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Catalonia's Amazing Tower of People contest

 

One of Catalonia's most unusual traditions, seen above, is the 'Concurs de Castells' in which teams of up to 500 members compete to form the tallest ten-tier human pyramid they can. This year's contest was held last weekend in Tarragona.

No ladders permitted: the members form human buttresses and clamber over each other to reach their assigned spots. The spot at the very top is usually reserved for a small child (carefully helmeted, but still...).

The contest is held every two years and goes back to the 18th century; it's believed to have originated among dance groups. A team from Vilafranca won this time, as it has for the past 8 contests. This year's novelty: the first foreign team ever, calling themselves "Els Xiquets de Hangzhou.' They placed second.

TheLocal.es has both video and a fascinating slide show of pictures from the event, which is a UNESCO-designated 'Intangible Cultural Heritage.' Intangible? Tell that to the guys at the bottom, to whom it must be tangible! Click HERE to see.

The best part of every trip is realizing that it has upset your expectations

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