42 descobrir valles.indd 42 Descobrir el Vallès Occidental population) andafterElBarcelonès itisthemostheavilypopulatedcountyinCatalonia. small area oflandishometo836,077inhabitantsas2006(almost12%theCatalanpopulationandalmost2%Spanish The countycoversanarea of583.2km2,whichrepresents 1.8%ofthetotalsurfacearea ofCatalonia.Havingsaidthat,thisre body whichmanagesthecountyandwassetupin1987. Conveniently, theheadquartersofcountycouncil(ConsellComarcal) islocatedmidwaybetweenthetwo.Thisadminist In administrativeterms,thecountyismadeupof23municipalities,twowhichhavestatuscapitals:SabadellandTer north east,ElBarcelonès tothesouth-east,ElBaixLlobregat tothesouth-westandElBagesnorth-west. The countyliesinthecentralpartofMetropolitan RegionofBarcelona andisbordered bythecountiesofElVallès Orient as thecountyofElVallès Occidental. between theriverLlobregat andtheCaldescreek – isthearea which,sincetheterritorialdivisionofCataloniain1936,has between thepre-coastal (Prelitoral) andcoastal(Litoral) mountainrangesfrompartofthisarea northtosouth.Thewestern – El Vallès isthehistoricalnameofterritorylyingbetweenriverLlobregat andtheElMontsenymassiffrom westtoeas 1. GettingtoknowElVallès Occidental Discovering ElVallès Occidental Barberà andRipollet. -The riverRipolloriginatesinSantLlorenç Savallandflowsout atMontcada,passing through Castellardel Vallès, , county. which aretributariesof eithertheriverRipoll,Caldescreek, inturn Arenes creek ortheriverLlobregat inthemore westerl county inhalf:theElBesòsbasin andtheElLlobregat basin.Inthemiddleofplainthere are alsoa whole seriesofsmal The mainwatercoursesoriginateinthecounty’s mountainousregions andformpartoftwohydrographical basinswhichdivideth significant uprisingsinspringandautumn. The hydrographical networkofElVallès Occidentalischaracterisedbyitslowvolume,extreme irregularity andtorrential natu Rivers andstreams Sant Isclemountainrange),withgentle,rounded slopes. surrounding mountains.Thespacebetweenthedifferent waterriverbasinsisformedbylongridges(theGallinersmountainran This sectionisanundulatingplainformedofsoft,clayey materials, gougedoutbythevariouswatercoursescomingdownfrom it from thesurrounding mountains. The centralpartofthecountyformspre-coastal depression, whichisatertiarydepression skirtedbyfaultswhich The Pre-Coastal Depression Barcelonès. in thecountyat–35m–landrisesonceagainintoamountainsystemLaVallençana sectorwhichborders thenortho altitude of512matTibidabo,whichfallswithinthemunicipalityBarcelona. AftertheElBesòsvalleyinMontcada–lo part ofMontcadaiReixacwefindtheCollserola rangewhichprovides anaturalborder withthecountyofElBarcelonès, reachin shapeshavebeenerodedwhose gentle,worn bythedampMediterraneanclimate.InSantCugatdelVallès, Cerdanyola delVallès a lower andcoverasmallerarea thanthepre-coastal range,formedpredominantly ofgranitewithfragmentsortopsoilslatea To thesouthofcounty, theplaincomesintocontactwithcoastalorMarinamountainrange.Inthiscase,mountains Coastal orMarinaMountainRange relief’. with reddish clayandsandstone, frequently givingthemountainsarounded formationwhichsomepeoplehavenamedthe‘Montserr In geologicalterms,alarge partofthepre-coastal mountainrange inthecountyismadeupofcompactcalcareous conglomerate mountain ranges. (Castellsapera, 932m),ElPuigdelaCreu inCastellardelVallès (671m)andtheGallifaridge(951m),amongstothermedium Apart from thismassif,the pre-coastal mountainrangethatlieswithinthecountyalsoencompassespartofL’Obac mountain county ofBages. in ElVallès landscape.AnotherimportantsummitinthemassifofSantLlorenç delMuntisElMontcau(1,056m),ontheborder of 1,104metres atLaMola deSantLlorenç delMunt,thehighestpointincountyaswellbeingoneofmostemblemati The pre-coastal mountain rangeseparatesElVallès Occidentalfrom ElBagesandthehighplateauofMoianès.Itreaches ana The Pre-Coastal MountainRange the coastalmountainrange. county, whichtakesuparound halfthewholesurfacearea; andonceagainarelatively smallmountainousarea whichmakesuppa region ofthepre-coastalthird mountainrangewhichmakes upthenorthern ofcounty;anundulatingplainincentralpa From anorographical perspective,thecountycanbe dividedintothree verydistinctzones,runningfrom northtosouth:themo Mountains andplains y partofthe been known west point untainous nd schist, separate l streams al, tothe roughly c points with the rt ofthe re, with latively ge, the 4/12/07 14:29:04 range ltitude -sized rassa. t, and rative g an rt of are f El the nd at e s

