Portbou

1. THE INTERNATIONAL TRAIN STATION

In 1878 the inaugural ride of the railway line connecting Figueres and the French border took place, which included the Portbou international station. The current building was erected in 1929, consisting of a huge steel and glass marquee built by the metallurgical workshops of Joan Torras Guadiola. The International Station, based on a French model, boosted the growth of this small village, and the presence of the customs transformed the economy of the town. This modern and iconic building has played an important role in the life of the town ever since.

2. SANTA MARIA OF PORTBOU

The church of Santa Maria sits atop the village, next to the railway station. It was built in 1879 by the Catalan railway promoter Claudi Planàs, for the workers of his company. The Barcelona architect Joan Martorell conceived a single-nave Neo-Gothic building, donned with an octagonal, high bell tower close to the apse. Among its highlights are a Madonna sculpture by Portbou-born sculptor Frederic Marès, and relieves depicting the sun and the moon at the front of the building.

3. MEMORIAL PASSAGES TO WALTER BENJAMIN

Beside the cemetery, in 1994, the Walter Benjamin Passages Memorial, by the Israeli sculptor Dani Karavan, was inaugurated in Portbou. The work holds an historic, artistic and social value, and is both a symbol of human values, and a world-class referent of art integrated into the landscape. A stepped tunnel cut into the rock leads down to a glass panel, which allows us to see the whirls on the water. Printed on the surface of the glass, is a quote by Benjamin that pays tribute to all those forgotten by history. Nearby, a stone wall, an olive tree, and a platform for meditation add to the Passages site. In the villa, on Mar street, is the house where Benjamin died, the former Hotel de Francia, marked with a namesake plaque. There’s a marked hiking trail between Banyuls and Portbou which follows the route of Benjamin’s fleeing path.