Salvador Dalí museums received a record number of 1.4 million visitors in 2011

Barcelona (ACN).- The Dalí museums played host to a total of 1,431,748 visitors in 2011, representing an increase of 7.61% compared to 2010. Prior to last year the record number of visitors was 1,398,180 in 2004. The vast majority of visitors, 916,560, came to the Teatre-Museu Dalí, located in the city of Figueres, in northern Catalonia. 281,049 people visited the Dalí Jewels space, also in Figueres. 125, 868 went to the Castle of Púbol (or Gala Dalí Castle), near the Costa Brava. Finally, 108,271 visitors went to Dali's House Museum in Portlligat, in the northern Costa Brava town of Cadaqués. The areas that have experienced the greatest increase in visitors compared to 2010 are the Dalí Jewels and the Castle of Púbol, both of these exhibitions have seen an increase of almost 20%.

The number of visitors to Dalí’s house in Portlligat (in Cadaqués, in the Alt Empordà County), increased by 2% in 2011 compared to the previous year. The Dalí Theatre-Museum in Figueres experienced an increase of nearly 4%. The most significant increase, however, was registered at the Dali Jewels space - located in an annex of the Figueres Dalí Theatre-Museum - an increase of 18.6% of visitors mainly due to a greater number of tour groups. Entries to the Castle of Púbol increased by18.5%. In this case it was caused, among other reasons by an increase in school visits and a large number of Russian tourists, who are interested in the castle’s Russian origins.

The house of Salvador Dali Portlligat re-opened on February 12^th, after its usual winter break. The Púbol Castle, located in the town of Pera, reopened its doors on March 15^th  after being closed for a year.