La Garriga

La Garriga is one of those towns that allow you to understand the surrounding landscape and the uses that its inhabitants have made of it. Its potential as a spa town has a long history, dating back to the Middle Ages, although it reached its peak between the 19th and 20th centuries, together with Modernism. It was then that the spas and the first summer houses were built. The Roman villa, the medieval castle or the air raid shelter, together with the Modernist extension complete the offer along with the routes through the surroundings.

La Garriga is located about 40 kilometres from Barcelona, between the Vallesana plain, the mountain ranges of Montseny (Biosphere Reserve since 1978) and the Bertí cliffs.

This privileged location favours the existence of several contrasting landscape areas. On the one hand, the northern end is markedly forested, with the Montseny slopes below Can Plans, San Cristóbal de Monteugues and the hill of Santa Margarida converging, and, from the west, the Montcau plain, at the foot of the Bertí cliffs. Overall, this is the most unpopulated area of the municipality and where the forest cover is densest.

On the other hand, as it is parallel to the Congost River and occupies its left bank, the last agricultural landscapes of the municipality remain with some entity.

The diversity of the landscape has made La Garriga a municipality rich in tree species. Taking a first look at the town centre and its surroundings, one quickly realises that trees are the main feature of the landscape, as are numerous private gardens and the most emblematic space in the municipality: El Passeig. This avenue opened in 1878 and almost a kilometre long is shaded by two rows of 272 plane trees.

The town is currently bypassed by the C-17 motorway, which connects Barcelona with Vic. The railway line from Barcelona to Puigcerdà and Tor de Querol also runs through the town.

La Garriga is known throughout Catalonia for its modernist buildings, furniture industry, butifarra, thermal waters and Corpus Christi.

Places of interest

Old core

La Garriga emerged around the thermal waters and expanded along the medieval royal road that connected Barcelona with Vic. This road, over time, became the town's "carrer major". As the municipality grew, an urban centre was consolidated that currently revolves around three squares: the Plaza de Santa Isabel, the Plaza de la Iglesia and the Plaza de Can Dachs.

Today, these last squares and the street that connects them are exclusively pedestrian areas, ideal for strolling, shopping, having a drink... and also for discovering part of La Garriga's heritage, which includes medieval and modern manor houses, modernist and noucentista houses, as well as the church of San Esteban.

Casal de Rosanes

The representation of feudalism in La Garriga. Although there was at least one tower since the 10th century, the current large house of Rosanes has its origins between the 12th and 13th centuries, when the fortified house was built, designed for armed defence, which forms the core of the structure we can see today.

At that time, the Rosanes were the most influential feudal family of La Garriga, with direct links to the Catalan counts-kings. Some members of the family, such as Galcerán III de Rosanes, played a prominent role in medieval Catalonia.

Over time, the house evolved into a large modern country estate. Today, part of its facilities are being restored, and it has been declared a Cultural Asset of National Interest. If you have the chance, come and admire the whole complex.

The Roman villa of Can Terrers

La Garriga 2,000 years ago. The Roman villa of Can Terrers is an example of the power that the Roman Empire had 2,000 years ago in La Garriga.

You can freely visit the hot baths, walk through the rooms where the owners lived two thousand years ago, and discover many details about one of the most important rural Roman settlements in Catalonia, declared a Cultural Asset of National Interest. Did you know that the wine produced in Can Terrers was exported to Italy, Egypt and Greece?

Recently, as part of the project “Can Terrers, 2,000 years of history in 4 steps”, the visiting circuit, the interpretive signage and the activities offered have been renovated. In addition, the project includes an excellent audiovisual that can be seen freely at the La Garriga Visitor Centre.

The Taming

The altarpiece of the medieval Garriga. The name of the Doma designates the complex that includes the old parish church, the buildings of the domería and the old cemetery.

Although there is documentation mentioning the place from the 10th century, the oldest part of the current church is the Romanesque central nave, built in the 12th century, which preserves a magnificent Gothic altarpiece of Saint Stephen, dating from the late 15th century. This is an exceptional artistic work and the most outstanding of the complex.

The current appearance of the church, however, is due to the reforms of the 16th century, when the side nave with the entrance door to the temple, the deep chapel, the sacristy, the bell tower, the communion hall and the choir were added, all in late Gothic style.

Around the church, in the old cemetery, you can see interesting architectural and sculptural works, and the resting place of notable figures such as the architect Manuel J. Raspall.

Air raid shelter at the station

The shelter explains the civil war with names and surnames. Located right next to the train station, the air raid shelter at the station became, in 2006, the first shelter to be turned into a museum in Catalonia. It is an exceptionally well-preserved shelter, dug directly into the granite rock, with more than 110 metres of galleries.

Built by the residents of La Garriga in 1938, under the orders of the local Junta de Defensa Pasiva, the shelter served to protect the population from air attacks, especially during the fascist bombing of January 29, 1939.

In 2018, the new museum was inaugurated, offering a renewed vision of its historical significance.

Rosanes airfield

Waging war from Pla de Llerona. In the early 1930s, an Argentine businessman with a passion for aviation built a private airfield in Rosanes, between La Garriga and L'Ametlla, the most advanced of its time.

In 1937, during the Civil War, the Republican army occupied this field and built a military airfield next to it. The entire complex was used in the fight against the fascist uprising, playing a crucial role on the Segre and Ebro fronts, and later in the air defence of Barcelona. Its presence had a strong impact on the municipalities in the area.

This space, which was decisive in the country's recent history, has been preserved almost intact. Rosanes airfield has preserved both the space and the infrastructure: the shelters, the control tower, the commanders' buildings, the dining room, the guardhouse, the hangar, and the rationalist chalet, all in the middle of a magnificent rural setting.

Can Raspall

The family home of architect Manuel J. Raspall. The Can Raspall building is an impressive modernist construction, considered the first work of architect Manuel J. Raspall. This building reuses some materials from the medieval manor house that previously occupied the same place, where Raspall's mother was born. The architect demolished the old manor house and built the current building, maintaining approximately the same proportions.

Today, it is a public building, and you can visit the ground floor, which includes the main hall and a permanent exhibition entitled “Manuel J. Raspall and Modernism: drawing La Garriga.” The building is connected to its neighbor, Can Mayol, a noucentista work also designed by Raspall.

It is also the starting point for the modernist routes of La Garriga.