Learning and having fun at the same time with your family is the aim of these experiences, dramatised tours and workshops, where children can learn all about professions such as craftsmanship and shepherding. They can also put themselves in the shoes of characters full of history, such as the pirates of the Mediterranean. Who would you like to be today? A cabinet maker, an explorer, or perhaps a musician? Explorers and shepherds in the Pyrenees and Muntanyes de Prades In the Alt Pirineu Natural Park, in Pirineus-Noguera Pallaresa, an irresistible day out awaits you with the Explore the Park passport. With this booklet, you will be able to tour the natural areas and discover signposted viewpoints and interpretation centres that will teach you all about the park’s flora and fauna. While you discover the area and get into your role as an explorer, don’t forget to stamp your passport at each place you visit. If you manage to collect all the stamps, a prize awaits you at the park offices! Good luck and enjoy your adventure! Shepherding is one of the oldest and most deeply rooted traditions in Catalonia. At the Vall d’Assua Shepherds’ Ecomuseum, you will have the chance to aviar (“go out to graze”) with the sheep and you will learn about the day-to-day life of a shepherd up close. During the day, the shepherd will share their secrets with you and also explain the characteristics of the xisqueta sheep, a native breed of the Pyrenees of Catalonia. When you return, you’ll have the opportunity to sign up for various workshops organised by the Ecomuseum, such as Estirem lo fil (“Pull the Yarn”), an activity where you will discover the uses of wool and will get to make something out of the material. In Capafonts, in Muntanyes de Prades, you can come and learn about the traditional work of a shepherd. You will be able to hear their story and go out with them to graze the goats and take them back to their pens. The mountain adventure then continues with an excursion. Along the route, you will discover natural environments of great beauty, along the banks of the Brugent river for example. To round off the day, you will get to enjoy a picnic! Pirates on the coast! Do you fancy going to hunt for treasure on the Costa Brava? In Torroella de Montgrí - L’Estartit you will become pirates and board the Corsari Negre, an old wooden ship, to sail through the Natural Reserve of the Medes Islands and the Montgrí coast. During the route you will experience the thrill of climbing aboard at Puntada de les Tres Coves and then disembark on the mainland to enjoy a day at the beach. This activity takes place in the summer. On the Costa Barcelona, this pirate adventure will take you to Castelldefels Castle. In this fortress, you will enjoy an immersive pirate experience, where you will become part of the crew and get to know the history of these corsairs who besieged the Catalan coast centuries ago. Become a craftsperson for the day in Barcelona’s Poble Espanyol Learning an artisan craft is a wonderful family activity. This is exactly what you will be doing in the personalised workshops organised by Poble Espanyol in Barcelona. Here, you will have the chance to learn about the craftsperson’s work, enjoying an entertaining afternoon together, and then you’ll leave with a piece which you have made! You will learn how to print a fabric or weave a basket, and there will always be a master craftsperson on hand to help you out. Workshops are held throughout the year. Get ready to test your manual skills and creativity! Improve your artistic skills on the Costa Daurada Pau Casals was one of the great musicians of the 20th century and in Vendrell, his hometown, you will find his museum. If you would like your children to be inspired by his music, you can sign them up for a theatrical tour of their facilities. Robert, a musician friend of Pau Casals, will accompany you on the visit, and explain this genius’s great passion for music. After the tour you can take part in a workshop and learn to play his instrument, the cello. Doesn’t it sound great? You’ll have lots of fun discovering modernism and who Antoni Gaudí was at the workshops organised by Reus Tourism. In the first workshop on modernism, you’ll decorate the traditional tiles used to make trencadís (broken tile mosaics) using a ceramic craft technique. In the second workshop on Gaudí, you will become a cabinetmaker for a day and get to know all the woodworking techniques. Let’s get to it! Bees and honey from Arnes Do you know what bees get up to in their hives or how they produce their honey? The Arnes Interpretation Centre is located in Els Ports. Here you will discover, in a dynamic and enjoyable way, what the life of these amazing insects is like. The centre has several fun and educational spaces, where you will learn many things about bees through different games, and who knows, maybe your children will become interested in the work of beekeepers! If you visit Arnes in the first week of June, you will get to take part in the Honey Festival. At this event, wax-making workshops are held, there are talks, children’s activities and artisan honey for sale. If you have a sweet tooth why not try the traditional borrainas, the leaves of a plant typical of the area which are battered and fried in oil. You can try them with the tasty Arnes honey.