La Castanyada is Catalonia's All Saints' tradition of chestnuts and panellets. Spin our Barcelona wheel for Gaudí, markets and autumn walks.
Halloween costumes have reached Barcelona, but the city's own autumn tradition is much cosier. La Castanyada falls on the night of October 31 and All Saints' Day, November 1. Families gather to eat roasted chestnuts, sweet potatoes, and panellets: small marzipan balls rolled in pine nuts, washed down with a glass of sweet moscatell.
Through autumn, street vendors called castanyeres set up their smoking braziers on corners all over the city, and bakeries fill their windows with panellets in every flavour. It's one of the best times to visit, with fewer crowds than summer, mild weather, and the smell of roasting chestnuts on half the corners in town.
Our Barcelona Gaudí & Landmarks wheel holds 20 of the city's best-known stops. Here's what to know if the wheel sends you to them in autumn.
Basílica de la Sagrada Família. The afternoon light through the western stained glass is at its most dramatic in autumn, when the sun sits lower. Book a timed ticket online; it always sells out.
Park Güell. Cooler days make the uphill walk far more pleasant than in July. The monumental zone needs a timed ticket, but the surrounding park trails are free.
Casa Batlló & La Pedrera (Casa Milà). Two Gaudí houses on Passeig de Gràcia. If the wheel lands here on the 31st, buy a cone of chestnuts from a vendor on the boulevard while you wait.
Mercat de la Boqueria. The place to find panellets, dried fruit and seasonal mushrooms (*bolets*). Catalans take mushroom season very seriously.
Bunkers del Carmel. Old Civil War anti-aircraft emplacements with a 360° view of the city. On clear autumn evenings the sunset light is excellent.
Montjuïc Castle & MNAC. Spend an afternoon on Montjuïc. The National Art Museum's Romanesque murals are among the finest in Europe, and the steps outside look out over the whole city.
Palau de la Música Catalana. A modernista concert hall in stained glass and mosaic. Catch an evening concert if the wheel picks it.
Ciutadella Park & Arc de Triomf. The trees turn gold and the park is ideal for a chestnut picnic.
Spin "Barcelona Gaudí & Landmarks" on SpinQuest — let the wheel pick your first stop, then spin again when you're ready for the next.
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