Culture and traditions

Cava is a world-famous sparkling wine that no important meal or celebration can be without. It’s part of our everyday life, a fixture of the dining table. As children we wonder whether those bubbles we aren’t allowed to taste will tickle our mouths. But have you ever wondered how and why cava began to be produced in the Penedès area? The story takes us to Sant Sadurní d'Anoia, covering dramatic events of the 19^th-century history when phylloxera wiped out 90% of Europe’s vineyards...

If you can never make your mind up when it comes to choosing between nature or culture, this article is for you. We suggest five plans that combine both things: five picnic areas located in natural surroundings where you can go on a cultural visit or simply enjoy the beauty of a nearby architectural element. Get ready to take notes!

Joan Abelló i Prat (1922-2008), el pintor de Mollet del Vallès, va ser un col·leccionista apassionat. Al llarg de la seva vida va aplegar milers de peces, obres d’art i objectes de tota mena que encabia a la casa on va néixer i que, amb els anys, va haver d’ampliar annexant-hi les cases veïnes. Aquest museu és la Casa del Pintor Abelló, una joia per descobrir.

Amb més de mil anys d’història, Manresa reuneix un important patrimoni cultural, que inclou des de restes del recinte emmurallat i una basílica gòtica fins a cases modernistes. Per conèixer el seu passat medieval, el singular carrer del Balç és un magnífic punt de partida. 

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. 

It has been quite a few years (1931!) since Miquel Llor wrote Laura a la ciutat dels sants (Laura in the City of Saints), a successful novel set in Vic, a city that was renamed Comarquinal. Vic has changed a lot since then ... or perhaps not that much? The fog is still present on many days, and the iconic areas of the capital of Osona already attracted visitors: the Plaça Major, the cathedral, the streets in the centre ... A town steeped in history and heritage that is definitely worth visiting.