Discover Sant Cugat del Vallés

It might not have the seaside romance of Sitges or the historic appeal of provincial capitals such as Tarragona and Girona, but Sant Cugat’s day trip allure is not to be ignored. It has the Collserola Natural Park on its doorstep, an iconic Benedictine monastery, the hippest bric-a-brac market in Catalunya, and a host of great places to eat out. It’s also an easy 45-minute train ride from Plaça de Catalunya.

Monestir de Sant Cugat

With its lantern tower and Gothic rosette window dressed in handsome golden stone, this Benedictine abbey provides an impressive backdrop to Sant Cugat’s prettiest square, Plaça Octavià. It occupies the site of the original Roman forum, where in the early fourth century St. Cucuphas, an African missionary, is said to have been executed in accordance with the Emperor Diocletian’s religious pogrom against Christians. While much of the current building was constructed between the 10th and the 14th century, the 12th-century cloister hints at more primitive origins with its Romanesque capitals carved out of Montjuïc stone. In fact, there has been a church here since before the incursions of the Moorish warlord Almanzor, who destroyed the monastery in the 10th century. Visiting hours of the monastery are Tuesday-Saturday 10:30-13:30 and 16:00-19:00 and on Sundays and public holidays 10:30-14:30. Church visiting hours are 8:00-12:00 and 18:00-20:00 daily.

The grounds of the monastery also hold the city’s history museum (open Tuesday-Saturday 10:30-13:30 and 16:00-19:00; Sunday 10:30-14:30), as well as the ruins of the original Visigothic chapel. It’s a 15-minute walk from Sant Cugat FGC Station, via Sant Cugat’s main shopping precinct. 

Mercantic

Wandering around Sant Cugat’s obscenely cool brocante it can feel as if you’ve stumbled upon an alternative reality designed by Pinterest. Open daily, (Tuesday-Friday 10:00-19:00; Saturday and Sunday 10:00-15:00), the market combines flea-market bric-a-brac with bookshops, art galleries and hangars brimming with hip industrial furniture and beautifully restored high-end antiques. In the midst of such sensory overload, you might even be seduced into enrolling in one of the numerous arts and crafts workshops on offer, such as French polishing or chalk painting. Also worth investigating are the live concerts (and excellent vermouths) served up on the weekend at El Siglo bookstore. Mercantic is a 10-minute walk from Volpelleres FGC Station. 

Plaça d'Octavià

In the shadow of the monastery, the square has been the chief social hub since Roman times, when Sant Cugat was little more than a military fort known as Castrum Octavianum. Today, it is the scene of a weekend flea market and long alfresco dinners on terraces in the shade of the holm oaks. Bar Mono and Bodega 1860 are the perfect spots to park for your afternoon vermouth. A couple of blocks away is the fabulously restored modernista Mercat Vell, with fresh market food in a plush setting.

Eat at…Can Gula

One of the trendiest eateries in town is located in the middle of Mercantic. A cross between a French bistro and a Catalan xiringuito, Can Gula’s creative Mediterranean cuisine makes an enticing pit stop between browsing. 

How to Get There

Sant Cugat is served by the S1 and S2 trains from Plaça de Catalunya. The journey takes about 45 minutes. If you’re feeling adventurous, you could take your mountain bike along and hop off at Les Planes station. From here it’s a 30-minute ride into Sant Cugat along the mostly rural Carretera de Vallvidera.

Published January 2018, updated January 17, 2024.