The Flower Carpets of Sitges

Sixty days after Easter Sunday, on the last day of the Corpus Christi Festival, hundreds of locals awake in the early hours of the morning to transform the streets of the Spanish town of Sitges (just south of Barcelona) into ‘flower carpets’. Known as Catif de flors in Catalan, these carpets are made up of thousands of brightly-coloured petals, flowers and seeds. They traditionally depict images of various Catholic effigies, but also feature a range of truly imaginative creations.

The Corpus Christi Festival is a Catholic celebration in honour of the Eucharist – the body of Jesus Christ. However, despite this being a predominantly religious festival, it still attracts hundreds of non-Catholic visitors every year. Most of the streets and plazas of Sitges become pedestrian-only zones, and the flower displays are the centre of attention.

The displays themselves are cordoned-off, which protects them from being trampled underfoot, but this can also cause a bit of overcrowding. Be sure to head out early, so as to avoid feeling cramped in the narrow pathways. Regardless of what time you head out, however, you’ll be glad that you did. The displays are quite simply breath taking; ranging from intricate and detailed to full on flower sculptures bursting with colour. The Catif de flors will not leave you feeling disappointed. To help you navigate the city, download the Hummba Audio Sitges Town Guide.