Rest in Spain. Catalonia

Catalonia is a historical region and an autonomous community in Spain. It is located in the northeast of the Iberian Peninsula on the Mediterranean coast. Surprisingly, it is a fact that the inhabitants of Catalonia do not consider themselves to be Spanish. They have their own language, which is not understood by all the Spaniards.

Catalan is an independent language belonging to the languages of the Romance group. He is even closer to French than to Spanish. Perhaps this is due to the proximity to France. Which, by the way, is very convenient for trips on excursions to the south of France or to Andorra.

Catalonia several times tried to secede from Spain and gain independence. Some Catalans can even be offended if you call them Spaniards. It is a very rich and developed region. Local residents say they do not know what a crisis is, and it does not affect them at all. Here its culture, customs and tourism are very developed. It is in Catalonia that there are such popular resorts as Costa Brava, Costa Dorada, Costa del Maresme, and even Barcelona itself. For many tourists, vacation in Spain is Catalonia! Catalonia includes 4 provinces: Barcelona, Tarragona, Lleida and Girona.

In 2013 in Catalonia, rested approximately 1 million only Russian tourists! About 15 million tourists visited the region in a year. It is interesting that about 70% of Russians who go on holiday to Spain, choose Catalonia. Russians are loved here, they are considered one of the most generous tourists. Most of our compatriots can be found in Costa Dorada. During the high season, this place turns almost into a Russian settlement. Therefore, in Costa Dorada, everything is focused on the Russians. In every hotel, bar, restaurant you are sure to find Russian-speaking staff, Russian-language menu, signs in our language and so on. Therefore, there will definitely not be any problems with the language barrier!

The own flag of Catalonia is called a sangier, it has the same colors as the Spanish, but it looks different. The symbol of the region is a donkey in opposition to the Spanish bull. Means endurance, strength and perseverance. Going on holiday in Spain in Catalonia, we advise you to leave the T-shirt "Real Madrid" at home and buy a T-shirt with the image of this donkey. This will ensure a more favorable attitude of local residents.

Quite interesting are the customs of Catalonia. Going on tours to Spain, you have the opportunity to watch it with your own eyes. Kastelieros - the tradition of building towers of people. A dangerous and unusual tradition has a centuries-old history and used to have a religious background. The motto of Castellero is "Strength, balance, courage and prudence." Indeed, you need all these qualities to participate in this fun, otherwise you can tear down the entire tower, which is fraught with consequences for all participants. All this happens without any insurance.

Sardana is the national dance of the Catalans of a round-the-clock character. On Sundays people gather in the squares and dance, do not be scared - this is not some terrible ritual. You can join the dance at any time. The only thing in the dance are pairs - a man and a woman, and you can not disconnect the man and the woman dancing to his right. At the time of the dictatorship in Spain, this dance, just like the Catalan language, was banned. Therefore, the sardana is also called "dance of protest."

During the holiday in Spain you will see many figures of people who are in need. This kaganer, symbolize luck and fertility. It is interesting that the faces of the figures are completely different. It can be famous people, pop stars and politicians, and completely ordinary people. What does equality mean between all sections of the population. It is considered a rather popular souvenir from the tour to Spain.