Five good reasons

Whatever the reason it takes the traveller to Vilafranca, the visitor have an appointment with the gastronomy, a cuisine that recovers the flavors of the land, rich in contrasts and looking toward the quality of native products and liturgy of their preparation.

Above the rest, highlighting meat specialties such as Black Rooster of Penedes and Dumb Duck, and sweets such as Coques of Vilafranca and Catanies. In addition, Xato deserves a special mention. It’s a salad that mix seafood with products from countryside.

But it is much better to face these delicious dishes combining its with one of its prestigious wines and champagnes. The close relationship between the Penedes region and the vine comes back from pre-Roman age. In fact, the Wine Museum has remnants from that era.

But the real boom in wine comes from the eighteenth century, when Vilafranca developed urban and economically. Today, the Penedes region is essentially a wine that owes its good health to their multiple and extensive vineyards.

Build human towers is a way of life in Catalonia, which comes from a tradition of the eighteenth century. For castellers, members of the Colla -Catalan name of the group that raises the Castells (or castles) - climb on top of other people into a tower several meters is more than just a hobby and if it means is identified with a deeply rooted in the land.

Castells symbolize the personal effort of members to help the group to build a common project: the castle. The Castellers of Vilafranca presume to be one of the best casteller groups of the world, which has managed to complete all Castells that can be seen today in places.

At the Vila Square be given the status of being the "most square castle", title forged as a result of the faithfulness of this city to Castells.

It is possible to give a tour by the Catalan Gothic architecture without moving the center of the capital of the Penedes. You don’t need to leave the old town of Vilafranca to enjoy their most important monuments.

The imposing Basilica of Santa Maria, the thirteenth century, is a good example of the new Catalan Gothic architecture applied to a parish church. The temple hosts remnants of murals from the fourteenth century and the Bell Tower is a gothic tower.

In addition, visitors will meet with the Royal Palace, the thirteenth century, home of the Museum of Vilafranca-Wine Museum and the Palau dels Babaus (which means "Fool’s Palace") or Baltà Palace, the fourteenth century, the City Council of Gothic and Art Nouveau facade and the Can Macià, a Gothic house of the fifteenth century.

The festive role of Vilafranca reaches all areas: the gastronomic one, with the Rooster Fair and Xato Feast; the pyrotechnic one, with the feast of firecrackers; the musical one, with the Matinades (music in the sunrise) and local dances; and Vilafranca’s festival and famous Drac (the dragon).