With the Family

Very close to Barcelona, you have all kinds of opportunities to get away and discover in a morning or a day places you did not know and that you can visit either by public or private transport or by bicycle.

We all enjoy visiting castles, but the experience is even more satisfying if the castle in question is associated with a legend. There are a good number of castles in the regions of Barcelona whose walls whisper tales of centuries past: chronicles of princesses and bandits, tales of animals capable of making a huge army flee in terror, or of evil witches... If your curiosity is awakened, pay close attention, because after reading these legends you’ll be eager to visit the places where they are said to have occurred, many moons ago.

La Cadira (The Chair), La Bardera (named after a nearby ancient farmhouse), El Circell (The Tendril), Sant Pau (Saint Paul) and Balcó del Penedès (Balcony of the Penedès) are the names of the five lookout points that form part of the Miravinya route. This route, designed to be travelled by car, is a fantastic way to discover a good part of the geography of the Alt Penedès region, along with its culture and history. In addition to vineyards, you can also explore mediaeval castles, paper mills, chapels, monasteries, towns and villages, and natural areas of great interest.

Sports shoes, comfortable clothes, a helmet and a bike. That is all you need if you want to spend a great day cycling close to home. Go for a family ride, enjoy nature and learn about history with these six cycling routes we suggest below.

According to tradition, Halloween night is when the dead return to visit the world of the living. In homes across Catalonia, trays filled with chestnuts, panellets (little almond cakes) and dessert wine await them. Meanwhile, the welcome continues outdoors with fun-filled parties where they enjoy the gift of life before returning to their resting place. Don’t leave them to dance on their own! Here are some of the festivities that celebrate the night of the dead.

One of the most closely-guarded secrets by Catalan families is the set of coordinates for the spots where they go mushroom hunting when autumn comes around. We’re ready to show you some places where you might find some mushrooms at the feet of trees, although we can’t guarantee that they’ll be there because various climatic and environmental factors come into play. Remember to pick only mushrooms that you’re familiar with and to be respectful of the local nature. Some of the picnic areas listed here have barbecue facilities, so you might even get to cook the mushrooms you’ve picked.