Barcelona
Things to do in Vilanova i la Geltrú
Capital of the Garraf region, Vilanova i la Geltrú is another of the coastal towns of Catalonia bathed by the calm waters of the Mediterranean Sea.
One of its oldest areas and not to be missed is the Geltrú district, where you will find the old gateway to the city called El Portal de Nin, next to the Geltrú Castle and the church of Santa María built in the 12th - 15th and 18th centuries respectively.
We will also visit the city centre and its Neocolonial Plaza de la Vila and the Víctor Balaguer library-museum (politician and writer), which houses one of the most important collections of Catalan painting, as well as decorative arts, ethnology and archaeology. Another of the museums that we can visit in Vilanova i la Geltrú is the museum of the Railroad that constitutes a magnificent exhibition of the history of the Spanish railroads.
If we want to enjoy a walk we can approach the Ramblas, with a length of more than one kilometer long, is where we find cinemas, bars and terraces where you can have a drink.
Last but not least, the maritime sector. In it we will find the fishing port, the fish market, the lighthouse and the hermitage of Sant Cristòfol. In the lighthouse we can visit the museum of the sea, which exhibits a series of information and objects related to the sea and fishing. At the end of the tour we find its excellent marina and modern nautical club.
Vilanova i La Geltrú town festival
As every year, in Vilanova and La Geltrú, in Barcelona, you can enjoy their major festivals, which begin on July 29 and end a week later, on August 6, although you can already feel the atmosphere of festivities in its streets from almost a week before the start.
The Festa Major de Vilanova y la Geltrú has been celebrated since ancient times, in honour of its patron saint, the Virgen de las Nieves. Therefore, these days of festive days the streets and squares of the zone are filled with music, regional dances and diverse activities that assure the entertainment to all the visitors and citizens.
In the same way, on the day of the beginning of the festival, the locals are informed by hanging the flag on the bell tower of the church of San Antonio. From this moment on, hundreds of activities such as concerts, theatre, parades, cinema or castellers will invade the streets with their joy and dynamism.
On July 30th a theatrical act by the Guerrilla Theatre takes place from ten o'clock in the evening. By the 31st is when a visit to the bell tower of San Antonio is organized and a concert is held for the youngest. But the most expected by tourists, visitors from nearby towns and citizens of Vilanova and Geltrú, is undoubtedly the correfoc, which normally leaves from the Plaza de les Neus ending in the Plaza de la Vila.
Also, on Saturday August 1 takes place the removal of the giants representing the city, in the Plaza de la Vila, where different performances with bands that animate the cotarro. In the following days, the parade of the small mule "La Cabrita", the traditional Night of Dance and a great popular gymkhana, as well as dances of canes, and audiovisual contest.
Finally, on 6 August, the fence of the Imaginarium is celebrated with the invitation of the representatives of the Festa Major of previous years, which ends with a large fireworks display.
