The Església del Pi is one of the few buildings that have not been modified since the middle ages, unlike what happens with the Cathedral. You have to go first thing in the morning, when there will be fewer people in the square and the light is more spectacular. It is a very nice place if you go in the right moment.
Inside the church you will find a surprise for the children: there are giants!
The giants are very traditional figures in Catalonia. In the main festivities, they dance in the streets of the city. There are many giants throughout the region, the ones you will see in the church are called Els Gegants del Pi and they exist at least since the 14th century. Their names are Mustafà (him) and Eilsenda (her) and you’ll find their miniatures someplace at home. They are the most popular giants, and they have a song of their own that all children know. If children like them, in this post we tell you where to see some more.
There are a couple of historical stores here. One sells knives (Plaça del Pi 3) and the other one hand made chairs (Banys Nous 15). There were a lot more only a few years back but the list gets shorter and shorter. You can also visit Galeries Maldà, a subterranian gallery that was semi abandoned but now is regaining some life with a bunch of thematic stores (Game of Thrones, Harry Potter, Star Wars…).
After the visit, you can walk along Carrer Petritxol. It is very typical for locals to have a hot chocolate with some pasta here. The most traditional are the ‘melindros’ and the ‘xurros’. The places where you eat are called ‘granja’ in Catalan, and you will see that there are several. Where there is more queue is in La Pallaresa (Petritxol 11) but we have never liked it. From this street we prefer the Granja Dulcinea (Petritxol 2). But if you ask us, the best hot chocolate is not in Petritxol but in Viader (Xuclà 4). Another good option is to get some “churros” in Banys Nous 8.
Giants and hot chocolate, what else can a kid need 😉
And speaking of catalan folklore, the other main tradition are the human towers called “castellers”. They make towers of up to 10 people which is pretty spectacular. There is a monument in Sant Miquel Square (next to Sant Jaume Square) so you can get an idea of how high that is.