During the 10th, 11th and 12th of May Barcelona en las Alturas meets Torre Amat, a nineteenth century modernist tower with a gorgeous romantic style garden. A magical place full of Shakespearean essence. Walk among the shade of orange, lemon and bay is a real treat! In addition, the fragrances of jasmine, basil and rosemary of the garden will make you fall in love.

The aim of this event is for the guests to enjoy a good atmosphere and company with their families and friends. You will find stands with gourmet products tastings as caviar, oysters, octopus … Delightful!

And do not miss the must of all editions: mojitos, gintonics and champagne stand. You will have to be fast ordering! All this accompanied always with live music. Little kids have their space activities too. So the whole family is welcome to Barcelona en las Alturas!

The current edition has assembled up to 53 stands. You’ll find everything from products dedicated to the art as photography exhibitions or handmade products to fashion clothes. Small stands full of products you’ll want to buy!

If you are staying in Barcelona this coming weekend, do not miss it! Here you have Torre Amat address: Duquessa d’Orleans, 9 Barcelona.

Have a great weekend! From Derby Hotels Collection

Holy Week begins on Palm Sunday and ends on Easter Sunday.  Is the annual commemoration of the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. Therefore, they are a few days of intense liturgical activity within the various Christian denominations.

Andalusia, pure passion in the South

Arriving in Andalusiaduring Holy Week means smelling the aroma of incense and orange blossom, being moved by the singing of a saeta and impressed to hear the silence of a crowd.

In Andalusia there are many ways to live and feel the Holy Week and everything is in the streets of cities and towns in Andalusia. Every corner is decorated with colour, scent and flavour. And all their inhabitants are fully integrated, from orthodoxy or from a purely cultural environment.

Fraternities take the streets with pictures and sculptures, sometimes of great historical and artistic value, representing scenes from the Passion, Death and Resurrection. Many brotherhoods are accompanied by a procession of penitents or Nazarenes, wearing the habit of the brotherhood, with candles, lanterns and musical accompaniment … And, in the case of women, wearing the typical mantilla.

Andalusian brotherhoods

The Holy Week of Malaga, Granadaand Sevilleare classified as international tourist celebrations. Easter is one of the most reliable expressions of Christian Andalusian feel. Holy Week represents a socio-cultural phenomenon mostly, but it is also a tourism and economic fact.

In Seville we found La Macarena, the most popular of Seville virgins. The green tide, as they call the long line of olive Nazarenes robes, walk each year through the streets of Seville from ‘La Madrugá’ on Friday and for 14 hours before returning to the Basílica.

 Another virgin, Esperanza de Triana, also from Sevilla, leaves from the chapel of the Mariners. And this year it will be accompanied by the choir Julio Pardo, 43 voices singing Crowned Incarnation. Los Gitanos de Triana, founded in 1753 walk through all neighbourhoods ofSeville. It is the brotherhood of Cayetana, Duchess of Alba, who continues to maintain her tradition of going to watch the passing ofLa Salud at 2 am in the morning.

Together with El Silencio and El Santo Entierro, El Cristo de Burgos (XVI century) is the counterpoint of the most popular brotherhoods of Seville. This brotherhood is a serious, austere and silent in almost all the way, only accompanied by music chapel.

In Malaga, el Cristo de la Buena muerte, is one of the most popular brotherhoods in Holy Thursday. It is well known for the parade of a company of legionaries that carry the cross to the throne. In Málaga is very common to see the actor Antonio Banderas, who belongs to several brotherhoods and lives Easter with passion and commitment.

A brotherhood with a very particular history is Jesus el Rico. This brotherhood has the power to release a prisoner (without violent crime) each year, privilege granted by Carlos III.

In Granada, the passion focuses on Holy Wednesday with the Cristo de los Gitanos. Dozens of bonfires illuminate the passage of the procession while, in the caves of Sacromonte, Gypsies sing zambras and fiestas.

