Natural Park Network Barcelona Provincial Council’S Natural Park Network Consists of 12 Natural Areas of Significant Landscape, Environmental and Cultural Value

preserving the wealth of their cultural heritage. cultural their of wealth the preserving

twelve natural spaces, which have succeeded in in succeeded have which spaces, natural twelve

has shaped the diversity of the landscapes in these these in landscapes the of diversity the shaped has

everyone’s reach. everyone’s with our surroundings. This age-old relationship relationship age-old This surroundings. our with

nature. A nature near at hand and within within and hand at near nature A nature. evidence of humankind’s longstanding dialogue dialogue longstanding humankind’s of evidence

can experience the sensations offered by by offered sensations the experience can walls and shacks, festivals and gatherings are all all are gatherings and festivals shacks, and walls

always be able to find that spot where we we where spot that find to able be always and tar kilns, icehouses and snow pits, dry-stone dry-stone pits, snow and icehouses kilns, tar and

those we are already familiar with, we will will we with, familiar already are we those Castles, farmhouses, shrines and springs, lime lime springs, and shrines farmhouses, Castles,

Whether we visit new places or return to to return or places new visit we Whether

culture of extraordinary variety. extraordinary of culture

make their own discovery. own their make in the Network make up a catalogue of life and and life of catalogue a up make Network the in

paths and tracks that will enable them to to them enable will that tracks and paths the Montseny, lashed by wind and snow, the parks parks the snow, and wind by lashed Montseny, the

families, walkers and the curious will find find will curious the and walkers families, flora and fauna, or to the summits and ridges of of ridges and summits the to or fauna, and flora

Nature lovers and historians, athletes, athletes, historians, and lovers Nature Montnegre, where we find vigorous and delicate delicate and vigorous find we where Montnegre,

bare rock, to the wetter areas of the gullies of the the of gullies the of areas wetter the to rock, bare

to him (A. Von Humboldt, German geographer, 1810). geographer, German Humboldt, Von (A. him to From the arid slopes of the Garraf, with its cliffs of of cliffs its with Garraf, the of slopes arid the From

he is describing a nature that nevertheless remains alien alien remains nevertheless that nature a describing is he

culture present their various charms. various their present culture spend a lifetime analysing plants and animals, believing believing animals, and plants analysing lifetime a spend

In every season of the year and in every place, nature and and nature place, every in and year the of season every In Nature has to be experienced: he who only sees it can can it sees only who he experienced: be to has Nature

a special universe special a waiting patiently waiting

© iStock / M_a_y_a / iStock © Twelve protected spaces: every place and period of the year, year, the of period and place every spaces: protected Twelve We travel without disturbing the environment; that hidden spot is is spot hidden that environment; the disturbing without travel We

discover and respect the natural environment. environment. natural the respect and discover

Sign of diversity of Sign Discovering to discover oneself discover to Discovering

eco-stays, all intended to help visitors enjoy, enjoy, visitors help to intended all eco-stays,

and workshops courses, as well as material,

hostels, rural tourist accommodation, leisure and and leisure accommodation, tourist rural hostels,

for the people who reside there. reside who people the for

exhibitions, educational and cultural facilities, facilities, cultural and educational exhibitions,

valued by society and economic improvements improvements economic and society by valued

and guided routes, museums and temporary temporary and museums routes, guided and

between protecting a landscape that is highly highly is that landscape a protecting between

documentation centres, signposted trails trails signposted centres, documentation

who have succeeded in preserving the balance balance the preserving in succeeded have who

of strategically located information and and information located strategically of

testimony of activities pursued by humans, humans, by pursued activities of testimony

The Natural Parks Network has a number number a has Network Parks Natural The

inhabited, dynamic places, the enduring enduring the places, dynamic inhabited,

but advance hand in hand with it. They are are They it. with hand in hand advance but

know and what is on offer. on is what and know

Protected spaces do not stop their evolution evolution their stop not do spaces Protected

amenities for users to find out everything they need to to need they everything out find to users for amenities

The Natural Parks Network offers a series of spaces and and spaces of series a offers Network Parks Natural The

labours of generations, who have kept it the way we see it today. it see we way the it kept have who generations, of labours

of programmed activities programmed of

the of evidence provides landscape the look, you Wherever

moment to go for a walk or whether you are planning a stay full full stay a planning are you whether or walk a for go to moment

Discover enduring testimony of the presence of humankind of presence the of testimony enduring Discover Doing so will be easy, whether you decide on the spur of the the of spur the on decide you whether easy, be will so Doing

Living and evolving spaces evolving and Living Making the most of it of most the Making

Natural Park Network Barcelona Provincial Council’s Natural Park Network consists of 12 natural areas of significant landscape, environmental and cultural value.

It ensures the territorial and environmental balance of municipalities within its geographical scope. Overall, it covers an area of 102,587 hectares, divided among 100 municipalities. This repre- sents 22% of Catalan territory where 70% of the population of Catalonia lives. It plans and manages natural and agricultural areas through special plans drawn up with the participation of all of the stakeholders. © Andoni Canela It protects the natural, agricultural, forestry, cultural and landscape values of each park. “Humankind has not woven the web of life. It works towards achieving balance between the preservation of the parks and the economic We are but one thread within it. Whatever we development of the area. do to the web, we do to ourselves.” It encourages public use of natural heritage. In 1854, Chief Seattle, leader of the tribe of the Duwamish, replied to an offer to purchase his lands made by Franklin © iStok/caracterdesign Pierce, President of the United States, by sending him English © Josep Melero (Arxiu XPN) a marvellous letter that is regarded as one of the first manifestations of the protection of nature.

In the late 19th century, shortly after the creation of the world’s parcs.diba.cat Help us to improve first national park – Yellowstone, in the United States – voices were just starting to call for the protection of nature in Catalonia, one of Parks of Catalonia Barcelona Provincial Council’s Natural Park Network a number of projects that emerged from the country’s cultural and Castell de Montesquiu Park, Les Guilleries-Savassona Natural Area, El Montseny Natural Park,

Paper from environmentally responsible sources sources responsible environmentally from Paper political rebirth at the time.

Sant Llorenç del Munt i l’Obac Natural Park, El Montnegre i el Corredor Park, Serralada Press and Communication Office. DL B 9180-2016 Litoral Park, Serralada de Marina Park, Serra de Collserola Natural Park, El Baix Llobregat Barcelona Provincial Council, which was heir to the initiatives of Agrarian Park, El Garraf Park, Olèrdola Park and El Foix Park. the Mancomunitat de Catalunya (1914-1924), became a pioneering authority in this field, as demonstrated by its protection of the Montseny massif as early as 1928. In the 1970s, Barcelona Provincial Council used urban planning legislation to create protected places and

Espais Naturals i Medi Ambient set up a body to manage these sites. This policy, which gave rise to Gerència de Serveis d’Espais Naturals the Natural Parks Network, has continued for 30 years and co-exists Comte d’Urgell, 187. 08036 Barcelona alongside Parks of Catalonia. Tel. (+34) 934 022 428 [email protected] · parcs.diba.cat