Barcelona Holy Week

No info on apartments, but want to be sure you know that you'll need to pre-purchase timed tickets if you want to see the most popular sights. Otherwise, you will spend a great deal of time in ticket lines and possibly not get in at all. If you tell us your sightseeing plans, we can advise you of which need pre-planning. Two days is a very short time in Barcelona if you have a lot of places you want to see--beyond just enjoying the beautiful facades, I mean.

Hi Carolyn,

If you are looking for an Airbnb rental for the 3 days in Barcelona 4/17 to 4/20, here are 3 rentals in Gracia Neighborhood you might consider. Gracia Neighborhood is centrally located in Barcelona.

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/plus/12083780?adults=3&children=0&infants=0&toddlers=0

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/1530586?adults=3&children=0&infants=0&toddlers=0

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/2184062?location=Gr%C3%A0cia%2C%20Barcelona%2C%20Spain&adults=3&children=0&infants=0&toddlers=0

https://irbarcelona.org/planning-trip-travel-holiday-barcelona/easter-holidays/

http://elpalauet.com/en/guide/v-i-p-very-importan/holy-week-in-barcel

Unfortunately there is nothing really spectacular going on in Barcelona in relation to Holy Week. We just do not have the same intensity of Holy Week traditions as one would find in the southern part of Spain. If you want to see one of those emotional Semana Santa processions, your closest option would probably be in Cuenca, they have some pretty good processions close to what one could find in Andalucía. However, with only 2 full days in Barcelona that would be out of the question.

My advice would be to just focus on the main sites of Barcelona with your limited time. I would save your Semana Santa experience for when you are in Andalucía.

In relation to your questions regarding potential neighborhoods to rent an apartment, Gràcia would be my top pick too, for the area to stay in. It is the "hip" place to be now in Barcelona with its co-working spaces and artist studios but also feels very cozy and welcoming, something that is becoming hard to find in a big city like Barcelona. It is also within walking distance to most of the Gaudi sites.

I would say that Catalonia is not a religious nation, not anymore anyway. Still, tradition remains and you can find superb displays of religious heritage during the Holy Week. Barcelona, its capital, in itself is probably not the best example, but nearby Girona or Tarragona, among others, are. Both are located at merely 60 miles from Barcelona and are very easy to reach by train.

In Tarragona -former Tarraco, the glorious Roman capital of the provinces of Hispania Citerior, and of Hispania Tarraconensis, which covered most of the Iberian peninsula during the Roman Empire- not only you'll find plenty of examples of magnificent architecture of that period, including city walls, forum, amphitheatre, circus, temples and arches, but also a great performances(#) during the Holy Week, such as the parade of the 'armats' or the 'processó del Serrallo'

Similarly, in Girona -a city with a beautiful medieval centre, which was the scenario of several chapters of Game of Thrones- one can find many displays of spirituality such as the 'manaies' -spectacular parades with cohorts of legionaries, reminder of its Roman past, honouring the death and resurrection of Christ.

Worth mentioning the Easter Procession that takes place on Maundy Thursday in the sleepy town of Verges, at a stone throw from Girona. The Procession of Verges is a theatrical representation of the life and crucifixion of Jesus Christ which includes the deeply moving Dance of Death, probably the last remaining Dance of Death in Europe, performed uninterruptedly since the Middle Ages. If planning to attend, note that the town gets a lot of visitors during those days so if you intend to stay for the night procession -which is where the Dance of Death takes place- prebook a.s.a.p. your accommodation. Also, note that while the street procession is free to attend, the theatrical performance requires a ticket which can be purchased here (a few weeks before Easter).

Enjoy!

(#) Pardon if it's not the appropriate 'term', but I hope you get what I mean.

We stayed in apartments using Friendly Rentals for both of our Barcelona visits. Wonderful company to deal with, and they may also have locations in Rome. Though others say nothing much goes on as there isn't the attention given to Holy Week as we might think, be aware that it may also be spring break, as it was on our last visit. There were parades, church services, and lots of teens enjoying spring breaks. So it was much more crowded than we expected, given our previous visit which was not during Holy Week. We did really enjoy seeing all the chocolate sculptures and creations, which are given to children on Easter - bakeries display them in their windows, and some are really mind-blowingly gorgeous. Don't know Rome, but you will love Barcelona.