And if we are in Jaén, the Christ is El Abuelo, a popular brotherhood founded in 1594. The legend says there was an old man that asked for a log and he stayed alone all night. In the morning, the old man was gone and in his bedroom was a splendid image of Jesus.

If you are planning to get away and you still have no destination, Andalusiaat Easter is a good choice! After this tour of the magic Andalusian Derby Hotels wants to wish happy holidays!

Everything in the Arai breathes history. Perfectly located where Las Ramblas, the Cathedral and the harbour meet. Its location offers us two thousand years of history: Roman remains, medieval, baroque and modernist. We will also be able to life the daily pulse of the locals: markets, churches, theatres, hotels, shops, restaurants, tourists … So we are in the perfect place to experience authenticBarcelona.

Gothic Quarter, ​​a neighbourhood where the past coexists the present, an open air museum. The scenario of the best legends.

To know every corner and discover its culture background Joan Coll, director of Cultruta, with an experience of over 5 years as a tour guide, shows us some of the stories and the Gothic spaces hidden from us.

Haven’t you ever wondered where the name of Boqueria came? It comes from Boc, which in Catalan means goatling. A history dating back to the XIII century when the meat more succulent and tender of the goat was sold within the city, where wealthy people lived. But in the suburbs, where popular Boqueria market is located today, sold the boc, a tougher meat with lower quality. Managers were selling “boquers” and that’s when the Boqueria name was born.

The street names often have their origin in the history of the city itself. For example, the Puerta del Angel answers a XV century legend according to an angel guarding the city. We can still see a sculpture that references this protective figure in the Portal del Ángel. Porta Ferrisa also gets its name from an old door that was closing this road.

We are in the Jewish Quarter where we will discover, for example, a haunted house or the bridge where Santa Eulalia was locked, one of the patron saints of Barcelona. Precisely in memory of this young geese caregiver who suffered 13 shepherdess to defend Christianity; we can find today 13 of these animals in the courtyard of the Cathedral. Even thoughtBarcelona’s day is celebrated on September 24th in honor of Merce. And when it rains, they say it’s Santa Eulalia crying because nobody remembers her.

All these legends are documented in the work of Joan Amades Catalan, a folklorist, who collected all the stories, legends and myths that older people orally transmitted to their children and grandchildren. His work combines the oral culture of the Gothic and the city of Barcelona, ​​the best way to know and understand the daily lives of our ancestors.

From DHC we would like to have a look at these markets, which have their origin in the fourteenth century, located in some of the most emblematic places of the city. Do not miss any of them if you have the wonderful luck to be in the city of lights during the Christmas period.

At Trocadéro Square, right next to the Eiffel Tower, the “Trocadéro on Ice” gives you the possibility to enjoy an ice rink in the heart of Paris! Besides an ice igloo and a snowman, the market offers a hundred wooden houses with gastronomy, handicrafts and numerous animations to keep the magic of Christmas.

Open from 11h to 20h from December 13 to January 6.

The Marché de Noël de Champs Elysées is one of the most amazing for visitors because of its unique location; an incredible opportunity to walk through one of the world’s most spectacular avenues while enjoying over a hundred wooden houses that offer handicrafts and cuisine. In addition, you will find numerous carousels and  other games perfect for children. In the Place de la Concorde, located at one end of the avenue, you will witness the largest Christmas tree in Europe with almost 35 meters high.

Open from 10h to 23h from November 16 to January 6 (Friday and Saturday is open until midnight).

The Marché de Noël de Montparnasse has similar characteristics, located in one of the most prestigious districts of the French capital, just below the Montparnasse Tower. Surely you will not be able to resist taking a small snack right there!

Open from 5 to 30 December.

On the Boulevard Saint Germain des Prés, near the legendary church of Saint Germain des Prés, is located one of these marchés with thirty wooden houses of spectacular decoration consisting of a very traditional offer.