descobrir valles.indd 43 -From JunetoSeptembertheaveragetemperature ishigherthan20º. -Theaveragetemperature ofthecoldestmonth (January)is7º. -Forninemonthsofthe year theaveragemonthlytemperature isover10º. -Theaverageannualtemperature is15ºC. Temperatures and mediumaltitudemaritimeinfluence. The climateofElVallès Occidentalismild,typicalofMediterraneancountries. Specifically, ithasaMediterraneanclimatewi Climate smoothsnake, and birdsand thesouthern suchaswarblers. rockroses. Thisiswhere mammalssuchasrabbits,woodmiceandcommonshrews live,alongwithreptiles suchastheladdersnak find scrubland.Thisconsistsofsparse,drythicketsfeaturing sun-lovingshrubswhichhaveadaptedtothearidity:gorse,rose In somepartsoftheplain,betweenfieldsandwoods –whereorcutdownyoucangenerally thewoodshave beenburnt include foxes,badgersandbats. common reptiles are theocellatedlizard, theMontpelliersnake–whichcan reach averylarge size–andthecommonlizard. Ma such asthrushesandlapwings,whichcometospendthewinterhere before flyingoffEurope inspringtonorthern breed. The plants. Thisvegetationprovides shelterandfoodforalarge number ofanimals.Inwinter, thefieldsbecomehometolarge flock A widerangeofspeciescanbefoundinthefieldsandhedgerows alongsidetheroads, featuringverywell-knownandhighlyappre The fields home tofishandtypicalwetlandbirds (mallards, grey herons, etc.). Today, riversthathaddeterioratedverybadlyfrom industrialactivitiesinprevious decades,suchastheriverRipoll,are no years ofwatertreatment plants alongriverbasinshasgivenrisetoacertainamountofenvironmental recovery inthecounty’s toad. There are numerous invertebrateshere too,astheirlarvaeoftengothrough anaquaticphase.Theproliferation overthe summer. The mostcharacteristicspeciesinthisenvironment are amphibians:frogs, tree frogs, salamandersanddifferent specie includes birds whichnest inthedensevegetationsuchasrobins andwrens –especiallyinwinterandoriolesnightingale elms andpoplars.Undertheirprotective shadegrow typicalwater-loving speciessuchassedgeandhorse-tail.Theriversidefa In theriversidewoodsalongwatercourses,vegetationislushandexuberant,madeupoffast-growing trees suchasdec Riverside woods Hygrophorus army ofmushroom-pickers invadesthewoodsinsearch oftheprizedrovellons (milk-capmushrooms) inthepinewoodsandcarlets mammals suchassquirrels, dormice,genetsandwildboar, andreptiles suchasthelarge psammodromus. Intheautumn,averitab shady, humidareas. Thecounty’s woodsare arefuge forbirds suchasjays,woodpigeons,serins,goshawksandtawnyowls,we In thecaseofmountainridgesSantLlorenç delMuntandL’Obac, meanwhile,wecanfindoaksandScotspinesinthehigh, blanket ofvegetationthatcoverstheseareas ismainlymadeupofholmoaksandforests ofAleppopineinthelowerareas. Apart from theforestry sectorsontheplain,most widespread woodscanbefoundinthemountainouspartsofcounty. Th and givingcharactertothedifferent villagesandtowns. the biologicalheritagetheycontainandtheirvalueasenvironmental corridorsandopenspacesthatstructure theterritory, d The environmental importanceoffieldsandwoodlandsinacountyasanthropized asElVallès Occidentalisobvious,intermsof Farming andforestry sector vegetation dominates. pines withjustafewclumpsofholmoaks–andthesunkenedgesstreams runningacross thedepression where riverside There are nowonlyafewpatchesofwoodslefton hillsthatare notsuitableforfarming–woodlandwhichisnowdominatedby the appearanceofplain,whichisnowmainlyoccupiedbylarge townsandcrop fields. naturally coversthewholelowerplainandalarge partofthemountainousregion. Humanactivities,however, havesignificantly The vegetationthatgrows spontaneouslyovermostofthecountyismadeupholmoaksandlaurustinus(evergreen w viburnum), Landscape, floraandfauna coming downtoaheightof20metres abovesealevelatRipolletbefore itdisappearsaround Montcada. del Vallès andSabadell,60metres abovethecurrent courseoftheriver. Thisaltitudedecreases astheriver approaches itso respective mountainousvalleys.Thisisthecase,forexample,ofriverRipoll,highestalluvialterrace,whichliesbe alluvial terraceswhichare idealforagriculture. Asthese terracesmoveintotheplain,theylosetheirrelative altitudeas The erosive actionofriversandstreams overtheyears hasformeddeepvalleyswhere wecanfindtheriverbedstoday. Theresu Alluvial terraces -TheCaldescreek flowsintotheriverBesòs(Palau-solitàiPlegamans). -TheriverBesòsonlypassesthroughofthecounty(MontcadaiReixac). acorner russulaandllenegues Hygrophorus sp.mushrooms underthe holmoaks. tween Castellar they leavetheir w onceagain ifferentiating changed s ofbirds th alow last few Aleppo rivers. iduous mmals utflow, 4/12/07 14:29:05 ciated mary, most both hich ll as s of una s in lt is le e e

43 Descobrir el Vallès Occidental 44 descobrir valles.indd 44 Descobrir el Vallès Occidental 2. LivingandworkinginElVallès Occidental averageannualtemperature isaround 10ºandfrom NovembertoMaythemonthlyaveragedoesnotexceedthisfigure, itcanevensnow. Rainfallovertheyeartendstoexceed800mm.AtsummitofLaMolainSantLlorenç delMuntthe the -OnthemassifofSantLlorenç delMuntandL’Obac mountainrangetheclimateishumidMediterraneanandonoccasions breaking theirbanks,suchasthecatastrophic floodsof1962–seephoto–and1971. -Therainfallattheendofsummerandduringautumnisgenerallytorrential andoftenresults inriversandstreams -Inwinterandaboveallinsummeritisextremely dry. -Mostrainfallsinthespringand,especially, theautumnmonths. inter-annual differences. -Annualrainfallisaround 600mm,butthere isabigdifference dependingonthealtitudeandlatitudeoflocalities,withs Rainfall Today, thecountyofElVallès Occidentalisessentiallyurban,withahighpopulationdensity(1,398inhabitantsperkm Population distribution anditsmetropolitan area seekingabetterstandard ofliving,andfrom newflowsofimmigrants. The mostrecent