Barcelona – The geese of the Cathedral
In the heart of Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter stands the city’s impressive Cathedral. It is a historic monument with a unique and surprising detail: it has thirteen geese as guards. The geese live in the cathedral’s cloister, where they wander around a small fountain in the inner courtyard. Their presence is linked to the story of Saint Eulalia. She is the young patron saint of Barcelona and one of the saints to whom the cathedral is dedicated. According to tradition, she was martyred at the age of thirteen, which is why precisely thirteen geese have been kept here.
Beyond their symbolic meaning, the geese also once had a practical role. Because they are noisy when disturbed, they acted as natural guardians of the cloister, alerting the church whenever someone unfamiliar entered the garden. Today, the geese remain one of the cathedral’s most charming and unusual traditions. They often surprise visitors who encounter them peacefully wandering through the historic cloister.
Kotor – The city of cats
The historic town of Kotor in Montenegro is famous for its mediaeval architecture and stunning location along the Bay of Kotor. One detail that makes Kotor even more charming is its well-known affection for cats. Felines live throughout the town, wandering through narrow streets, resting on stone steps, or lounging in sunny squares. Visitors will often notice bowls of food and water placed around the old town by locals who look after them.
Kotor’s maritime past closely links this strong connection between the town and its cats. For centuries, many residents worked as sailors, and cats often accompanied them on long voyages to control rodents and provide companionship. When sailors returned home, they frequently brought the cats with them. Over time the feline population grew, with animals arriving from different parts of the world. Today, cats have become one of Kotor’s most recognisable symbols. They have inspired cat-themed shops and even the small Cats Museum dedicated to the town’s beloved feline residents.
Gibraltar – The monkeys on the Rock
At the southern edge of the Iberian Peninsula lies Gibraltar, a British colony. The area is home to one of Europe’s most unusual animal populations: the Barbary macaque. These monkeys are the only wild primates living freely in Europe. And they have certainly become the area’s most famous residents. Most macaques live on the slopes of the Rock of Gibraltar, particularly within the Upper Rock Nature Reserve. Visitors walking through the reserve will encounter the short-tailed macaques. They perch on railings and perch on rocks, undisturbed by visitors.
The monkeys are deeply connected to local folklore. A long-standing legend claims that as long as the macaques remain in Gibraltar, the territory will remain under British rule. Myth or not, the animals are carefully protected and remain one of the most recognisable landmarks in the area.
Camargue – Horses of the wetlands
In southern France, the Camargue region stretches along the Rhône River Delta, forming a vast landscape of wetlands and salt marshes that is unlike any other in Europe. This unique environment is home to the Camargue horse, one of the oldest horse breeds in Europe. These horses have a distinctive light-coloured coat and the remarkable ability to thrive in the region’s marshy terrain. Many of them live in semi-wild herds, often seen running through shallow water and grazing in the open wetlands.
Traditional horsemen, known as “gardians“, help manage the cattle of the region and preserve the herding heritage. They are the European cowboys, you could say. For visitors, the sight of white horses moving across the vast marshes—often accompanied by flamingos and other birds—creates one of the most iconic landscapes in Southern France.
Faroe Islands – Islands of sheep
Far out in the North Atlantic, between Iceland and Norway, the Faroe Islands are famous for their unique landscape and nature. The islands are stunning with their dramatic cliffs, steep green mountains and remote coastal villages. However, perhaps the islands’ most notable attraction is the sheep that graze on almost every hillside. They believe that the name “Faroe Islands” comes from an Old Norse phrase meaning “Sheep Islands”, and the animals have shaped life here for centuries.
Sheep farming remains central to the culture and life of the islands, influencing local traditions and cuisine. Given that sheep greatly outnumber humans, visitors can easily spot them in abundance throughout the islands. They can be seen from the lush grassy slopes above villages to the dramatic cliffs that overlook the Atlantic Ocean. Their presence is an essential part of the islands’ identity and contributes to the special character of this remote paradise.
Animals as symbols of place
From cathedral cloisters to coastal wetlands and mediaeval streets, these destinations show how animals can become meaningful symbols of a place. In Barcelona, geese quietly guard a historic cathedral; in Kotor, cats wander through centuries-old alleys; in Gibraltar, monkeys watch over the famous Rock; in Camargue, horses roam the wetlands; and in the Faroe Islands, sheep dominate the rugged countryside.
Together, they reveal how animals can become woven into the cultural fabric of a destination, creating traditions and stories that make each place unforgettable.
