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Apartments to rent in Salou |
| Enjoy an unforgettable holiday in Salou with us |
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| INTRODUCTION |
| Salou is a coastal town of 23,398 inhabitants, according to the 2007 census by the National Statistics Institute
(INE
2007).
It is located in the Province of Tarragona (Autonomous Region of Catalunya,
Spain),
on the Costa Dorada, 10 km from the city of
Tarragona.
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| Founded by the Greeks in the
6th Century BC, Salou was an important commercial port during the
Middle Ages and the
Modern Age.
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| Throughout the 20th century , Salou evolved into an important touristic destination,
a status which it still enjoys today.
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| Salou is a tourist and residential city that has consolidated its capital role as the leisure and service centre of the Costa Daurada through the
diversity of its offer and the quality and quantity of its tourism facilities.
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| Thus, on the one hand, it presents itself as a holiday destination and reference point, concentrating the majority of the basic tourism industry
infrastructure in the Tarragona regions (74 lodging facilities) and acting as a main motor with regard to developing and capitalising on the diversity of the area’s entertainment and
cultural offer. On the other, it is also home to the main agent for regional dynamism, the Costa Daurada’s attraction par excellence: the Universal Mediterranea complex, which consolidates
the Salou product and its sphere of influence as the most important leisure centre on the Catalonian seaboard and in the Mediterranean arc in general.
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| Mild year-round temperatures; safe, orderly and shallow beaches offering all services and equipment; hidden coves of great natural and scenic interest;
an urban design plan that gives centre stage to green spaces, plants, design and the architecture of the landscape; points of historical, architectural and monumental interest; a varied
entertainment and leisure offer with highly dynamic sectors (shops and restaurants); and quality facilities have all helped to turn Salou into the “Capital of the Costa Daurada” and
to earn it the top rating for Family Tourist Destinations in Catalonia.
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| In addition to the large variety of services and alternative activities available at the beaches, there are initiatives and acts for even the most
diverse trends, habits and demands of today’s tourism: the opening of the Yacht Club, the future construction of a coastal route following the coves of Cape Salou, the environmental recovery
of the coasts, and the execution of projects within the Plan for Tourism Excellence, which aims to turn Salou into a singular model for family tourism.
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| Furthermore, Salou has also transformed itself into an important residential destination. As a result of the city’s urban planning project to provide
services and equipment, modernise its infrastructures and rezone the territory in order to achieve its re-equilibrium, plans have been implemented and carried out that have opened up the
first-residence housing market. This fact, along with the city’s high standard of living, has played a key role in its spectacular demographic growth, as well as in convincing families
from neighbouring towns and abroad (a high percentage of the inhabitants are from other EC countries), attracted by Salou’s conditions, possibilities and potential, to choose the city
as their place of residence.
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| In short, Salou has projected itself as a city that cares about its services and is attentive to its community’s needs, offering ideal space
both to live in and for social and professional development.
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| THE HISTORY OF SALOU |
| According to the most widely-accepted theory, Salanrio (literally “clean city”) was founded in the 6th century BC by
Greeks from the region of Phocis.
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| The first written record which mentions the town is the "Obra Maritima", the epic work by the Roman writer Avieno (4th Century AD).
This book, based on a Greek text from between 530 and 500 BC is a geographical description of the Mediterranean coastline of Hispania (Roman Spain), from Gibraltar to Marseille.
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| During Roman occupation, the name of the town was changed to Salauris, and it was one of the most important ports in the Roman province of
Nearer Spain.
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| From here onwards, and following the Moorish invasion, the area suffered a steady depopulation and was largely abandoned. |
| The town enjoyed a return to its former glory as a result of the Reconquest,
when in 1211 the jurisdiction of Salou was conceded to the Archbishop of Tarragona.
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| Because of the outstanding conditions of the natural harbour at Salou, the town quickly became one of the most important ports in
the Kingdom of Aragon, a distinction which it retained up until the
19th century. Because of this, at the request of merchants from Barcelona, Tarragona and Tortosa, in
response to attacks by marauding pirates from Mallorca on fleets from Catalonia, on the 6th September 1229
King Jaime I brought together a squadron from Catalonia and Aragon which set sail
from Salou to recapture Mallorca from Abú Yahya, the Almohad leader of the island.