demographic growth inthecountyismainlyexplainedbynaturalpopulationgrowth, withthearrivalofpeoplef around thetwocities,which are undergoing aprocess ofdemographicandterritorialrebalancing. in theirhistory2006,butthemostsignificantgrowth inthelastfewyearspercentage termshasbeeninthesmallermuni much higherthantheaveragefigure forCataloniaandSpain.SabadellTerrassa surpassed200,000inhabitantsforthe firstti (731,844inhabitantsin2001),anddoesnotlooklikechanginganytimesoon(836,0772006),withgrowthpattern In the1980s,demographicgrowth sloweddown,althoughitdidn’t stop:649,699inhabitantsin1991.TheNinetiesfollowedthes Throughout thisperiod,people from alloverCataloniaandSpainwere moving tothecounty, especiallyfrom AndalusiaandExtre only besustainedbyimmigration. by 1981.Itisevidentthatthislevelofgrowth –whichinpercentage termswasmore thandoubletheaveragefigure forCatalon each bythe1960s.Overathirty-yearperiod,countyofElVallès Occidentalwouldgrow by430,000inhabitants,reaching 59 From thesecondhalfof20thcentury, growth wasextraordinarily intense.SabadellandTerrassa hadexceeded100,000inhabi this figure hadreached 170,000. respectively. Thisgrowth wasnowunstoppableandacceleratedevenfurther:by1900thecountyhad70,000inhabitants19 inhabitants andSabadellTerrassa hadbecomeconsolidatedasthetwocountycapitals,withpopulationsof14,000and11,000 With theindustrialisationofcountyduring19thcenturythisgrowth continued:by1857there were already more than50 a populationof15,000bytheendcentury. Thanks toimprovements inagriculturalworkingconditions,aclearperiodofdemographicgrowth beganinthe18thcentury, reac around 6,000inhabitants,alevelthatwouldbemaintained,withsomefluctuations,untilthe16thand17thcenturies. The firstpopulationestimatesdatebacktotheMiddleAges,specifically14thcentury, whenitwascalculatedthatthecount Evolution ofthepopulation having thehighestpopulationdensitiesinCatalonia,suchasBadiadelVallès, with15,811inhabitantsperkm 218 inhabitantsperkm percentage oflow-densityresidential estates. The latter, in themore mountainousregions (pre-coastal mountainrange),are more ruralorresidential innature andthere is industrialised towns,withahighnumberofindustrialandcommercial estatespositionedaround themajorroad networks. The formerare characterised byhighpopulationdensitiesasaresult ofthetremendous demographicgrowth inhighlyurbanised section. the northern In thisrespect, itisworth differentiating sectionofthecountyfrom thetownsincentralpartof plain andsouthern rural townsinthepre-coastal mountainrange,suchasGallifa,withjust12.8inhabitantsperkm January averagebeing4ºC. Badia delVallès aaeea2,04350786028.169 6.082 13.310 9.689 728 57.959 1.507 50.503 21.335 560 952 4.007 15.845 423 3.929 140 928 25,40 14,93 3.511 82 331 Polinyà 30,00 Palau-solità iPlegamans 44,70 Montcada iReixac Cerdanyola delVallès Castellar delVallès Barberà delVallès 2 inCataloniaasawhole),althoughthere are hugecontrastsinthemore inland regions, withsomemunicipalities Town * area (km Surface 63 0 2 6 5 216 32.153 27.068 150 8.656 11.272 168 6.271 1.710 1.436 223 38 1.420 502 23,50 149 16,37 31,00 ,01832423966.764 3.956 442 382 28.633 14.123 158 25.484 17.058 8,80 3.328 ---- 780 ---- 146 118 8,37 0,90 2 ) Altitude (m) Population Population (1900) Population Population (1950) 2 . Population Population (1996) 2 and,attheotherextreme, Population (2006) 2 asopposedto thetownsin ignificant ia –could cipalities madura. 4/12/07 14:29:05 a high y had 8,324 tants very ,000 ame hing rom and me 50 descobrir valles.indd 45 gradually abandoned. areas and districts andnewly-created residential urbanisations, servicesandnewroads, whichmeantthatagricultural activiti The tremendous demographicgrowth inthesecondhalfof20thcenturymeant thattheterritorywasoccupiedbynewindustria The primarysector innovation andknowledge,driving forward aneconomy thatisincreasingly geared towards cuttingedgeknowledgeandtechnology. vocation forexporting,andfinally afirst-classuniversitysystemwhichguaranteesthat thecountygenerateshigh-level,added- There isalsoahighdegree ofdiversificationandsectoralspecialisationintheeconomy, especially intermsofindustry;ano the country’s economy. and atraditionofenterprisehighlydynamicentrepreneurial spiritwhichhavehistoricallyandstillisoneof thedrivi significant networkofsmallandmedium-sizedenterprises whichare verydeeprooted inthearea; aflexible,energetic business Mediterranean Arc; itspopulationgrowth, whichincreases theactivepopulationincounty;ayoungandwell-educatedpopula The current strengths ofElVallès Occidentaleconomyare itsexcellentgeographicallocationwithinCatalonia,Spainandthe A dynamiceconomy Finallytheprimarysectorproduced anegligible0.1%(lessthantheCatalanaverageof1.7%). PRIMARY SECTOR Constructionrepresented 8.7%(similartotheCatalanaverageof8.2%). CONSTRUCTION Industryrepresented 35.8%(higherthantheCatalanaverageof27%). INDUSTRY 63.1%). Inthebreakdown ofthecounty’s GDP, servicesrepresented 55.4% (lowerthantheCatalanaverage,whichwas SERVICES advanced societiesandcountries.Despitethis,industrystillplaysanimportantrole inthecounty. industrial