Parets del Vallès: Discover Culture, Nature and History

Gallecs is a 740-hectare protected natural area. Its rural surroundings combine farmland, forests, paths and wetlands.

Nature and Paths

Gallecs has an extensive network of paths and routes for pedestrians and cyclists. This network includes the Camí de Gallecs, the Camí de la Torre d’en Malla, the Camí dels Bandolers, the GR-97-3 Gallecs and the Eix Bicicleta. The Itinerari Parc Fluvial del Tenes is an easy circular route with few accessibility barriers. It follows the course of the Tenes River through Parets del Vallès. The Itinerari Camí de Can Serra connects the Mirador de Gallecs with the centre of Parets del Vallès. Its route passes through the Can Serra biological corridor.

History

The Torre d’en Malla has been indirectly documented since 904. Records mention it in connection with the consecration of the Sant Esteve church. The manor house combines defensive and representative elements. Its main body consists of a ground floor and two upper floors. Two square towers flank the main body. The Sant Esteve church was first documented in 904. Its 13th-century Romanesque apse has been preserved. Inside are an altarpiece and a Pietà by the sculptor Frederic Marès.

Culture

The Mural de la Tipel was created in the late 1960s on the façade of the former Tipel factory by the artists Eduard Arranz-Bravo and Rafael Bartolozzi. The Masía de Can Jornet is a farmhouse with a basilica-style floor plan. It has been documented since 1865. In 2003, it was renovated as a municipal facility for cultural and leisure activities. It houses a historical documentation centre for Gallecs and facilities belonging to the Escola de la Natura.

Leisure

Parc de la Linera is located on the grounds of the former La Linera textile factory and has play areas for children, a zip line and picnic tables. The Pessebre Monumental de Parets del Vallès currently covers approximately 230 m². Every year, it creates different stage settings. The programme at Teatre Can Rajoler for the final quarter of the year, from October to December, includes plays, comedy monologues and family performances. The programme also includes monthly screenings of Catalan films. They take place as part of the Cicle Gaudí.

The places described therefore bring together natural landscapes, historic architecture, art, documentation, play facilities and cultural events scheduled for specific periods. The individual offerings remain clearly distinct: paths pass through landscapes, buildings preserve historic forms and furnishings, while public facilities perform their own cultural or leisure-related functions. The range of destinations mentioned thus extends from quiet wetlands and biological corridors to films, theatre and comedy monologues. For a stay in Parets del Vallès, a holiday apartment may be considered as accommodation.

Other places on the same higher-level page are Les Masuques, Taradell, Mataró, Viver, Argençola, Cercs, Rubí and Veciana.

For the higher-level travel overview: Barcelona.