Tag Archives: Barcelona festivals

Eagle of Barcelona

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 […]

Castell being built in Placa del Pi

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.

Petit Gegants del Pi

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 […]