Barcelona Travel Hacks

02/01/2025

The end of the Christmas season is marked by a float parade on the 5th of January with the 6th being a national holiday. Read about it here and find the route.

A child friendly parade celebrating the arrival of the Three Kings to give Baby Jesus the gifts. Tradition is to throw sweets into the crowd

26/12/2024

Read about Spanish new years eve traditions and customs and the free Barcelona Fireworks display here.

An honest guide to viewing the Barcelona New years fireworks display. Where to view the fireworks from, timings, traditions and where to go after

05/12/2024

Vic medieval market and fair is, in my opinion, is the best medieval fair in Catalonia and a great way to spend the 6th to 8th December bank holiday. Find out about the notable displays and what else to see in Vic.

Early December every year Vic turns into a medieval village with craftsmen, taverns and street performances celebrting the long history of Vic

03/12/2024

Today the new law regarding collection and registering of guest personal data for accommodation and hire car rental enters in to force. For the next week or so there may be small delays at check-in as staff adapt to the new database to register your details. Read more about it here.

Controversial new law to collect tourists personal data when renting accommodation (apartments, Airbnb, hotels, hostels) and hire cars

14/11/2024

Vic medieval market and fair is, in my opinion, the best medieval fair in Catalonia and a great way to spend the 6th to 8th December bank holiday.

https://www.barcelonatravelhacks.com/travel/event/vic-medieval-market-fair

06/11/2024

Everyone has now seen the horrific images on global news channels about the devastating floods in the Spanish Valencia region as well as the huge amount of suffering and loss of life.

Although BarcelonaTravelHacks is primarily a Barcelona and Catalonia centric travel and tourism website, and therefore the events in Valencia are out of scope, I decided to fill in what I could not see being reported in English language news channels and how you can help and donate to the charity relief funds.

Information about the Spanish floods in Valencia, how to donate or help, Shutting down fake news & conspiracies theories & how Barcelona was affected by DANA

31/10/2024

If you have been following the news about the devastating floods in Valencia and Murcia regions, AEMET (Agencia Estatal de Meteorología) have a heavy rainfall warning for the coastal areas south of Tarragona until Friday 1st November. Also note that all of the attractions on my site (in Spain) include the AEMET weather data and mountain forecast where relevant data is available.

Stay safe and happy exploring.

Avisos de fenómenos meteorológicos adversos

30/10/2024

November is considered the best month for wild mushroom harvesting in Catalonia, with mushrooms forming part of the seasonal culinary culture.
This easy 10km route through the Bosc del Carboner Mort is famous for its mushrooms.
Continue reading to find out about the edible shrooms that grow in Catalonia, how to harvest them, the best places to look and which ones are edible and toxic.

10km easy linear Autumn Mushroom hunting hike in Bosc del Carboner Mort between Urtx-Alp and La Molina and the mushroom culinary culture of Catalonia

27/10/2024

I am continuing to build the best database of hiking routes in Catalonia (English language) with, currently, 72 routes.
I have recently also organised this content by best month of the year to complete each hiking route.
https://www.barcelonatravelhacks.com/list/theme/catalonia-hiking-calendar

This list of routes is also available sorted by national park and geographic area.
https://www.barcelonatravelhacks.com/list/theme/barcelona-catalonia-hiking

Any feedback from frequent hikers is greatly appreciated.

27/10/2024

Cloudy and rainy weather is forecast all day today. However, Some museums are free entry from 3PM today.
https://www.barcelonatravelhacks.com/list/cost/museum-free-days

My favorite part of the city on gloomy days is the Gothic quarter.
https://www.barcelonatravelhacks.com/barcelona/gothic-centre
Here you will find two of the best museums in Barcelona, Museo Frederic Mares and MUHBA, both fully indoor as well as the Barcelona's 13th century cathedral and basilica del Pi.
From Plaça del Pi (next to the basilica) you will find a narrow street called Carrer de Petritxol which is famous for it's Xocolateria Xurreria cafe's that sell a hot chocolate drink with Xurro (a fried batter pastry served with sugar).

Medieval & Roman walled heart of Barcelona. Narrow winding streets, old buildings, boutique shops, restaurants & squares. Discover 12 things to do and see

15/09/2024

One of my favorite places to visit at the end of summer is Collioure just across the border in France. This quante little town has two large castles, great rstaurants and local wines. The coastline from collioure to Banyuls-Ser-Mer is also a nice hiking route. Both these towns can be reached by train from Barcelona.

Historic Catalan towns fortresses, and hiking along the Côte Vermeille in France on the border with Spain. Visiting France by train from Barcelona