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| As a result of the pirate raids which terrorised the townsfolk, in 1530 Pere de Cardona, the Archbishop of Tarragona,
ordered the Torre Vella de Salou to be built to defend the town.
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| During the Catalan Revolt (1640), also known as
the “Reapers War” in 1649, General Juan de GarayJuan de Garay, ordered the inhabitants of
Reus, the capital of Baix Camp, to destroy the fortifications at Salou with the aim of preventing
them from being used by the Catalan somaténs, an army which mustered in the towns when the
bells were rung, or by their French allies.
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| In 1673, the Archbishop passed administration of the town to the city of Vila-seca,
setting a process in motion whereby Salou and its port were gradually taken over by this city, and this remained the case until just a few years ago.
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| The commercial importance of the port continued throughout the 18th century
and into the 19th century. In 1766 the church of Santa María del Mar was consecrated.
In 1820 the Capitanía and the Nueva Aduana (Harbour Master’s House and Customs House) were built in the street Calle Barcelona. In 1858, the Cabo Salou lighthouse was opened.
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| At the beginning of the 19th century, the port of Salou began to decline,
and in the middle of the century it fell into disuse. A process then began of converting the town from a commercial port to a tourist resort. In 1863 permission was granted for bathing
cabins to be built at Poniente Beach, and in 1865 the railway station was opened. In 1867 the famous “Carrilet”, the local train from Reus to Salou, began to bring the first summer
holiday-makers to the town.
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| In the 1920s, modern chalets began to be built on Paseo de Jaime I, such as “Bonet”, “Loperena”, “Marisol/Solimar”, “Llevat”, “Miarnau”
and “Banús” chalets, which were designed by Gaudi’s architect and colleague,
Doménec Sugranyes Gras.
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| From the 1960s onwards, Salou experienced a dramatic period of growth brought on by tourism. In 1965, the monument to Jaime I was erected,
which can be considered a true emblem of modern Salou.
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| In the 70s, a wide-spread and well-organized movement set in motion the process for Salou to gain independence from
Vila-seca. This was finally achieved on the 30th October 1989 with a ruling from the Supreme Court, which granted
administrative independence to Salou.
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| In 1995, as a crowning touch to urban development,
the Port Aventura Theme Park
was built in the outskirts of Salou.
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| A BRIEF HISTORY OF SALOU |
| The coastal strip on which the city of Salou is located has long been a privileged enclave for human development, favoured for its beaches and coves. |
| The presence of a sedentary population in the area was first seen in the settlements of the early Iberians and ancient Romans. This was the era of the
mythical Salauris, traditionally identified with modern Salou.
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| With the subsequent arrival of the Saracens, the region became progressively less inhabited and was eventually abandoned. It was not until the middle
of the 12th century, as a part of the Reconquest, that new attempts were made to resettle it. In 1194, a town charter was drawn up for Salou and bestowed by Alfons I the Chaste,
upon Ximeno d’Artusell. The attempt, however, was unsuccessful.
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| The 13th century was marked by the conquests of King Jaume I, who, aware of the exceptional conditions of the natural port of Salou, concentrated
the fleet there that, in 1229, would sail to take Majorca.
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| During the second half of the 14th century, living conditions in Salou became difficult. The war between Peter I of Castile and Peter of Aragon and
continuous pirate raids led to another decrease in the population. In fact, it was to ensure the defence of the city’s people and goods against the endless attacks by privateers,
that, in 1530, the Archbishop of Tarragona, Pere de Cardona, ordered the Old Tower, today an art centre, to be built.
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| Salou remained a part of the Tarragona prelacy until 1673, when the prelacy ceded certain rights to the nearby town of Vila-seca, thereby initiating a
process through which Vila-seca would gradually come to possess Salou and its port. Needless to say, this led to multiple disputes with the neighbouring city of Reus.
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| In 1776, the Santa Maria del Mar Church was sanctified, a modest chapel used for worship by the sailors’ guild, which, from the middle of the century on,
exercised exclusive control over port and fishing tasks.
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| In 1820, the Captaincy and the New Customs Building were built, but in November of the same year, a decree issued by the Constitutional Courts suppressed
operation of Salou’s port. Despite the fact that the Lighthouse was inaugurated in 1858, the port’s decadence was already clear.
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| In 1863, the bath houses of the Ponent beach were authorised, and in 1865, operation of the railroad station began. In 1887, the Reus-Salou tram line,
popularly known as the “carrilet,” was inaugurated.
