Culture and traditions

Getting away with your friends for a couple of days is one of those plans that brightens up your life. It is hard to agree on a weekend, a place, a budget, and it is even harder to get all your obligations taken care of: work, kids, parents and the never-ending to-do list ..., but when you finally manage to do it and suddenly have 24 or 48 hours to share, take care of yourself and celebrate your friendship, you rediscover yourself and relish the happiness of doing what you love most. This is what Gemma and her friends do, as each year one of them takes charge.

World Book Day or Sant Jordi on 23 April is the perfect time to explore the amazing Art Nouveau heritage of the regions around Barcelona. Using roses as our inspiration, we suggest a tour of five places that are a must-see if you love Catalan Modernisme, floral motifs and legends. 

It is difficult to find a more appropriate name than Montserrat (serrated mountain) for Catalonia’s most iconic mountain range. With its unusual shapes, bold peaks and dangerous cliffs, the mountain's imposing profile cuts across the sky above the great central depression of Catalonia, while living up to its name.