Best things to do this Castanyada and Halloween in Barcelona and Catalonia

As All Saints approaches, Catalonia welcomes Halloween and Castanyada plans for the long weekend. Various celebrations will take place along the territory, but there are also at-home activities that are perfect for the shorter and colder days this autumn. 

Here is a list of things to do to celebrate Castanyada and Halloween in the Catalan capital and other places: 

Visit Barcelona's most haunted places 

Some of Barcelona’s lesser-known history has to do with its many urban legends and chilling tales. 

From Mercat de Sant Antoni being used as a site for public executions during the Middle Ages, to the Rocafort L1 metro station which was the sight of variuos deaths during the 1960s. 

In addition, there are various haunted tours around the Catalan capital to explore sites that portrayed life and punishment during the Spanish Inquisition. 

Cook 'panellets' 

'Panellets' are small round marzipan cakes found in Catalonia as well as Aragon, Valencia, the Balearic Islands, and Andorra and are eaten on All Saints’ Day. 

People enjoy eating these sweets as much as ever as part of the larger 'Castanyada' tradition where people also get together to feast on roast chestnuts and sweet potatoes. 

Popular variations are pine nut, coconut, almond, and chocolate, with 'pinyó' being especially sought after. 

If you are not into cooking, you can also buy them in local pastry shops all around Catalonia. 

Catrinas parade 

The Mexican community in Catalonia is organizing a Catrina parade in Barcelona on November 2, as well as a contest for the best costume. 

The parade will start at 12 at the Columbus monument in Ciutat Vella and will continue through the Rambla Catalunya.  

There is more information in the organizer's website. 

Visit Barcelona's cemeteries  

If you visit a cemetery in Catalonia after Halloween you will see a lot of fresh flowers that loved ones have brought to pay respects.  

However, that may not be the only thing to catch your attention, as cemeteries in Barcelona and Catalonia are quite different to those in other places. Cemeteries in Catalonia are like small cities, we could say 'cities of the dead'. 

The two most iconic cemeteries in Barcelona are Poblenou's cemetery and the Montjuïc one, with various sculptures and forms of art.  

Barcelona's collection of funeral carriages 

Catalonia has many landmarks, museums, traditions and historical sites that are truly unique, an addition to this exceptional list is the Collection of Funeral Carriages in Barcelona, a unique museum in all of Europe. 

These are the carriages that were used during the 19th century and up until the middle of the 20th for funeral rituals in Barcelona.