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| In the twenties, construction of the modernist chalets along the Passeig Jaume I promenade was begun, and the first summer residents and tourists began to arrive. |
| In the 60s, Salou began a process of spectacular urban growth leading up to the current tourism phenomenon. 1965 saw the erection of the monument to King Jaume I, a
veritable symbol of contemporary Salou.
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| In the 70s, an organised movement with wide popular support promoted the city’s municipal segregation, which culminated in the Supreme Court decision of 30 October,
1989, granting the nucleus of Salou administrative independence from Vila-seca and ordering the Catalonian Autonomous Government to recognise it as an independent municipality. Thereafter,
Salou underwent its most significant urban and social transformation, with a drive to re-equip and renew the city’s services and large demographic growth.
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| BEACHES |
| Salou’s beaches are, undoubtedly, one of its best attractions: hence the importance of their care and maintenance. Their fine golden sand, their clear
shallow waters, and, in short, their beauty continue to captivate the tourists that visit our coasts year after year.
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| Salou has a total of eight beaches. There are also a few coves of stunning natural beauty that cannot be accessed directly and, therefore, are less known.
Many of them are surrounded by pine trees and nature, a fact which transforms them into magical and unforgettable places.
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| The main beaches are: |
| Playa de Llevant |
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Public services include: showers and foot washers, toilets, access for the disabled, telephones, lifeguards and first aid, restaurants,
an entertainment area, cleaning services and night-time illumination.
It also has a children’s area for games and a nursery school on the beach. In addition, it has a Sports Area offering beaches and water sports.
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| Playa de Ponent |
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The Playa de Ponent is one of the longest in Salou. It is also a large beach, approximately 1,100 metres long. It is a natural beach of fine sand with a
low-grade slope and shallow waters, which afford a high degree of safety to swimmers and children.
Public services include: showers and foot washers, toilets, access for the disabled, telephones, lifeguards and first aid, restaurants, an entertainment area, cleaning services
and night time illumination.
It also contains a children's area for games. In addition, it offers an area reserved for water sports.This is a Blue Flag beach.
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| Playa dels Capellans |
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The Playa dels Capellans is 220 metres long and can be reached taking the street Calle Bruselas. It is a small beach located in the urban centre
that is also popular among our visitors. As with the rest of the municipal beaches, it is on a slight incline, which affords it a high degree of safety.
Public services include: showers and foot washers, toilets, access for the disabled, telephones, lifeguards and first aid, restaurants, cleaning services and night time illumination.
It also has an area reserved for water sports. This is a Blue Flag beach.
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| Playa Llarga |
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The Playa Llarga has the added attraction of being surrounded by pine trees and nature. It is 600 metres long and can be reached taking Calle Replanells,
next to the Salou-Tarragona motorway that follows the coast. It is a beach of stunning natural beauty.
Public services include: newsstands, non-motor water sports, toilets, first aid, indications of sea conditions, etc.
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| Playa de Llenguadets |
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The Playa de Llenguadets is a small cove which can only be reached on foot from the Calle de la Torrassa. Like the cala Penya Tallada (the Penya Tallada cove),
it is 125 metres long and, in its natural surroundings, wonderfully beautiful.
Public services include: showers, information and prohibition signs, indications of sea conditions, first aid, etc.
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| Playa de la Penya Tallada |
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The Playa de la Penya Tallada is a small cove of great natural beauty located next to Penya Tallada’s Punta Roja (Red Point).
It is 125 metres long and can be reached taking Calle Penya Tallada.
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| Playa de la Cala de la Font |
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The Playa de la Cala de la Font is 70 metres long and 54 metres wide and can be reached taking Calle de las Dunas. The cove has
naturally defined boundaries,- and access to it is easy and safe.
Public services include: showers, toilets, a restaurant, first aid, sports activities that do not bother other users, information and prohibition signs,
wastepaper bins, motorised rescue crafts, etc
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| Playa de la Cala Crancs |
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The Playa de la Cala Crancs is Salou's most eastern-lying beach and one of its most attractive. It is 85 metres long and 50 metres
wide and defined by natural boundaries
Public services include: showers, toilets, a newsstand, first aid, motorised rescue crafts, information and prohibition signs, wastepaper bins,
indicators of sea conditions, etc.