Open from December 6 to January 2.

The Marché de Noël Alsacien is located in the Gare de l’Est, it lasts only two weeks, but differs from the others because, in this case, you can enjoy the Alsatian gastronomy: pretzels, gingerbread, chocolate, fresh pasta, foie gras, Alsatian charcuterie…  Moreover, this year there is a Christmas tree, entertainment for children and tastings of the treasures of this region of France.

The next market is found in the Italie 2 shopping center, in the Place d’Italie, which will held animations for kids and adults. The Marché de Noël de Italie 2 is an ideal opportunity to enjoy the food offered by the market and at the same time doing Christmas shopping.

Open from November 24 to December 24.

In the neighbourhood of the Moulin Rouge, the Marché de Noël du Haut-Montmartre, decorated with more than 70 wooden houses in the streets of the famous Parisian neighborhood. The program includes handicrafts, creations of artists, food, typical Christmas decorations …

Open from December 6 to January 6.

The Féeries d’Auteuil, 20 minutes from the Eiffel Tower, compared to the Trocadéro Market, it is a much more festive in which you can enjoy animations and concerts, as well as antique shops and gastronomic specialties of the regions in France famous for their wines, champagnes, cheeses and foie gras without forgetting the little touches like jewelry, ready-to-wear, decorative, and Provence nativity figurines and Christmas trees. It also has a caring house hold by the youth of the area.

Open from 8 to 16 December.

A few steps from the Eiffel Tower, in the seventh arrondissement, at the Marché de Noël du Mail Branly, a multitude of artisans will be there with their creations and, whilst you are shopping, you will be able to enjoy delicious local products such as marrons , gingerbread, tartiflette or hot wine.

Open from December 14 to January 6.

To conclude, itcould not miss the most famous cathedral in the world market. We are talking about the Marché de Noël Paris Notre-Dame. A score of exhibitors await you to show you their most original creations. A treat to enjoy the handicraft and culinary mix beside the Seine.

Open from 10am to 20pm from 15 to 23 December.

In Barcelona, the master baker Xavier Barriga is one of the most notable pioneers in this movement. Besides being the soul of  TURRIS bakeries, he also teaches at bakery schools and training centers, he works as a bakery consultant in various companies and he is also the author of  books and articles in professional journals.

Among the gourmet activities organized by El Poble Espanyol, on Thursday, 20^th of September, Xavier Barriga offers a blind bread tasting where, blindfolded with a mask, attendees will learn to distinguish a rye bread from a buckwheat bread, to differentiate aromas, flavors, and discover that bread can be listened to.

An opportunity to awaken your senses! The event will consist of a blindfolded tasting of up to 8 varieties of breads that will delight participants. One activity that we definitely recommend.

This workshop will take place today, Thursday  20^th of September at 19:30. Open to the general public, it will be held in the Monastery of Sant Miquel Romànic of the Poble Espanyol and is priced at € 10. Reservations via the website.

Choose Barcelona and enjoy its beaches, bars, sun, and tapas to get started on your summer.

Deciding where to spend your holiday and choosing accommodations is important, especially if you’re traveling with little ones. What about pets? How many times have you had to leave your pet at the neighborhood kennel when you go on holiday?

A vacation rental is a great option and wonderful alternative to the usual hotel. An apartment offers advantages such as privacy and independence. You can come and go as you please and forget about setting an alarm. It’s essentially like being at home on your day off.

Derby Hotels offers lofts and flats from 20m2 to 60m2 located in different neighborhoods around the city. This option also includes a complimentary visit to the Egyptian Museum of Barcelona. Founded by the President of Derby Hotels, Mr. Jordi Clos has brought the opportunity to experience Egyptian culture that includes beautiful exhibitions, as well as workshops for children. A perfect holiday that includes art, culture and sunny weather!

Gran de Gràcia

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La Republica

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Balmes Residence

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