Catalans hold a monopoly in the building sector, the human castles or towers or castells as they are known. Castellers are building for over 200 years those high “towers” at the southwest part of Catalonia and especially at Tarragona and Penedès. That one of a kind folklore tradition it is said to have roots in medieval siege practices while nowadays it is an amateur sport that everybody takes seriously.
Castellers try to “build” floors made out of humans reaching as high as possible and then descend without letting the tower collapse to a rumble. This is actually a cultural symbol in Catalonia and the experience of watching castellers is truly amazing and mesmerizing. Nowadays, many groups of castellers, the so called collas, are active in and around Barcelona. Along with the rest (the best groups come from the Valls and Vilafranca del Penedès areas) they participate in local fiestas and competitions from February until October.
Some of the best human towers in Barcelona can be found during the month of August. So, if you are planning a visit then make sure you visit one of the human towers. This is an experience that will blow your mind and leave you speechless. Here follow some of the best human towers in Barcelona and where to see castellers during August.
Castellers in Plaça de la Vila de Gràcia
The Castellers de la Vila de Gràcia is a group that makes human towers and is based in Vila de Gràcia. They were founded in 1996 and their distinctive trait is that of the navy blue color of their shirts. They are also known as the Colla dels blaus (the blue group) or as the Colla dels estudiants (group of students) due to the young age of most of its members. In August you will be able to see them at the Plaça de la Vila de Gràcia in Friday the 16th at 20:00h and the next day, Saturday the 17th at the same place at 18:00h.
If you are in Barcelona from the 15th to the 21st of August, you will also enjoy Festes de Gràcia!
Training sessions, another chance to see human towers in Barcelona
There is a possibility that, during your stay in Barcelona, there will be no castellers performances scheduled during that week. Do not despair! You can always visit a training session held by groups around the city. One of these groups is the Castellers de Barcelona. You can watch them practice every week at Carrer de Bilbao 212, close to the Clot metro station. You can watch the entire session from the bar close to the practice area.
In general, watching castellers is a unique and amazing spectacle for everyone visiting Barcelona in August. You can combine this spectacle with an apartment for rent in Barcelona, for example near Gràcia or near Eixample. This way you will be close to all the hot places to see these human towers in Barcelona and also you will be able to experience life as a local. You will have all the amenities of a regular hotel along with many more.
