Springtime in Barcelona: cultural activities

Barcelona is the perfect place to visit all year round thanks to its warm Mediterranean climate. Springtime is particularly good to visit when the weather is pleasant and warm, but without the busyness and high temperatures of the Summer. Enjoy the warm weather with a step out into nature of one of Barcelona’s many famous parks, or get your adrenaline racing as a spectator for some of the world’s largest sporting events. Simply enjoy the sunshine with a vermouth sat on a rooftop terrassa or experience the cultural traditions of Barcelona as the locals do. Spring holds so much promise, and it’s a truly exciting time to experience the Catalonian capital. These are our best recommendations for how to spend the beautiful springtime in Barcelona. Traditions Semana Santa – Holy Week Semana Santa is a very important religious holiday celebrated throughout Spain, both in large cities and in towns. In towns such as Seville, the celebrations are much more traditional, where large processions and ceremonies will flood the streets. Barcelona holds a more modern celebration, but there are still Easter parades, processions, and lots of delicious foods to enjoy. Parades can be seen in the Gothic Quarter, as well as on the famous Las Ramblas. The procession of the Virgin de la Macarena takes place on Good Friday at the Barcelona Cathedral, where you can also find lots of activities and stalls to explore. Gifts such as ‘Las Monas de Pascua’, meaning Easter Monkeys, are small cakes typically given to children by their godparents on Easter, and are a delicious treat to get stuck into the festivities. Sant Jordi La Diada de Sant Jordi, meaning St.George’s Day, is Barcelona’s own special version of Valentine’s Day. Sant Jordi is the patron saint of Catalonia, and every April 23^rd his death is commemorated with this romantic day. Sant Jordi is a celebration of culture and love, represented by books and roses. La Rambla street is filled from end to end with book and flower stalls, as it is custom to exchange them between your loved ones. This day is seen as a time for promoting and defending the Catalan language and culture, and many of the books you can find will either discuss Catalonia or be written in the Catalan language. Temps de Flors Girona The Girona Temps de Flors (flower season) show is held every year in Girona’s Barri Vell neighbourhood. The city comes to life with plants and spectacular floral displays for the week, converting Girona’s monuments and courtyards into unique ornamental gardens. Each spring, during the second week of May, visitors can enjoy over 100 exhibits. The most impressive exhibits are held at the Cathedral Steps, the Arab baths, Saint Nicholas’ Chapel and Les Sarraïnes. There are also flower, photography, and film competitions and plenty of other things worth getting involved in. Events Primavera Sound Festival One of the biggest music festivals of the Barcelona calendar is the fantastic Primavera Sound Festival. It is a five-day fiesta of an eclectic mix of pop, rock, and underground music, that can satisfy the taste buds of any music lover. It is held at Poblenou’s Parc del Fòrum, just by the waterfront. Each year the Primavera Sound Festival attracts some of the biggest names in the industry to the stage. In the past the festival has hosted artists such as Pulp, Primal Scream, A$AP Rocky, Blur, Kendrick Lamar, Erykah Badu, and Lorde, to name only a few! Sónar Festival Sónar is another unmissable festival in the Catalonian capital during springtime. It is an art, design, electronic and experimental music festival founded in Barcelona in 1994. Since its inception, it has been divided into two parts: Sónar by Day and Sónar by Night, with a three-day congress dedicated to creativity, technology and business. Artists that have performed at Sónar include: Björk, Duran Duran, Grace Jones, Gorillaz, Stormzy, and thousands more! City Flamenco Festival This annual flamenco festival is a four-day celebration featuring singing, dancing and guitar recitals of flamenco’s new and established stars in Barcelona. It has been presented by the Taller de Músics and the Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona (CCCB) since 1993. All types of flamenco have a place at the festival, including Catalan rumba, and music from a range of different countries. The festival is committed to presenting flamenco as an evolutionary style, capable of attracting new generations of the public and integrating into modern Barcelona life. La Nit de Museus The Night of the Museums is an annual event that takes place in over 120 countries all over the world, in celebration of International Museum Day. On the 18^th of May, museums in Barcelona open their doors from 19:00 to 01:00 to host a special night of exhibitions, concerts, performances, workshops, guided tours and activities, and all for free! Over 100 museums in Barcelona dedicated to art, design, fashion, archaeology, music and more, take part in the night. We recommend planning your route to get in the maximum number of museums in possible. Sports Spanish Foruma One Grand Prix The Barcelona-Catalunya Circuit has been the home of the Formula One Spanish Grand Prix since 1991. Formula One comes every year to the city, usually in May time, to test its top racers on Catalan soil. Purchase a day ticket for the final race, or a full weekend ticket for 3 days of adrenaline! It is also possible to book a Formula 1 driving experience, to have your own experience of driving the track in a real F1 car. The perfect day out for any petrolhead! Barcelona Tennis Open The Barcelona Open is another spectacular sporting event not to be missed on a Springtime visit. It is the annual tennis tournament for professionals on the ATP tour, that usually takes place in the last week of April. Spanish tennis legend Rafael Nadal has won the singles title at this event a record-breaking 11 times. The event is played on the clay courts at the Real Club de Tenis Barcelona. With average temperatures at the end of April being around 19/20 degrees, it’s the perfect day out to enjoy the sunshine. Terraces When the good weather arrives in Barcelona, the unofficial terrace season commences. Around 40 hotels in Barcelona are open not only for hotel guests, but for anyone that wants a bite to eat and a drink while admiring the breathtaking scenery of Barcelona from the skies. Our top recommendations include:

• Terraza Ayre at Ayre Rosellón Hotel
• Terraza Colón at Colón Hotel
• La Dolce Vitae at Majestic Hotel
• Sky Bar at Grand Hotel Central
• La Isabela at Hotel 1898
• Terrat at Mandarin Oriental Hotel

Green spaces and parks Taking advantage of the good weather and calmer crowds is a must for the springtime. What better way to enjoy the emerging sunshine and higher temperatures than by a step into nature? Barcelona is home to a surprising number of parks and green spaces, that make for the perfect picnic spot amongst the greenery. Parc de la Ciutadella Situated over an impressive 18 hectares, Parc de la Ciutadella is Barcelona’s own Central Park. It hosts a boating lake, a waterfall designed by a young Gaudí, the Catalan Parliament, and the Barcelona Zoo. There is a wealth of things to get up to in the park, or you could simply amble round and find a spot on the grass to sit and admire the scenery. Park Güell The surrealist Gaudí park that was originally intended to be luxury housing, instead became one of the most famous sights in the world. It is one of the many UNESCO World Heritage Sites found in Barcelona, and spring is the perfect time to visit to escape the crowds. A trip to Park Güell offers a serene escape from the bustling Las Ramblas, as well as an in-depth look at the signature styles of the famed architect. Not to mention the fantastic panoramic views that you can see of Barcelona from the park itself! Montjuïc Hill Known as the ‘green lung of barcelona’, Montjuïc is home to several themed gardens spread over the hillside. There is also the striking architecture around the Olympic stadium complex, all with fantastic views to the city below and out to sea. We recommend a visit to the National Botanical Garden, the Jardins de Laribal, and the Jardins de Joan Brossa. Sandra Roig is Marketing Director at AB Apartment Barcelona. AB Apartment Barcelona is an apartment rental agency offering over one thousand short and long term apartments across Barcelona. If you would like to be a guest blogger on A Luxury Travel Blog in order to raise your profile, please contact us.