Patum de Berga

The Patum descends from medieval Corpus Christi processions in which mystery plays were performed on the route, and in Berga those figures detached from the procession and became a festival of their own, performed in the Placa Sant Pere over several days around Corpus Christi. The comparses include Turcs i Cavallets, Maces and devils, the Guita, a mule with a firework in its neck, the Aliga, an eagle whose dance is the solemn centre, Nans, dwarfs, and the Plens, in which men covered in vine leaves and fitted with fireworks are lit and dance through the packed square in smoke and fire. UNESCO inscribed it in 2005. It is genuinely a local festival, and the square is dense with residents rather than visitors.

What you actually see

• The Plens - leaf-covered figures fitted with fireworks dancing in the square.
• The Aliga - an eagle whose slow dance is the festival's solemn moment.
• The Guita - a mule figure firing sparks over the crowd.
• The packed square - Placa Sant Pere filled with residents.

When to go

Corpus Christi, which falls in late May or June and moves with Easter; the full programme runs over four or five days with the main sessions on Wednesday and Sunday. Dates are announced well ahead.

Honest expectations

The square is extremely crowded and the fire sections are dangerous, with sparks falling on the crowd; cotton clothing and a hat are needed and many locals wear them. Accommodation in Berga is very limited and books out. This is a community event, not a display for visitors.

Nearby

The Cadi-Moixero park lies north; Barcelona is a hundred kilometres south.