Tag Archives: Barcelona festivals

The Beasts celebrate Catalan culture
We were looking at the artwork displayed in Placa del Pi, a neighborhood in the old section of Barcelona, when we heard the music. That distinctive Catalan music with drums and the somewhat shrill sound of grallas, a double-reed woodwind instrument. We hurried into the narrow streets to join the crowds (this was in pre-pandemic […]

Castellers build human towers
Building castells (human castles) is a Catalonian tradition dating back to the 1700s, with more than 100 people working together to build human towers that can reach six levels or even higher. I watched the castellers build their amazing castells during the Festes Sant Josep Orio in Barcelona.

Gegants perform in Barcelona festival
The gegants (giants) are part of Barcelona’s culture and history – and are such fun to see. I was unaware of these Catalan icons until my first visit to Barcelona. After seeing photos of the gegants, I visited La Casa del Entremesos (The Giants Museum) to see them in person. The gegants are constructed with […]