Alella, Home of "Vins Laietans"
Ancient vineyards, masías and dolmens dot the Parc de la Serralada Litoral, a green lung traversing the mountains up the coast from Barcelona. South of the park is Alella, a well-heeled settlement of spires and palaces springing from the umbrella pines and coastal foothills of the Maresme. Alella’s old town, centered around the church of Sant Feliu and Plaça del Ajuntament, is one of the prettiest sights in the whole county. It’s perched above the busy seaside town of Masnou, which boasts an impressive beach and marina.
Parc de la Serralada Litoral
This huge natural park connects the two counties of Vallès Oriental and the Maresme, with a topography of smooth ridges dipping gently down to the fishing towns and ports along the coast. If you come with your hiking boots, the ancient dolmens of Can Gurri and Castellruf are an easy ramble from Alella. Start on Carrer Salvador Espriu in the Alella Park urbanización (suburb). From here, it’s a gentle climb along a signposted track to the dolmen of Can Gurri, a megalithic burial ground more than 4,000 years old, where archaeologists have found Bronze Age pottery similar to that of the Celtic Hallstatt culture in Austria. From this prehistoric site, it’s a brief jaunt to the ruins of the ancient Iberian village of Castellruf and the dolmen of the same name. The walk is nearly six kilometers, beginning and ending in Alella Park. Find out more here.
Wines of Alella
Alella is one of Spain’s smallest wine-producing regions, yet one of its most venerable. Wine from Alella was enjoyed by the kings of Aragon during the Middle Ages, and has been widely savored for millennia. When Catalunya formed part of the Roman province of Hispania Tarraconensis, writers such as Piny the Elder and Martial made mentions of what they called its vins laietans. Since then, the phylloxera virus and advancing urban developments have reduced the extent of the vineyards, but the brand is still flourishing. A good introduction to the world of local wine is at Bouquet d’Alella, one of the younger vineyards, which offers tasting tours at its fine 14th-century masía. Prices start at €20 per person for a tour plus samples of four wines.
Where to Eat
Belonging to one of the major local wineries, La Taberna de la Companyia d’Alella is all about the noisy sharing of heaped plates of embotits (cured meats) and cheeses, as well as delicious wines and vermouths. Patates frites are served with a special local sauce called salsalella. Located close to the town center on Carrer Riera Coma Fosca, it’s open for lunch all week, and dinner on Friday and Saturday.
Getting There
Take the E19 Sagalés (Vallès Oriental) bus from Ronda de Sant Pere, 21-23 three stops to Plaça dels Germans Lleonart in Alella; it's about a 30 minute ride.
Originally published April 2018, updated November 2, 2021.