Are you traveling in Catalonia and looking for a unique place to explore? Or maybe you’re looking for a pleasant and quiet escape from the bustling streets of Barcelona? No matter the reason, sooner or later, you should direct your steps to Reus. This inconspicuous place might surprise you with its beauty and charm. If you’re a modernist architecture enthusiast, you’ll love it even more! Not without reason, it’s called Gaudi’s city. Want to learn more? Discover the best things to do in Reus Spain.
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Reus, Spain FAQ
Reus is a small Spanish town located in Catalonia in the Province of Tarragona. It’s only about 15km from Tarragona, 10km from Salou or Cambrils, and 120km from Barcelona.
Reus is a lovely town full of gorgeous modernist architecture, interesting history, and cozy streets perfect for lazy strolls. We’re sure that not only history or architecture lovers will enjoy visiting Reus. We’re neither of them, and the town positively surprised us.
Reus is best known as the birthplace of Antoni Gaudí and as home to many modernist buildings. The city is also famous for being one of the biggest exporters of vermouth – an aromatized, fortified wine flavored with herbs.
Antoni Gaudi, the famous Catalan architect and designer, was born in Reus.
Reus & Antoni Gaudi
Antoni Gaudi was born in 1852 on June 25th in Reus and spent the first 16 years of his life in this town. Then, he left for Barcelona, where he gained fame for his designs. What may be the biggest surprise is that despite the fact Reus is packed with modernist buildings, none of them were actually designed by Gaudi! Even so, Reus still benefits from being Gaudi’s birthplace.
Many people visit Reus to follow in Gaudi’s footsteps. There’s a route you can follow to see where he was born (Carrer de Sant Vicenç street), baptized (Church of Sant Pere), and spent his youth. It ends in the Gaudi Museum, a huge place dedicated to his life and work.
Wondering what are the most popular works by Gaudi? We’re sure that you’ve heard of Sagrada Familia, Park Güell, Casa Mila, or Casa Batlló in Barcelona. Or El Capricho in Comillas in North Spain.
Things to do in Reus, Spain
Reus Old Town streets
Reus Old Town is full of charming narrow streets and cozy squares. Among them, you’ll find dozens of beautiful modernist buildings, small boutique shops, restaurants, and cozy cafes. Take a slow stroll and just soak in the city’s vibe – it’s definitely one of the best things to do in Reus.
In Reus Old Town, you’ll find points of interest like Plaça del Mercadal – the town’s lively main square, Plaça de Prim – a square with a statue of its famous citizen, modernist buildings like Casa Navàs or Casa Pinyol, Gaudi Museum, and the Church of Sant Pere. Also, don’t miss streets like Carrer de Llovera, Carrer de Monterols, and Carrer Major.
In addition to the main landmarks, Reus historic centre is filled with cozy cafés, restaurants, and little shops where you can take a break and enjoy the local vibe.
Reus Tourist Office is located in Plaça del Mercadal, in the same building as the Gaudi Museum. It’s a great place to grab a map and get useful information.
Gaudi Museum
Gaudi Museum, or Gaudi Centre, is a place dedicated to the life and work of a famous Catalan architect. It’s located on Plaça del Mercadal. Inside, on three floors, you’ll find interesting exhibits and interactive displays that will allow you to get to know Gaudi better and discover the secrets of his genius. Visiting Gaudi Museum is one of the most interesting things to do in Reus that shouldn’t be missed.
Entrance to Gaudi Museum costs €11 for a normal ticket, €7 for a reduced one, and is free for children under 9 years old (August 2026). The price includes audio guides available in a few languages. For current prices, opening hours, and online tickets, visit the reusturisme.cat website.
Casa Navas
Casa Navas is one of the most beautiful modernist buildings in Reus. It’s located on Plaça del Mercadal, just a few steps from Gaudi Centre. It was designed and built for the merchant Joaquim Navàsm at the beginning of the 20th century.
This extraordinary example of an Art Nouveau looks amazing not only from the outside but also from the inside. So if you have a chance, don’t hesitate to visit it. Also, it’s worth noting that it’s the only Art Nouveau building in Europe that preserves its original interior! The only thing that is missing today is the tower which was destroyed by bombing during the Spanish Civil War and never rebuilt.
Visit to Casa Navas is possible via guided tours in Catalan, Spanish, French, or English. Entrance costs €16 for a normal ticket, and €13 a reduced one (August 2026). For current prices, opening hours, and online tickets, visit the casanavas.cat website.
Reus Route of Modernisme
Despite not having any works of Gaudi, following the Route of Modernism is still one of the best things to do in Reus during your visit. Along the signposted route through the town center, you’ll discover 29 of the most impressive modernist jewels of the city. You can get the map of Route of Modernism at the Reus Tourist Office and follow it for free.
Church of Sant Pere Apòstol
Priory church of Sant Pere Apòstol is one of the most important monuments in Reus. It’s located on Plaça Sant Pere, just a few steps from Casa Navas on Plaça del Mercadal. The church was built in the 16th century in the Baroque style, but its main facade is in a Renaissance style. It features a 60m high octagonal bell tower.
It’s a church where in 1852 Antonio Gaudi was baptized. You can visit it for free during opening hours.
Taste Reus Vermouth
If you like trying new flavors, you definitely should give vermouth a chance. It’s the traditional drink of Reus, an aromatized, fortified wine mixed with various herbs. In the 19th century, vermouth was introduced to the Catalan market, and in the 20th century, there were around 30 vermouth producers in Reus. Later, it suffered a downfall, and only a few years ago it experienced another boom achieving international prestige.
Nowadays, you can try it in a few places around the city, but Restaurant Museu del Vermut and Vermuts Rofes are the most popular ones. Keep in mind that the first one isn’t the vermouth museum, and its name is just misleading.
How to get to Reus, Spain?
Reus is located about 15km from Tarragona, 10km from Cambrils or Salou, and 110km from Barcelona. The most convenient way to get to town is by car, bus, or train.
Where to park in Reus?
If you’re traveling by car you can choose from many parking lots in town. We recommend leaving a car in this parking lot, located only about 10 minutes on foot from Plaça del Mercadal.
To Reus by public transport
You can easily reach Reus by bus. For example, a trip from Tarragona will take about 25 minutes, 30 minutes from Salou, and 1.5 hours from Barcelona. To learn more about bus connections that might interest you visit rome2rio.com website.
From some places like Tarragona, Girona, Sitges, or Barcelona you can also get to Reus by train. You can check out a map of available train connections on the acprail.com website.
Camping Reus
If you’re traveling by camper, campings like La Siesta Salou Resort & Camping or Camping & Resort Sangulí might interest you. They are located on the coast, close to Reus.
Things to do in Reus, Spain – Summing up
If you’re bored by lying on one of Costa Dorada’s beaches and are looking for a small and charming town in the area perfect for a day trip – Reus will be an amazing choice. And if you’re interested in architecture, you’ll be in heaven and your jaw will drop not only once or twice… We wish you an amazing time and hope that thanks to our Reus travel guide you won’t miss a thing. Enjoy!
Our travel video from Reus
Our opinion about Reus
For us, a visit to Reus was a half-day trip from Salou where we lived for a few weeks. We visited it at the end of May and during that time the city was fairly quiet, without many tourists. Exploring everything we wanted took us about 3 hours.
Architecture or history is not a huge thing for us, but we still found Reus a very interesting and pleasant place in Catalonia. We really enjoyed strolling among its old town streets, admiring modernist buildings, and learning about Gaudi in the museum.
Restaurants, accommodations, and map
Check out various recommended places below.
Where to eat in Reus?
Here are your best, high-rated options in Reus:
