Regions of Catalunya: Vallès Oriental

Sandwiched between the Parc Natural del Montseny and Parc del Montnegre i el Corredor, the inland comarca (county) of Vallès Oriental lies just northeast of Barcelona in a pre-coastal depression. Once peppered with agricultural communities, the county has seen some big changes in the past 100 years or so with the growth of industrial towns. But there’s no shortage of countryside, and the region’s vast natural parks provide nature lovers with ample opportunity to enjoy numerous hiking and cycling routes. Dotted with Iberian and Roman ruins, medieval villages, castles, masías (farm houses) and impressive examples of modernista architecture, there is plenty to see and do just an hour outside of the city.

Where to Go

Caldes de Montbui

Nature has also provided the area with another popular attraction: caldes (thermal springs), which can reach up to 76 degrees Celsius (169 degrees Fahrenheit) in some places! During the 19th century, in search of rural relaxation, Barcelona’s wealthy elite capitalized on the natural oasis by building huge modernista mansions with sprawling gardens transforming the once sleepy villages into summer resorts.

Yet the Vallès Oriental already had a hot reputation long before the Barcelona bourgeoisie arrived. In Caldes de Montbui, the remains of ancient Roman baths date back to the second and first centuries BCE. Although no longer in use, these baths can be visited and have modern-day spas built around them.

The balneari (spa) tradition is the main subject of the town's Museu Thermalia, which occupies four floors of a 14th-century building. Two of the floors feature a permanent exhibit dedicated to the works of 20th-century artists and friends, Manolo Hugué and Pablo Picasso. The museum is in the Plaça de la Font del Lleó, named after a medieval fountain whose steaming waters still flow freely.

La Garriga

Both Caldes de Montbui and the nearby town of La Garriga have had an impressive list of household names visit their spas, including royalty, politicians, writers and artists. But it’s perhaps the name Raspall that locals most associate with the region.

Originally from Barcelona, Manuel Joaquim Raspall i Mayol was an early 20th-century architect and student of Lluís Domènech i Montaner, and La Garriga is one of the principal places where his work can still be seen. Raspall first worked in the modernista style, later moving on to noucentista, often using colorful ceramic mosaics, stained glass and iron in his designs. His first work was the transformation of the medieval mansion his mother was born in to a magnificent modernista villa. Today it is open to the public allowing visitors to view the ground floor, the noble room and a permanent exhibition on the life and work of the architect. 

Among his most celebrated works is L’Illa Raspall (Raspall’s Island), a block of four modernista summer mansions: Casa Barbey, Casa Barraquer, la Bombonera and la Torre Iris. In total he filled six full blocks in La Garriga with sprawling summer homes, but L’Illa Raspall is the only one left wholly intact. He also undertook both private and public commissions in other towns in Vallès Oriental, including the comarca’s capital Granollers, as well as the towns of L’Ametlla del Vallès and Cardedeu. 

Cardedeu

It’s worth spending a few hours in Cardedeu to stroll around its historic center, walk among the majestic stone pines in the Parc dels Pinetons and visit the Museu Arxiu Tomàs Balvey. Home to the 19th-20th century pharmacy of local historian and pharmacist Tomàs Balvey i Bas, the pharmacy’s original furniture from 1780 still remains largely intact. Its shelves are filled with over 200 ceramic jars purchased in 1827, and various glass jars and bottles, many of which still contain medicines, plants and herbs that he used in his apothecary. 

On weekends the museum organizes tours of the town highlighting modernista  and noucentista buildings. If you’re interested in touring one of Raspall’s buildings, the museum sells tickets to the Marc Viader Museum on select weekends. Though Marc Viader i Bas came from humble origins in Cardedeu, he became an important dairy industrialist, founded a milk bottling company and created Cacaolat, “the world's first bottled milkshake.” The family home offers a rare peek inside a very well preserved modernista home and tells the story of how he revolutionized milk production and developed Cacaolat. Entry is limited, so it is advisable to reserve tickets in advance by email to museu@cardedeu.cat or by calling 93 871 30 70.