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| SERVICES |
| CHEMISTS |
| · | BARÀ C. Ciutat de Reus 3, local 1 |
| · | BESORA Pç. Bonet, 2 |
| · | CANALS Av. Carles Buïgas, 14- 16 |
| · | COLL Pg. Miramar, 72 |
| · | CORET C. Sínies, 3 |
| · | MAGRIÑÀ C. Punta del Cavall, 4 |
| · | OLIVA Pg. Jaume I, 28 |
| · | PLANA Via Roma, 17 |
| · | PIRÓ C. Valls, 4 |
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| ** The tourism offices can provide information about the duty chemists. |
| CHURCHES |
| CATHOLIC |
| · | SANTA MARIA DEL MAR C. Església, 26 |
| · | SANT RAMÓN Pç. Catalunya, 8 |
| · | SANT JORDI C. Donzell Marí, s/n |
| PROTESTANT- BAPTIST |
| · | BETANIA C. Pere Galés, 1 |
| EVANGELICAL |
| · | FILADELFIA Pç. Carrilet, s/n |
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| ** You can get more information about the masses timetable in the information offices. |
| WEATHER FORECAST |
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| ** We can also provide weather forecasts at our offices. |
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| USEFUL TELEPHONE NUMBERS |
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| 977 38 05 08 |
| 977 38 05 65 |
| 977 38 29 00 (FAX) |
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| 977 38 19 02 |
| 977 38 85 48 |
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| 977 38 85 49 |
| 977 35 18 30 (FAX) |
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| 977 38 18 82 |
| 977 35 24 85 (FAX) |
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| SALOU – MUNICIPAL SERVICES |
| MUNICIPAL PUBLIC LIBRARY |
| C/ Ponent, 1 |
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| CLUB NAUTICO DE SALOU |
| Port Esportiu de Salou |
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| COURTHOUSE |
| C/Montblanc, 1 |
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| OMIC |
| COMSUMER SERVICE OFFICE |
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| MUNICIPAL MARKET |
| C/ Via Roma, 10 |
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| MUNICIPAL SPORTS CENTRE |
| C/ Milà, S/N |
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| MUNICIPAL POOL |
| C/Milà S/N |
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| TORRE VELLA |
| C/de l’Arquebisbe Pere de Cardona |
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| SALOU – SECURITY |
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| FIRE DEPARTMENT Tarragona |
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| SALOU – MEDICAL CENTRES |
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| RED CROSS Emergences Tarragona |
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| HOSPITAL JOAN XXIII Tarragona |
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| HOSPITAL Sta. TECLA Tarragona |
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| SALOU- OTHER SERVICES |
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| 977 38 50 90 |
| 977 38 54 55 |
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| 977 21 44 75 |
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| 977 35 44 45 |
| 977 54 04 93 |
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| 977 38 19 37 |
| 902 24 02 02 |
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| AMBAIXADES I CONSOLATS |
| German Consulate |
| Avda. del President Companys, 14 1º3º |
| Tarragona |
| Tel. 977.25.23.85 |
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| Belgian Consulate |
| C/Prat de la Riba, 9 bis, 3º |
| Reus |
| Tel. 977.31.90.06 |
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| Danish Consulate |
| C/ Reial, 23 |
| Tarragona |
| Tel. 977.24.56.50 |
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| Consulate of Finland |
| C/ Unió, 23 |
| Tarragona |
| Tel. 977.23.33.04 |
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| French Consulate |
| Rambla Nova, 2 1º 2º |
| Tarragona |
| Tel. 977.24.49.77 |
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| British Consulate General in Barcelona |
| Edificio Torre de BarcelonaAvenida Diagonal, 477, 13º |
| 08036 Barcelona |
| Tel.: +34 93 366 62 00 |
| Fax: +34 93 366 62 21 |
| OpentothePublic: |
| Monday to Friday 08.30 am to 13.30 pm |
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| Consulate of the Netherlands |
| C/ Adrià, 6 |
| Tarragona |
| Tel. 977.23.84.95 |
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| Italian Vice-Consulate |
| Via Imperi, 11 |
| Tarragona |
| Tel. 977.24.52.46 |
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| Norwegian Consulate |
| C/ Apocada, 32 ppal. 4º |
| Tarragona |
| Tel. 977.23.41.11 |
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