Semana Santa 2011 (Easter Week) in Barcelona

This year, Barcelona celebrates the Semana Santa from the 17th until the 25th of April. For Catholics, coming to Barcelona for Easter Week is a good option but also for Non Catholics, since everybody could enjoy processions organized in the city. These processions are a great opportunity for tourists to discover the charm and the historical part of the city.

Palm Sunday procession route

In Barcelona, Easter holidays will start on the 17th, with Palm Sunday. A first procession will take place on this date in the Raval area, starting at 10.00 from Plaça Sant Agusti and ending around 12.00. Here is the procession route :

View Palm Sunday procession route - 17/04/2011 on a larger map

Holy Friday procession route

On the 22nd of April, during the Holy Friday (Viernes Santos), two main processions will take place.

The first one is called "Nuestra Señora de las Angustias" (Our Lady of Sorrows) and will start at 19.00 from Sant Jaume church. It will end around 22.30 in the same place. The procession will go through the Gothic area, from a point to another that you can see on the following map:

View Holy Friday procession route - 22/04/2011 on a larger map

The second one is called "Nuestro Padre Jesús del Gran Poder y María Santísima de la Esperanza Macarena" (Our Father Jesus of the Great Power and Holy Virgin of Macarena). It will start from Sant Augusti church to finish in this same place. This will follow almost the same itinerary than the procession for Palm Sunday, going from the Raval area to the Gothic area:

View Holy Friday procession route - 22/04/2011 on a larger map

Finally on the 25th of April, the Semana Santa will end with Easter Monday, where the family eat together a traditional easter cake (Mona de Pascua) offered by the godfather to his godchildren on Palm Sunday.

Funny tip:

But for the Semana Santa, there is also a funny tradition for children, which is called "The dancing egg" ("L'ou com balla" in catalonian). This tradition, still unknown from the public, consists in taking the shell of an empty egg and trying to make it turn on itself the longest as possible. For the occasion, fountains are decorated with fruits and flowers.

You could try this childish game in the Cathedral of Barcelona, el Poblet, The Frederic Marés Museum, The Santa Ana Church, el Ateneu barcelonés, The Bones Letres Academy and the Purisima Concepcio Church.

If you still need an accommodation in Barcelona for Easter holidays, check our website : Top Barcelona Apartments.