Some believe that gastronomy is a landscape placed on the table, a surprising statement that could not be more true in the counties of Barcelona. With an enormous diversity of crops and a prodigiously rich coastline, an infinite number of products await discovery every day of the week in the markets and, more specifically, at a host of traditional gastronomic festivals.

One of the most typical ways to relive the Middle Ages in Catalonia and Barcelona is to explore their vast Romanesque and Gothic heritage. But you may not know about the many mediaeval fairs that can be enjoyed throughout the year in several towns close to Barcelona.

Estàs preparat per veure com la il·lusió i la màgia tornen a omplir carrers i places de pobles i ciutats? Ja està tot enllestit per rebre els Reis Mags d'Orient com es mereixen. Però sabies que no a tot arreu se'ls rep de la mateixa manera? Des de fa molts anys, a diferents indrets, s'han anat creant tradicions que encara fan més especials les cavalcades i la nit de Reis. Vols descobrir-les? 

Would you like to surprise somebody with a really original Christmas present but don’t know where to find one? You’re in luck. Before Christmas, across the counties of Barcelona, several markets are organised that you should definitely check out. At these craft fairs and markets of antiques, books and handmade items, you can find the perfect gift to delight even your hardest to please relatives and friends. 

There’s no need to travel to Northern Europe to enjoy the magic of Christmas markets: in the regions of Barcelona there are many towns and cities that organise beautiful fairs where you can buy figurines for the nativity scene and all kinds of traditional decorations. Some remain open until 23 December, but why wait until the last minute? Visit one this weekend and feel the warmth of Christmas spirit.

Carnival is about much more than fancy dress, parades with floats, satirical speeches and traditional dances. Gluttony and a certain amount of drunkenness characterise these festivities, and there are plenty of occasions to fill your belly between Fat Thursday and Ash Wednesday. But always as part of a group, because the “King of the Layabouts” can’t bear solitude. Would you like to discover some of heartiest communal feasts organised for Carnival?