Castanyada and All Saints' 2026 in Barcelona: chestnuts, panellets and cemeteries from the Esquerra de l'Eixample

Saturday 31 October is the Castanyada and Sunday 1 November is All Saints' Day (Tots Sants). What people eat, where to find it near Universitat, how to visit the Montjuïc and Poblenou cemeteries and where to leave your suitcase if you're leaving that weekend.

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Castanyada and All Saints' 2026 in Barcelona: chestnuts, panellets and cemeteries from the Esquerra de l'Eixample

If you're in Barcelona at the end of October, you'll catch two celebrations back to back: the Castanyada on the night of Saturday 31 October, and Tots Sants (All Saints' Day) on Sunday 1 November. It's one of the most Catalan traditions of the year, more about home than about shop windows, and you'll see it in bakeries, in markets and at the chestnut stalls that pop up on street corners with the first cold days.

Here's what people eat, where to find it a few minutes from our shop at Passatge Valeri Serra 10, and how to make the most of the weekend even with a suitcase in tow.

What is the Castanyada?

The Castanyada is held on the eve of All Saints' Day. Traditionally it was a simple family dinner to remember the dead and see off the autumn, and it still is: a table with roasted chestnuts, baked sweet potatoes and panellets, with a glass of sweet muscat wine. Schools celebrate it a few days earlier, and in recent years it has shared the night with Halloween, so you'll see pumpkins and paper cones of chestnuts side by side.

The chestnut sellers

The smell of roasting chestnuts means autumn has arrived. The castanyeres set up their stalls on street corners in the centre and sell freshly roasted chestnuts and sweet potatoes in paper cones. The one in the photo is on the corner of Rambla de Catalunya and Plaça de Catalunya, about ten minutes' walk from our shop.

Chestnut and sweet potato stall on Rambla de Catalunya, Barcelona

Photo: Jordiferrer, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Panellets

These are the All Saints' sweets: small pieces of almond and sugar dough, similar to marzipan. The classic one is rolled in pine nuts, but you'll also find coconut, coffee, almond, cherry and chocolate versions. Their origin is unclear and there are several legends, though the earliest written records date from the late 18th century.

Eixample bakeries start making them in mid-October. A practical tip: since 1 November 2026 falls on a Sunday, many shops will be closed, so the safest bet is to buy them on Friday 30 or Saturday 31.

Tray of assorted All Saints' panellets

Photo: Francesc Fort, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Shopping at the market: Sant Antoni

If you'd rather host your own Castanyada (in your apartment, say), the Mercat de Sant Antoni is about ten minutes' walk from the shop. It reopened in 2018 after a long renovation, and at this time of year the stalls sell chestnuts, sweet potatoes, nuts and panellets. Another nearby option is the Mercat del Ninot, also in the Esquerra de l'Eixample.

Dome of the renovated Mercat de Sant Antoni

Photo: L736E, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

All Saints' Day: cemeteries as open-air museums

On 1 November many families visit their loved ones' graves and bring flowers, and it's the busiest day of the year at the cemeteries. If funerary art interests you, Barcelona has two that are worth a visit any time in autumn. Entry is free, they open every day from 8 am to 6 pm, and the city-run Cementiris de Barcelona organises guided tours on some Sundays.

Poblenou Cemetery

Opened in 1819, it was the city's first cemetery outside the walls. It's flat and manageable, and it holds The Kiss of Death (El Petó de la Mort), Barcelona's best-known funerary sculpture. It's on Avinguda d'Icària, near the Vila Olímpica, served by buses 14, 26, 36 and 41.

The Kiss of Death sculpture in Poblenou Cemetery

Photo: Enric, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Montjuïc Cemetery

Opened in 1883 on the sea-facing slope of Montjuïc, it's huge and hilly, with modernista mausoleums and views over the port. At weekends, from 10 am to 2 pm, you can see the Hearse Collection for free. Bus 21 from Paral·lel takes you there.

View of Montjuïc Cemetery from the passeig de les Aigües

Photo: Pere López, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

On All Saints' Day there are usually special opening hours and extra buses, so check the Cementiris de Barcelona website before you go. And remember it's a day of remembrance for many families, so sightseeing is best left for another day.

A weekend with luggage: how to plan it

Lots of visitors check out on Sunday morning and don't fly until the evening. Here's how to make the most of the day:

  • Morning: leave your suitcase at Custodi Lockers (Passatge Valeri Serra 10, between Muntaner and Aribau, 3 minutes from Plaça Universitat). It's an automated 24/7 left-luggage service: book on your phone, scan the QR at the kiosk and your locker opens.
  • Late morning: walk or ride to Poblenou or Montjuïc, or have a vermouth around Sant Antoni.
  • Afternoon: chestnuts from a street stall and one last tray of panellets for the trip.
  • Before you leave: pick up your suitcase and take the metro from Universitat (L1, L2), or walk to Plaça de Catalunya for the Aerobús.

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