Mataró: Discover Modernisme, the Coast and Nature

In Mataró, Can Serra, the historical section of the Museu de Mataró, presents a permanent exhibition covering the Roman period as well as the period from the Middle Ages to the present day. Can Serra is a Renaissance mansion dating from 1565 that has preserved its original structure.

Culture

Casa Coll i Regàs is an emblematic Modernisme building in Mataró, designed and built by Josep Puig i Cadafalch for the textile entrepreneur Joaquim Coll i Regàs. The building dates from 1898 and has an atrium illuminated by a skylight. Nau Gaudí comprises a cotton-bleaching hall built in 1883, where Gaudí first experimented with parabolic arches. In the same Nau Gaudí, the Bassat Collection comprises more than 2,000 paintings and sculptures, as well as an extensive collection of graphic works.

The Torre Llauder Archaeological Complex preserves the grand rooms of a Roman villa built during the Augustan period towards the end of the 1st century BC. Several areas can currently be visited there, including mosaic floors, peristyle columns, a hypocaust chamber, baths, latrines and sewers. The Conjunt dels Dolors, with the Sala de Juntes and crypt in the Basilica of Santa Maria, is considered one of the most significant examples of Catalan Baroque and is the work of Antoni Viladomat i Manalt.

Can Marfà is a preserved industrial complex from the last third of the 19th century, associated with Mataró’s knitwear industry. The small Can Marfà building houses a branch of the Museu de Mataró dedicated to the heritage of the knitwear industry, as well as the collection of the Fundació Jaume Vilaseca.

Market and city history

The municipal market at Plaça Gran, El Rengle, is a small Modernisme market with eight stalls opening directly onto the street. In 1893, Josep Puig i Cadafalch redesigned the roof of the market at Plaça Gran in the Modernisme style.

Nature and trails

Parc Forestal is located on the outskirts of Mataró at the foot of Turó d’en Dori and offers public parking, sports grounds, a viewpoint, drinking fountains, a children’s play area, picnic tables, a bar and public toilets. Parc Forestal includes the signposted SL-C 74 El Pont de la Vila trail, which serves as a starting point for exploring Parc del Montnegre i el Corredor. The park has notable forestry and ecological value and is included in the Natura 2000 network.

Mataró has ten signposted tourist trails through the natural and cultural heritage surrounding the city, with varying levels of difficulty. The GR 83 begins at Platja del Callao beach in Mataró and heads north through the landscapes of Maresme, Vallès Oriental, La Selva, Garrotxa, Ripollès, Vallespir and Conflent. The long-distance trail follows routes used in 1939 by people fleeing into exile on their way to France, as well as by traditional occupational groups such as miners, porters, carters, transhumant herders and millers.

Coast and water sports

Mataró offers water sports such as sailing, jet skiing, rowing, windsurfing and fishing. Alguer de Mataró is a large seagrass meadow of Posidonia, a plant endemic to the Mediterranean, rich in a wide variety of marine species. Mataró’s beaches carry Q certifications for tourist quality.

Festivals and music

Les Santes is celebrated in Mataró from 24 to 29 July; 27 July is the main day of the Festa Major. Les Santes is divided into four sections: Portal, Crida, Diada and Epíleg. On 11 October 2010, the festival was officially recognised as a Festa Patrimonial d’Interès Nacional.

The Ofici of Les Santes takes place every 27 July at 10 a.m. in Santa Maria. The Missa de Glòria by Mataró-born Manuel Blanch was premiered in 1848 and is considered to have been performed almost uninterruptedly on 27 July in the church of Santa Maria.

More destinations

Find more destinations at the same parent level here: Capellades, Rubí, Santa Eulália De Riuprimer, Montseny, Vilobí Del Penedès, Sant Llorenç d'Hortons, Valldoreix, Orpí.

To the overview of higher-level travel destinations: Barcelona.