Sant Celoni

Surrounded by spectacular parks, Sant Celoni offers a wide variety of routes and itineraries of great beauty for outdoor enthusiasts. But you don’t have to leave the village to take in the natural splendor of its surroundings, and hundreds of years of history can be seen in its old churches and parishes.

Just along the banks of the Riera de Pertegàs sit the Rectory Gardens, home to the 11th-century Romanesque chapel Sant Martí de Pertegàs. Parish church to the village from the 11th to the 17th centuries, it was the center around which the medieval village grew. Next to it is the Rectoria Vella (Old Rectory), a magnificent example of 15th century Catalan Gothic architecture.

Continuing through the Força neighborhood where much of the 14th century medieval wall is preserved you can still see two of the town’s defense towers along Carrer de les Valls. Walk along Carrer Major—where the oldest houses and businesses in the town are preserved—to the Plaça de la Vila where you’ll find the Ajuntament (Town Hall) housed in an elegant late modernista building from 1926 alongside stately 19th-century homes. The town’s crown jewel is the parish church Església de Sant Martí at Plaça Mossèn Figueres. Built between 1603 and 1704, its façade boasts one of the largest baroque sgraffito murals in Europe.

Sant Miquel del Fai

Tucked away in the northwest corner of the comarca, nature and history come together in a magnificent setting. Centuries of rain and ice have shaped the landscape, carving out caves filled with stalactites and stalagmites, small lakes and an impressive waterfall that tumbles over 100 meters down to the valley below. There, nestled high among the rocky cliffs of the Cingles de Bertí, the 11th century Benedictine monastery Sant Miquel del Fai clings to an outcropping above the Tenes River Valley. 

Built into a natural cave in the face of the cliff, it features the only Romanesque chapel in Catalunya to have been built inside a grotto. Other highlights include the Plaça de l'Abadia which offers outstanding panoramic views of the religious complex and the valley below; the prior's house, a 15th-century Gothic building; the stone passageway which passes directly under the falls; and the 10th-century Romanesque chapel dedicated to Saint Michael the Archangel. Entrance is free, but access is limited and must be booked in advance online. 

Montmeló

In stark contrast to the tranquility of the region’s natural spaces is the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, located in the south of the comarca. The track hosts international motorsport events, including the F1 Spanish Grand Prix, and offers several activities for the public. Guided tours take visitors around the pit lanes and control tower, and aspiring Lewis Hamiltons can take race-car lessons or drive their car or motorbike around the track.

What to Do

Outdoor enthusiasts have their pick of activities. The region is crossed by BTT trails as well as both long GR (gran recorregut) and short PR (petit recorregut) routes, which take in sights such as dolmens, hermitages and a variety of landscapes. Other regional outdoor activities include paintball, quad bikes, archery, and hot air balloon rides. For those who prefer to shop, there’s La Roca Village, an outlet mall featuring brands like Adolfo Dominguez, Miss Sixty and Camper.

What to Eat

The region produces several D.O. (denominació d’origen) products like extra virgin olive oil made from the vera del Vallés variety, the tomàquet rosa (pink tomato), mongetes del ganxet (white beans) and various cheeses, some preserved in olive oil. La Garriga is known for truffles and its botifarra—often served with beans—and Montseny for its embotits (cured meats). Local desserts include the crunchy carquinyoli almond cookies from Caldes de Montbui, and the cumin and anise spiced borregos (twice-baked cookies) from Cardedeu.

If you’re going out and seek a hearty local meal, try one of the traditional dishes popular in the area such as cap i pota (literally “head and leg”—a rich stew usually made with pork), fricandó (veal stew with mushrooms), calamars farcits (stuffed calamari), peus de porc (pigs’ trotters), botifarra amb mongetes (sausage with white beans) or mandonguilles amb senglar (wild boar meat balls).

Published in 2007, updated February 13, 2024.