toservice-based.Arapidtertiarisationoftheeconomyhastakenplace,whichreflects theevolutionaryprogress of transferring economicactivitiesandlabourfrom industrytoservices,whichhasmeantthatthecountygonefrom beingesse The ElVallès economyofrecent timesshows twonoticeabletrends. Ontheonehand,there has beenafastandintensiveprocess slightly lowerthantheCatalaneconomyoversameperiod,whichwas10.8%). has grown alongsimilarlines totheGDPrecorded forCataloniaasawhole (cumulative growth duringthe2001-2004periodwas9 responsible for11%ofthe CatalanGDPand3%oftheSpanishGDP. Duringthelastfewyears,economyinElVallès Occidenta As wellasitsdemographicimportance,ElVallès Occidentalalsoplaysaveryimportantrole inthecountry’s economy:thecoun An industryandservice-basedeconomy county madeupofSantCugat,Cerdanyola, RipolletandMontcada,withamuchmore direct influencefrom thecityofBarcelona. catchment area oftheothercountycapital,, sectorofthecounty, inthewestern andthelastisarea tothesout main cities.Thefirstofthesesystemsisbasedaroundsectorthecounty;second Sabadellandencompassestheeastern At afunctionallevel,thecountyisstructured around three urbansystems,determinedtoagreat extentbytheroad networksa Cerdanyola delVallès. (*) BadiadelVallès wascreated in1994andincludesthetownofsamename,inaugurated1975municipalitiesB elnr 78 2 4 6 2 653 326 269 348 322 17,80 latel73 4 4 1 6 1.529 7.036 961 4.882 7.209 622 715 5.253 743 641 1.829 70.006 17.138 274 342 54.085 10.342 1.256 73.774 20,12 7,36 6.953 1.493 241 47.210 4.400 28,80 6.992 752 123 EL VALLÈS OCCIDENTAL 2.120 188 32,30 124 14,10 Terrassa 48,20 Santa PerpètuadeMogoda Sant QuirzedelVallès Sant Llorenç Savall Sant CugatdelVallès Sabadell Rubí 8,0-- 98719426560836.077 685.600 169.492 69.837 ---- 583,20 07 8 0 0 .1 5.094 1.711 404 199.817 21.644 163.862 2.271 18.124 808 58.880 2.037 2.552 382 20.360 200.545 1.352 1.742 286 40,70 185.798 74 1.406 59.494 70,20 466 15,80 23.294 190 41,10 37,80 ,97 .0 .3 89335.427 28.903 3.736 1.501 79 4,39 arberà delVallès and ng forces behind the most es were h ofthe nd the 4/12/07 14:29:05 fabric; tion: a ntially value table .5%, ty is the of l l 45 Descobrir el Vallès Occidental 46 descobrir valles.indd 46 Descobrir el Vallès Occidental concentrationofindustryinCatalonia,alongwiththecountyElBaixLlobregat. -Theimportanceofindustrytothecountyisreflected bythe114industrialestatesdistributedaround it,forming thelarges -Electrical,electronic andopticalequipmentsectorrepresents 11.2%oftheindustrialGDP. -Thechemicalsectorrepresents 14.3%oftheindustrialGDP. -Themetallurgy andmetalproducts sectorrepresents 14.3%of theindustrialGDP. and generalmetallurgy inTerrassa andSabadell,BarberàdelVallès, SantCugatdelVallès andRubí. Rubí andBarberàdelVallès; mechanicalequipmentinRipolletandMontcadaiReixac,whichalsohasaflourishingautomotiveind Iron andsteelisproduced inCerdanyola delVallès; electricalmaterialinTerrassa, Sabadell,SantQuirzedelVallès, Montcad companies inthecounty. the dominantone,nowonlyrepresents 9.1%ofthe county’s industrialGDP. There isalsoasignificantnumberofmajormetallurg finishes inSpain,followedverycloselybyTerrassa (wool,knitwear, cotton,garmentproduction). Thissector, despitehavingo El Vallès Occidentalistheleadingcountyintextileproduction inCatalonia,andSabadellistheleadingcentre forwooland established. started takingplaceafterthe1960s;andatalaterstageindustrialzonesdedicatedtonewtechnologyplantsbe Traditionally, textileproduction hasbeenthemostwidespread industryinthecounty–particularlywooluntilindustrialdi Industry Agricultural Parks. With theaimofpromoting agriculturalactivitiesclosetomajorcities,somemunicipalities,anexamplebeingSabadell,haves agricultural GDP. has itsowndesignationoforigin.Themostimportantsectorinlivestockbreeding ispigfarming,representing 20.3%oftheco sub-sector produces potatoes,vegetablesandpulses,notableamongstwhichisthemongetadelganxet(whiteharicotbeans),whi extent, thoughproducing higherrevenue, ishorticulture which,infact,represents 24.5%ofthecounty’s primarysectorGDP. T Today, lessthan10%ofthelandincountyisfarmed.Mostthisused for cereal crops (barley, andoats).T corn Tourism -Thesefigures, onacountyscale,are verysimilartotheCatalanaverage. -Thehotelandrestaurant sectorrepresents 8.1%oftheservicesector’s GDP. -Transport andcommunicationsrepresent 10.3%oftheservicesector’s GDP. -Trade andrepairs represent 22.1%oftheservice sector’s GDP. -Publicadministrations,healthcare andeducationrepresent 23.0%oftheservicesector’s GDP. -Real-estateandbusinessservicesrepresent 25.9%oftheservicesector’s GDP. -Thetertiarysectorhasadominantpositioninthecounty’s economy. Services for trainingprofessional sportspeople. education centres inEurope. TheCAR supportsthehighestscientific andtechnicalstandards forhigh-levelsportand isrespons In SantCugatdelVallès there isalsoaHighPerformanceSportsCentre (CAR),whichisregarded asoneofthemostimportants Vallès SchoolofArchitecture. technical degrees. Terrassa isalso home totheElVallès officeoftheTheatre Institute. Finally, SantCugatdelVallès ishom Meanwhile, thecityofTerrassa hasacampusbelongingtothePolytechnic