Strength, balance, courage and common sense, the four key concepts of human tower building, repeated like a mantra by its practitioners. For spectators, the most appropriate words might be thrills, nerves, suspense and joy. Without a doubt, to experience a human tower building event is to navigate a sea of sensations. So it’s no wonder that UNESCO inscribed this Catalan tradition par excellence on its list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

In this ancient country we're passionate about protecting and celebrating our festivals and traditions. We enjoy our great Mediterranean climate, sea, landscape and traditions with festive, joyful and infectious enthusiasm! Drop everything and join us as we usher in the main festivals of our towns and cities. In addition to paying homage to the local patron saint, you can enjoy plenty of other activities in these popular and inclusive festivals: street parades, gegants and capgrossos (papier mâché giant and "big head" figures), trabucaires (bandits carrying blunderbuss guns), music, dancing, diables (groups of people dressed as devils who set off fireworks) and spectacular human towers.

If you’re the sort of person who enjoys combining cultural visits in cities with nature excursions, here are four of the routes favoured by Barcelona locals, who also like to get away from it all and enjoy the outdoors, especially when these beauty spots are so close to home. These routes offer something for everyone and, like almost every other route in the country, can be enjoyed all year round.