In the Province of Barcelonathe smallest village hides architectural treasures steeped in history: castles, churches, cathedrals, monasteries, noble residences, fortified citadels... So what about the great cities that resonate with the echoes of history! The number of sites and buildings listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites and Buildings speaks for itself. Sites, but also traditions that are an integral part of Catalan heritage. Iberian, Roman, Roman, Romanesque, Gothic, Medieval, Baroque, Modernist, Noucentista, the facets of the Barcelona Province are many. A trip to the region is several trips in one. So, zoom on some must-see sites.

Colònia Güell, Gaudí's laboratory

About twenty kilometres from Barcelona, in the county of Baix Llobregat, Santa Coloma de Cervelló is home to a real modernist treasure, the Colònia Güell. Its construction was initiated in 1890 by Eusebi Güell, a rich Catalan industrialist and famous patron of Gaudí. He wanted to create a real workers' city outside Barcelona to set up his textile factory there while moving away from the social conflicts of the time. The project claimed to integrate many services to improve the quality of life of workers, including housing, shops, a theatre, a school and a church. He called on the greatest modernist architects of the time to work on the project, in particular Antoni Gaudí, to whom he entrusted the construction of the church. Due to lack of funding, only the crypt was completed. Gaudí incorporated many innovative techniques into his construction, which he later reused in the Sagrada Familia, including the catenary arch and the hyperbolic paraboloid in the vaults. In short, a real laboratory. The rest of the site can be visited while strolling through the modernist buildings designed by Francesc Berenguer and Joan Rubió.

The Montseny Natural Park, a hiking paradise

Just forty minutes from Barcelona, the Montseny Natural Park covers more than 30,000 hectares, with the Turó de l'Home (1,706 m), Agudes (1,703 m) and Matagalls (1,697 m) as its highest points. It includes about twenty municipalities belonging to the counties of Vallès Oriental, Osona and Selva. Its abrupt relief gives rise to very contrasting landscapes of great beauty. The forest covers a large part of the massif, in particular the chestnut trees, whose production remains important in the region. As far as fauna is concerned, the park is populated by Mediterranean and Central European species. Its rich biodiversity has earned it a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve designation and has made it a prime spot for hikers who enjoy themselves all year round.

The Patum of Berga, folklore in all its splendour

Included on UNESCO's list of intangible cultural heritage of humanity, the Patum de Berga is a popular festival that originated in the processions and celebrations that accompanied Corpus Christi in the 14th century, in the Middle Ages. For the occasion, theatrical performances and parades of effigies liven up the streets of this small city, located about a hundred kilometres from the centre of Barcelona. Fire and pyrotechnics are very present and the jump of plens, where the fire devils jump to the rhythm of the music, is the highlight of the festival. To attend the 2019 edition, visit the Catalan city from Wednesday 19 June to Sunday 23 June.

The Palau Güell, a modernist jewel

In the heart of Barcelona's Raval district, near the Ramblas, the Palau Güell is the first major building in Gaudí, commissioned by its patron Eusebi Güell, and built in 1890. Elegant and majestic, it features extravagant fences, two sets of columns, a monumental staircase, iron balustrades, twenty fireplaces and sculptures on the terrace, decorative ceramic mosaics (trencadis) and furniture designed by Gaudí himself. The complex is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is above all an essential part of a Barcelona getaway. The guided tours are particularly excellent.

Les Castells, an essential tradition

The Castells competitions (human towers) are a very lively tradition in Catalonia. On the occasion of the Festa Major in many cities, groups, very seriously trained, build human towers that can reach up to 15 m in height. The young child who has the privilege of being perched at the top is called "anxaneta". During the Mercè, Barcelona's Festa Major which takes place on 24 September, many groups perform in Plaça Sant Jaume. Since 2010, the Castells have been included in UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage.

The best places to experience this unique experience are Vilafranca del Penedès (where you can even put yourself in the place of a "casteller" in a virtual way with augmented reality glasses that recreates medieval life), Vilanova i la Geltrú, Terrassa and Mataró

Fia-Faia, an ancestral celebration of winter

This is yet another ancestral and essential tradition in the small Pyrenean villages of Bagà and Sant Julià de Cerdanyola, recognized as an oral and intangible heritage of humanity by UNESCO, where fire is very present. Here, we celebrate the arrival of the winter cold. Torches are braided with purifying herbs and then burned to the sound of songs and chimes. Torches that can reach heights of up to 4 metres. Impressive!

The Geopark of Central Catalonia, an exceptional geological heritage

More than 36 million years ago, a sea stretched out in the centre of Catalonia. The rise of the Pyrenees has seen this reserve of salt water evaporate, leaving mankind an exceptional geological heritage. As a result, curious rock formations and abundant mineral resources were created, shaped by thousands of years of human intervention. A plural heritage, both geological and landscape, cultural and gastronomic, has led to a well-defined territory being declared the World Geopark of Central Catalonia by UNESCO. From salt mountains to medieval villages, from mysterious caves to natural parks, we delve into the evolution of regional geological phenomena, but also into the history of the men, peasants, craftsmen, artists and resistance fighters who have shaped the unique identity of the heart of Catalonia. The Geopark is located in the county of Bages and includes the villages and territories of Montserrat, Súria, Santpedor, La Cova, Coves del Toll, Aiguamolls de la Bòbila, Coves del Salnitre-Collbató, Canal de la Sèquia, Manresa, Tines Vall del Flequer, Balsareny and Collbató.

Smart info

When? When? All year round. In spring and summer, you can take advantage of the long beaches along the coast to recharge your batteries. Mountain excursions will also be an opportunity to find a little freshness. In winter, relatively cool temperatures are to be expected in the mountains. In the fall, the landscapes are covered with shimmering colours.

Getting there. By train, car, bus and, of course, by plane, everything is possible.

Useful. To prepare your escapade as well as possible

OFFICE OF TOURISM OF THE PROVINCE OF BARCELONA - More information on the website