arts & culture

Hosted by the Castellers de Barcelona, the Diada Històrica Castellera is one of La Mercè’s most thrilling traditions. It brings some of the region’s strongest human tower teams together to attempt their most ambitious constructions in front of a packed Plaça Sant Jaume.

This year, Barcelona’s home team is joined by Minyons de Terrassa and Colla Joves Xiquets de Valls, two heavyweight colles. You get to watch as each tower grows body by body until the smallest climber scrambles to the top and raises a hand.

Castells have been recognised by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage since 2010. It takes strength, balance, bravery and trust to be a part of these teams. And seeing them in action surrounded by thousands of people adds pure magic to La Mercè celebrations this year. It’s a good idea to get there early so you can get a good spot in the crowd to watch from.