UniversityofCataloniawhichspecialisesinengineer and computersystemscourses. with themostadvanceduniversities inEurope. Italsohas aslightlysmallercampusinSabadellwhere itoffers businessscien faculty andschoolinthesectorsofhumanities,science technology, aswellarangeofcomplementaryservicescommensur Barcelona inBellaterra(Cerdanyola delVallès). Thecampusoccupies260hectares andisamajoruniversityorganisation offeri there isaverywiderangeofuniversityeducationavailableinthecounty. ThemostnotableoftheseistheAutonomousUnivers El Vallès Occidentalhasbecomeacountythatspecialisesstrongly inthefieldsofresearch, innovationandknowledge.Inthis First classrangeofeducationalestablishments The countyofinnovationandknowledge The CuinaVallès collectivepromotes highstandards ofcuisineandtheregional products produced inthecounty. oronvisitstoBarcelona. business tourism.Thecounty’s excellentgeographicalpositionmakesitastopping-off pointformanypeopleontheirwaythrou resources aswellitseconomicstructure, withahighlyconsolidatedindustrial andbusinesssectorwhichhasledtoburgeon The countyhastremendous tourismandleisure potentialasifoffers ahuge range ofoptionsthankstoitssignificantnaturala etuat 9 - - 3.659 217 14 191 817 35 3 2 Bar-restaurants Restaurants Summer camps Rural tourism Hotels yeo salsmn ubrBeds Number Type ofestablishment versification o asmaller nd cultural a iReixac, e totheEl ce studies nce been t ng every respect, ing and cotton 4/12/07 14:29:05 unty’s ustry, et up ports ity of ible ate ing his gh ch y descobrir valles.indd 47 the more interesting attractions. or visitingthechurch ofSantPere iSantFeliuinthetowncentre, andElGrauare aswellthechapelsofSantSadurní jus There are numerous excursionoptionsinthisarea, eitheronfootorbymountain bike:visitingElGorg Negre, climbinguptot the crop fieldshaveremained thesametodayunderridgesofSantSadurní. end ofthecounty,The littletownofGallifa,which standsatthenorthernmost isareally uniquesetting:itsfarmhouses,the The Gallifaridge of thesurroundings isonhorseback. Valley ofSantIscletoBarcelona, are twoofthemore traditionalitinerariesfordiscoveringthepark.Anotherwayoftaking Cycling isanothergreat leisure optioninthisnaturalpark:bikingfrom SantCugattoCerdanyola through thewoods,orcrossi Coll. Adjuctori toTibidabo,withspectacularviewsoverBarcelona, aclimbupElPuig Madrona oravisittothe recreational area at There are plentyofoptionsforwalkers,suchastheroute from SantCugatviaElPid’EnXandri,Torre Negraandthechapelof horse-riding. Cerdanyola, MontcadaiReixacandSantCugatdelVallès. There are numerous pathsandtrackshere forhiking,mountainbikinga More than8,000hectares makeuptheParkofCollserola, thesecondlargest naturalarea inthecounty, whichcanbeaccessedf Park ofCollserola etc.). Santa Agnès)tocastles(LaTorrota deVacarisses) tomasies–farmhouses-(ElMarquet delesRoques,CanPobla,CasaNoval’ present day, thehumanbeinghaslefthisimprintonenvironment: from chapels(SantJaumedeVallverd, SantaMariadeles History hasalsohadaninfluenceonthisarea, andthere are numerous tracesofdifferent eras.From prehistoric timesthrough accessible tothegeneralpublicare theSimanyaandDraccaves. One ofthemostcharacteristicfeatures ofthemassifare itscaves,where youcanpracticepotholing;themostwell-knownand year. There are alsorock-climbing routes intheNaturalPark,althoughthisactivityisregulated andlimitedtocertainareas andt throughon ajourney Nature andallitscharms. metres), are twoofthemostclassicexcursionsforhikingenthusiasts.Havingsaidthat,there are numerous pathsavailableto The summitofLaMola(1,104metres), withtheBenedictinemonasteryofSantLlorenç delMunt,andthesummitofElMontcau(1, Matadepera, Rellinars,SantLlorenç Savall,Terrassa andVacarisses are allpointsofentrytothemassif. woods ofholmoaksandpines,ishometoanimportantnaturalarchitectural heritage.ThemunicipalitiesofCastellardelV This naturalarea, covering more than13,000hectares andmadeupof crests andriftsofconglomeraterock andMediterranean Natural ParkofSantLlorenç delMuntil’Obac natural parks,itisworthhighlightingotherplaceswhere nature andthelandscapeare keptasanadditionalresource. The naturalparksofSantLlorenç delMuntil’ObacandCollserola are the two largest naturalareas inthecounty. Butapartf city life. andnewexperiencesareA hostofhiddencorners waitingtobediscovered byvisitors–veryclosetohomeyetalongwayfrom which formauniquelandscapewithfascinatingarchitectural andculturalheritage. Despite itshighlyindustrialbackground andpopulationdensity, ElVallès Occidentalhasmanagedtopreserve aseriesofnatur 3. Walking intheVallès Occidental of CataloniainSantCugatdelVallès, theTerrassa Hospital,theMútuainTerrassa andtheParc Taulí deSabadell. In termsofhealthfacilities,thecountyboasts470medicalcentres orclinicsand14hospitals,themainonesbeingGener –Terrassa) respectively. fire brigade(Cerdanyola delVallès) andthepoliceforce ofCatalonia-Mossosd’Esquadra(Sabadel oftheAutonomousGovernment The privilegedpositionoftheVallès OccidentalwasadecisivefactorwhenitcametoestablishingtheheadquartersinCatalon photographic flights. airport