars against the French and then during the War of the Spanish Succession, when Vic sided with the Archduke of Austria.

The 17th and 18th centuries saw economic recovery in Vic with the emergence of a world famous leather tanning and leather goods industry that during the the Industrial Revolution grew into an efficient mechanised process. The arrival of the railway from Barcelona once again made Vic the capital of the Osona Region of Catalonia.

During the Spanish Civil war (1936 to 1939) Francoist forces took the town and many churches and medieval buildings were damaged or burnt.

To read more about the historic buildings of Vic, follow the Historic walking route below.

Where to Eat Vic Medieval Town

• Restaurant Àgape: Vegetarian food. Carrer del Progrés 2.
• El Jardinet de Vic: Traditional catalan food. Set menu for €21 or order from the menu. Restaurant has beutiful interior patio. Carrer dels Corretgers 8.
• Carbó Brasa: Grilled meats, cava and wine in a historic medieval building. Carrer de Dues Soles 8.
• El Racó Pizzeria Mediterrània: Small chain of Catalan Restarants serving Pizza's, Pasta and burgers. plaça Major 8
• La Flama: Pizza Restaurant. Carrer de la Riera 5
• El Caliu: Grilled meat & Salads. Set menu Medieval for €28 or order from the menu. Carrer de la Riera 13
• Viena: Is a local catalan fast food chain with the typical burgers, sandwiches, deserts & international beer. plaça Major 6.
• La Plaça: Tapas and drinks outside in the terrace with views of the plaça Major.

Dining Tips for Vic:
• Pan de Pagés / Torrades: Traditional rustic sliced bread served with tomatoes, olive oil and garlic. Peal the garlic clove and rub it in a grating manner into the lightly toasted bread. now take the tomato half and place it flat open fac down and squeze or push in the tomato juice. Finally a dash of Olive oil. Garlic-Tomato-Oil in that order. On top of this goes the cold fuet or Llonganissa saussage slices.
• Main dishes: Unless it explicitly says so, main dishes are not served with a side of vegetables so order them seperately.
• Cava: Catalan sparkling wine similar to Champagne.
• Traditional food: Vic is inland 70km from the coast so traditional food is based around meat and dairy.

Restaurant ÀgapeEl Jardinet de VicCarbó BrasaEl Racó Pizzeria MediterràniaLa FlamaEl CaliuVienaLa Plaça

Documents for Vic Medieval Town

Click on any one of the 6 PDFs to view in full screen and download.

Where to stay overnight in the Day Trip Guide to visiting Medieval Vic