Vic
A city with one of the most beautiful markets in Catalonia, an impressive medieval square, and a sausage-making tradition that will delight foodie parents. The Saturday market is a feast of colours and aromas that fascinates children and adults alike.
💡 Parent tip: Go on Saturday morning to catch the Mercat de la Placa. Kids can try bits of fuet and cheese at the stalls. The square is pedestrianised so they can run freely.
Vic is worth a family visit especially if you go on a Saturday morning, when the Placa Major fills up with the Mercat. It’s one of the largest and oldest outdoor markets in Catalonia, and kids have a great time. The cured meat stalls offer little samples to try (Vic’s fuet sausage is legendary), and there are cheese, fruit, and sweet stalls that attract them like magnets. The square is huge, arcaded, and pedestrianised, so they can move around freely.
Beyond the square, Vic’s old town is compact and pleasant to wander with a stroller. The cathedral has a lovely Gothic cloister that takes two minutes to see, and the Pont de Queralt over the Meder river is a short walk that little ones enjoy. If you’re with kids who eat everything, sit down at one of the restaurants in the centre and order local charcuterie and coca de recapte (a Catalan flatbread). It’s an authentic food experience and the prices are very reasonable.
A practical detail: in winter, Vic is genuinely cold (fog and frost are common), so bundle the kids up well. On the upside, that fog gives the town a mysterious atmosphere that older toddlers tend to find fascinating. There’s free parking near the square if you arrive before 10am; after that it gets tricky. Allow 3-4 hours to enjoy it without rushing.