atSabadellnexttotheC-58motorway. Thisismainlyusedforflighttraining,thoughitalsoprivate,adve The maponpage5showsthenetworkofrailandroad infrastructures inthecountyofVallès Occidental.Inaddition,there is Infrastructures expected tobefullyoperationalby2010. ALBA Synchrotron Laboratorywillbelocated,one ofthemostimportantscientificresearch infrastructuresEurope, insouthern w sources ofknowledge,andproviding alaunchplatform fornewbusinessprojects withtechnologicalcontent.Thisiswhere then complementarity oftheiractivities,physicalproximity andpersonalknowledge;encouragingcompaniestoestablishthemselvesa the fieldofnewtechnologies.TheaimsPTVincludegeneratingsynergies betweencompaniesandinstitutionsthankstothe The ElVallès Technology Park(PTV)isabusinessparkconceivedespeciallyforhostingcompaniesandinstitutionsthatworkin Working withnewtechnologies centres. With regard toothereducationalestablishments,the countyhas323primaryschools,130secondaryschoolsand20vocationaltr

imes ofthe castleand rtising and al Hospital advantage he castle, t someof takeyou ia ofthe bustling rom the al areas Arenes, ng the hich is 4/12/07 14:29:05 Obac, aining to the round Sant allès, Can rom 057 ew nd an l

47 Descobrir el Vallès Occidental 48 descobrir valles.indd 48 Descobrir el Vallès Occidental Can Pagès,SabaterVell), pools(EnFitó,ElDiable,Vilaterçana) andsprings. There are numerous touristattractionstobefoundalongtheroute suchaswindmills(L’Agell, farmhouses(C EnSanto,Mornau), towards theplainitbecomessuitableforcyclists. partoftherouteThe northernmost features tracksthatare onlysuitableforhikers,butasyougetlowerdownthecourseoft of BarberàdelVallès, CastellardelVallès, MontcadaiReixac,Ripollet,SabadellandSantLlorenç Savall. it anextra-municipalrecreational area where theriversidewoodsare themainscenicelement.Theriverrunsthrough themunic The riverRipollisanaturalarteryrunningthrough theterritory. Aseriesofarchitectural structures canbefoundalongits The RiverRipollValley Collserola, SantLlorenç delMunt,Montserratand El . The highestpointofthemountainrangeislookoutTower ofGuaitaorElPujolBlanc,givingpanoramicviewso constitutes atypicallyMediterraneanlandscapepredominated bypine,holmoakandwoods. This protected area inthemunicipalityofSantQuirze, ontheplainofElVallès, isanextremely importantbiologicalcorrido declared a Historic andArtisticMonument in1931. which were builtinthe7thcenturythough subsequentlyextendedand modifiedduringtheRomanesque period.Thecollection was the enclosed,gardened enclavestandsaremarkable collectionofthree churches, SantPere, Santa MariaandSantMiqueld’Ègara notable vestige,however, isSantPere deTerrassa, whichbearswitnesstotheoldbishopricofÈgara,built inthe5thcentury Visigoth erainSantPaudeRiu-sec(Sabadell)andSanta MariadeSantiga(SantaPerpètuaMogoda),amongst others.Themost The RomanEmpire wasfollowedbyChristianity, withaparenthesis inthe8thcenturyforMusliminvasion.There are traces The Visigoth era such asArraona(Sabadell),Egara(Terrassa), CastrumOctavianum(SantCugatdelVallès) andElPontdelDiableatCastellbisba The Romansarrivedinthecountysometwothousandyears ago,aswitnessedbytheremains discovered inseveraldifferent towns The legacyoftheRomans hamlet ofCan’OliverinCerdanyola delVallès. The Iberiansleftusnumerous settlementswhichtheyestablishedinhillyareas. Agoodexampleofthis,which canstillbevis The IberiantribeoftheLaietanssettledonElVallès itintooneofthemostheavilypopulatedareas plainandturned in The IberiansontheElVallès plain is thePedraLlarga menhirinPalau-solitàiPlegamansandadolmenontheCavalleramountainrangeSentmenat. Sabadell; atTorre NegrainSantCugatdelVallès, andattheMadurell brickyard inSantQuirzedelVallès. From theMegalithic You canfindNeolithicremains inSimanyaCaveSantLlorenç delMunt;onthePlainofBruguerainCastellarVallès; atCa Megalithic remains transit –andsettlementonmanyoccasionsforthedifferent civilisationswhichatonetimeoranothercametotheIberianp Humans settledmany, manyyearsagoinElVallès Occidental;infact,historicallythecountyhasalwaysbeencharacterised as Historical andculturalheritage The PR(short-distance)footpathsround off thewiderangeofpathsandtracksthatbringusclosertoNature. Finally, theGR173isanorth-to-southroute whichconnectsthecounty’s twonaturalparksacross theElVallès plain. by theGR97,whichalsocrosses thecountytransversally, linkingthecitiesofTerrassa, SabadellandGranollers. The GR92crosses theCollserola Parkfrom easttowestasfartheMarina mountainrange.Thistransversalroute iscompleme this particularroute isthe GR96. The GR6istheclassicroute across ElVallès andconnectsBarcelona andMontserratviatheNatural ParkofCollserola. Anoff the NaturalParkofSantLlorenç delMuntiL’Obac. The GR5crossespartofthecountyandformsasectionlegendaryMatagalls- crossing, thewhole northern ente network ofnature itineraries androutes. El Vallès Occidentaliscrossed byvarious GR(long-distance)andPR(short-distance)footpathsforhikerswhichcomplementthe GR andPRfootpaths of itinerariesinthenaturalparksandbringstheseareas withincloserreach ofthetowns. All thepathscanbefollowedonfootandinsomecasestheyare alsosuitableforcyclingorhorses.Thenetworkcomplementst options foritinerariesandroutes through thenatural environment. Vallès Naturalisanetworkof260kilometres ofpathsthatcross allthe municipalitiesinthecounty. Thesepathsoffer numer The Vallès Naturalpaths Walks andbicyclerides The Gallinersmountainrange banks,making ous different BC.Inside ited, isthe f theplain, Catalonia. eninsula. erathere he range shoot of place of n Feuin an Deu, ipalities he river 4/12/07 14:29:05 l. of the r and nted ring ,

