Spanish cuisine for tourists: Snails Festival in Lerida

On May 21, 2010, in Spain will be held one of the most popular spring culinary festivals in this country – the Festival of snails. Cuisine of Spain is known as one of the best gastronomic attractions in the Mediterranean. Often Spain on the global culinary map fill even niches, which for until now were traditionally reserved for other states. For example, it is believed that the greatest lovers and connoisseurs of snails are the French. However, the annual celebration of Aplec del Caragol, which is held in north-east of Spain in the city of Lerida, convinces everyone that the Spaniards also full of love for this delicacy in the shell.

Festival of snails is the translation from Catalan Aplec del Caragol. It is held in Lerida since 1979 and every year is gaining more popularity among connoisseurs of delicacies and gourmets from all over the world. It began initially as a small party of like-minded gourmets, but today Festival of snails in Spain annually attracts more than 200,000 visitors from all over Europe.

The festival lasts for three days, during which the participants of the holiday consume about 12 tons of snails. Delicatessens are specially brought from all over Spain, as well as from North Africa and South America. Aplec del Caragol is held on bank of the river Segre, which flows through Lerida. Along Segre for the holiday is set a large number of marquees, tents and simple outdoor kitchens. Most of them represent different gourmet restaurants or associations as well as fan clubs of snails. In Lerida you can try snails of all kinds and sizes, from an ordinary edible to the African great Utala Vermicula, which is particularly valued for its amazing taste. Also at the festival are represented the majority of national cuisines of Europe, in one tent you can eat a meal cooked under the classic French recipe and in the next you can taste Catalan snails with spicy aromatic sauce.

In addition to the culinary abundance at the Festival you can enjoy various musical concerts and theatrical performances as well as carnival marches, which organizes the Festival of Snails Federation, which unites clubs of the gourmets. And do not forget about the city itself, Lerida is not in vain called the Catalan emerald. It is a city with rich history and many historic monuments. Tourists should visit in Lleida the Palau de la Paeria - Palace of the Romanesque period, which is preserved in its original form of the XIII century, the Museum of the Water -old building is unique for keeping the history of the first source of water ("ruta del agua") and many other attractions. The tourists, who want to visit the festival, have the opportunity to book an apartment in Lerida, villas and houses in the category Villa Rentals in Spain on cottages-for-holidays.com portal.