descobrir valles.indd 49 del Vallès, SantMuçinRubí, IscleinCerdanyola delVallès, etc. chapel orchurch: SantMedirinCugat, LaSalutinSabadell,Sant Pere deReixacinMontcada iReixac,CastellarVell inC There are allkindsof festiveeventsthroughout theyear, whetherforfestiveorreligious reasons, generally associated with -Inwinter, Christmasfestivitiesbegin withthetypicalnativityscenes. -Theautumnismarkedby castanyades(chestnutfestivals). -Mostofthemaintownfestivals inthecountytakeplacebetweenMayandSeptember. -Taking celebrationshasbecome extremely part inCarnival popular mosttownsandcities. -OnthefestivalofSantAntoni Abatthere are horseandcarriageprocessions inmanytowns. -The festivalcalendarofElVallès startswithparadesontheeveofKing’s day(6January)whichare heldinnearlyeveryt Popular culture of urbangrowth, anexampleofthisbeingtheEixMaciàinSabadell. new transportinfrastructures andtheurbanrenewal architecture andtransformationoftownscities.Modern openedupnewa With thearrivalofdemocracy, thelong-awaited servicesalsomaterialised(schools,healthcentres, culturalcentres, etc.),t industrial conversionofthecountywhichwentstraightinto aprocess ofeconomic tertiarisation. of facilitiesandservices.Aftertheeconomiccrisis1973, there were furthersuccessivecrisesinthetextile industry, fo The tremendous economicandurbandevelopmentbetween19601975took place withoutanyproper structure andasadlack the dictatorship.Anewperiodofindustrialgrowth inthe1960swouldresult inthemassarrivalofimmigrants from otherpart The county’s mostrecent historyismarkedbytheSpanishCivilWar of1936-1939andtheharshpost-warperiodwith repress Recent history Esteve, aNeo-Gothicworkfrom 1885,knownasthe‘cathedralofElVallès’. and thePalauTolrà inCastellardelVallès (thepresent Town Hall).InCastellardelVallès itisalsoworthhighlightingthe cooperativewineryatSantCugat,designedbyarchitectExamples inothermunicipalitiesincludetheModernist Cèsar Martinell tower Torre del’Aigua(1918),whichhasnowbecomeasymbolofthecity, amongstothers. the CasaTurull, constructedin1819andnowthesiteofArtMuseum;church ofConcepció;theCentralMarketandwa headquartersoftheCaixad’EstalvisdeSabadell;formerIndustrialSchool,currentModernist culturalcentre ofCaixa retained theirchimneys. Other notablebuildingsincludetheCityHall,formerheadquartersofPiaristeducationalorde factory architecture: thevapors(steam-drivenfactories),whosestructures, thoughabandoned,stillremain, insomecaseshavi With regard toSabadell,oftencalledthe‘CatalanManchester’,there isan interesting legacyofitsindustrialtraditionint Sant Francesc. Jover (thepresent Science andTechnical Museum);theIndependènciaMarket;basilicaofSantEsperit,andformer conven publicbuildingssuchastheCityHallandUniversityofTechnicalModernism; Engineering;oldfactoriessuchasAymerich, In thisrespect, Terrassa ishometosomeoftheformerresidences ofthewealthybourgeoisie, suchasMasiaFreixa, amasterwo This firstperiodofindustrialisationinthecountyhasleftuswitharicharchitectural heritage,especiallyinthetwocount including thebanksandsavingsofSabadellTerrassa. Industrialisation alsoencouragedthedevelopmentofaservicesector. Around thistime,credit andsavingsinstitutionsstarte three-quarters ofthecounty’s population.Thiswasaround thetimethatrailwayfirstarrivedincounty. they obtainedthedesignationof‘city’anddevelopedtheirown,veryactive,social,politicalculturallives,inhabited a During thesecondhalfof19thcentury, thetwocitiesmanagedtoconcentratesome75%ofwool industryinCatalonia;i process ofindustrialisationthatspecialisedintextilesandwasbasedmainlyaround thecitiesofSabadellandTerrassa. experience itstremendous economicimpetus,spearheadingindustrialisationinCataloniaandSpain,thisparticularcase of theprocess ofindustrialisationwhichwouldbeconsolidatedinthe19thcentury. Itwasduringthiscenturythatthecounty The expansionofthevineyards, especiallyinthe18thcentury, ledtotheaccumulationofcapitalwhichsparkedoff tradeand Industrialisation today. ThemasiaofCanDeuandtheDuranhouseinSabadellare goodexamples. period ofgreat prosperity forCatalanagriculture, whichwasreflected bytheconstructionofhugefarmhouses,manywhichst the transformationofformercereal millsintodraperymills,thepreludeindustrialisation.The16thcenturywas tomodern century, tothedevelopmentoftextilecraftsmanshipinTerrassa andSabadellwiththe creation ofguildsparaires (woolwor The lowermiddleages,withthetrialsandtribulationsofepidemics,warsplagues,wouldbearwitness,especiallyafterth 14th –16thcenturies:textileartistryandagriculturalprosperity Clasquerí, Vallparadís (Terrassa), andTorre Negra(SantCugatdelVallès), allofwhichare avaluablepartofourheritage. others. There are alsoseveralcastlesdatingfrom themedievalera,includingthoseofSentmenat,Barberà,Plegamans,Castella (Cerdanyola delVallès), SantPere deRubí,SantaMariaTaudell (Viladecavalls), andSantPere iSantFermí(Rellinars),amo Sant Salvador(Polinyà),FeliuetdeVilamilans (SantQuirzedelVallès), SantPere iSantFeliu(Gallifa),Iscledel y capitals. church ofSant llowed bythe monastery of monasteryof t thattimeby d appearing, ogether with h its notable h itsnotable the fortified the fortified a. a. he formof s ofSpain. ngst many d’Estalvis; es Feixes kers) and the start in 1921, it wasa astellar alsoa n 1877 would ill exist a local Amat i e 14th 4/12/07 14:29:05 t have t have ion of r; the own. rk of reas r or t of ter ng ), 49 Descobrir el Vallès Occidental 50 descobrir valles.indd 50 Descobrir el Vallès Occidental of Ripollet. Sabadell, theCastellersofTerrassa, theCastellersofRubí,SantCugat,Cerdanyola andth of thetopdivisioncastellersincountry. Overtheyears,newcastellershaveemerged inthecounty, suchastheCastel building teams),totheextentthatinaveryshortspaceoftimeithasmanagedachievemostdifficultformations,formi tower buildingteamMinyonsdeTerrassa tookplace.Itsprogress hasbeenunprecedented intheworldofcastellers(human-t Despite there beingnolong-standinghuman-towerbuildingtraditioninthecounty, in1979thefirstpublicpresentation ofthe elements ofCatalanfolklore,level. whichithasalsodisseminatedataninternational get-togethers, etc.).Inthisrespect, theEsbartDansaire inRubídoesafantasticjobofcataloguingthemostattractiveand periodonlybuttodayisgenerallydancedatdifferentused tobeheldduringtheCarnival timesoftheyear(townsaint’s days of ElVallès intheirrepertoires –theGitanesdancewhichcanstillbe seentodayinseveralvillages.AlsoknownasthePl graller players,teamsofgiants,etc.Theesbarts(associationswhichperformtraditionalregional dances)includethetraditi an activerole intheculturallifeofmostElVallès towns,withperformancesbychoirs,coblebands,Sardana dancers,stickd The county’s popularculture isrichindemonstrationsoffolklore. There are numerous groups withdeeplytraditionalroots whi Traditional culture i ReixacandSantQuirzedelVallès. This isalsoevidentinthegastronomic fairsheldbetweenAprilandJuneinCastellardelVallès, Ripollet,Cerdanyola delVal exhibitions heldthroughout theyearinvarioustowns. The closebondbetweentraditionsandeconomicdynamisminthecountyisdemonstratedbylarge numberoftradefairsand Trade fairsandexhibitions Sports featuring verydiversesubjectmatter. and oneeachinCerdanyola delVallès andBarberà delVallès). The countyalsooffers theopportunitytovisitalarge numbero Added tothisare anumber ofcinemas,mostintheformmultiplexes(twoTerrassa, twoinSabadell,SantCugat del 21 specialistlibraries,18archives andnumerous artgalleriesalloverthecounty. The countyboastsahighnumberofculturalfacilities:total32publiclibraries,11librariesbelongingtohighereducat amongst others JazzFestival,theCerdanyolaBluesandsummerfestivalFestivald’Estiu30nitsinS International Some ofthemostwell-knownculturalprogrammes are theoperaseasoninSabadellanddanceTerrassa, theTerrassa Cerdanyola andtheSala in Rubíare thelargest andmostwellknownofthese. and Soltheatres inSabadell; theCulturalCentre andAlegriaTheatre inTerrassa; theCulturalCentre inSantCugat,theAtene Almost allthetownsincountyhavetheirownculturalcentre, cluborassociationforholdingculturalevents.ThePrincip A culturalbenchmark Faràndula. There isalsotheassociationofAmicsdelesArts(FriendsArts)inTerrassa. Notable associationsinSabadellincludetheAcademyofFineArts,associationAmicsdel’Òpera(FriendsOpera)a There isarichculturalandassociativelifeinthecounty(more than3,800registered associations,manyofwhichare ofacu Clubs andassociations there isaconsolidatedprogramme ofeverykindsportingactivityallkindsyearround. Cugat GolfClub),Rubí(GolfSantJoan)andTerrassa (ElPratRoyalGolfClub).Thecounty’s long-standingloveofsportsmeans basketball are themostpopularsports.Thecountyhasfourgolfcourses:Matadepera (LaMolaGolfClub),SantCugatdelVallès In Cerdanyola delVallès andSentmenatthere isadeep-rooted traditionofskatehockeyandintherest ofthecountyfootball Atlètic deTerrassa HockeyClubandthe EgaraHockeyClub. club whichplayedforseveralyearsintheSpanishFirstDivision), theTerrassa FootballClubandtheTerrassa grasshockeyte There are severalrenowned sportsclubsinthecounty, suchastheSabadellSwimmingClub,SportsCentre (afootba county. ThemostimportantoftheseistheHigh PerformanceSportsCentre (CAR)inSantCugatdelVallès. The tremendous vitalityof localpeopleandthere interest insportingactivities hasresulted inarangeofexcellentsportsf Centre ExcursionistaofCastellar. county, suchastheUnióExcursionistaofSabadell,Centre ExcursionistaofTerrassa, theClubMuntanyenc ofSantCugatand It isalsoworthhighlightingtheconsiderablesportingandculturalinputofvariouslong-standingramblinghiking gro

ion institutions, lès, Montcada acilities inthe ltural nature). aça dance,it al, Faràndula ancers and onal dance f museums interesting ups inthe ams, the , cultural e Vailets abadell, human- ch play ng part Vallès, 4/12/07 14:29:06 lers of (Sant nd La ower that u in the and ll