Santa Coloma De Gramenet: Archaeology, River Paths and Winegrowing

Santa Coloma De Gramenet offers several distinct themes for planning a trip: an Iberian settlement on Puig Castellar, the public area of Parque Fluvial del Besòs and a diverse cultural heritage. You can explore archaeology and history, discover paths along the river, or take a closer look at contemporary art and winegrowing. A historic defensive tower and road safety education activities are also among the topics that may shape a stay.

Iberian History on Puig Castellar

The Iberian settlement of Puig Castellar lies at the summit of the hill of the same name in Parque de la Sierra de Marina. It is located at an altitude of 303 metres and covers just over 4,000 square metres. The site was inhabited from the 6th century BC to the beginning of the 2nd century BC; it belonged to the Laietani people. Its location, size and time period give the archaeological site a clear profile: the focus here is on the settlement’s early history, rather than on a single building from a more recent period.

Defensive Tower and Cultural Heritage Routes

The Museu Torre Balldovina is housed in an 11th-century defensive tower. The tower later served as an agricultural building, a large residence and a summer home for the family of the writer Josep Maria de Sagarra. Its changing uses connect the building’s history with different periods of its past.

The city’s cultural heritage programme includes three routes, organised according to their location in the centre, north and south. Visitors and tourists can explore them with an audio guide. The service is free; devices are collected from and returned to the Museu Torre Balldovina. The audio guides are available in Catalan and Spanish. This makes it possible to explore the city’s cultural heritage by geographical area, rather than treating all the sites as a single theme.

River Paths and Views

The public area of Parque Fluvial del Besòs in the Santa Coloma De Gramenet section extends for almost five kilometres, from the B-20 bridge or Can Zam Norte to the railway bridge in Sant Adrià de Besòs. The park includes five hectares of paved paths for walking and cycling; there is also a specially marked cycle lane on the left bank. This puts two activities at the heart of the same paths, while the marked cycle lane provides specific guidance for cyclists.

There are 20 entrances to the park, with accessible ramps and stairs leading onto the paved paths. On the left bank, entrances from the urban areas of Santa Coloma De Gramenet and Sant Adrià de Besòs provide access to the park. The Mirador de la serralada de Marina offers a different landscape view: it is on Calle Menorca in the Can Franquesa neighbourhood and affords views of the Vallès and the Serralada Prelitoral.

Art, Nature and Road Safety Education

Centro Cultural Can Sisteré presents various forms of contemporary art. The Cova d'en Genís, a burial site in the form of a cavity between granite rocks, offers an archaeological counterpoint. The two places represent different approaches to culture: contemporary artistic expression on the one hand, and a specific burial site on the other.

Ecometròpoli offers guided tours of its permanent exhibition, workshops, nature trails in Parc Serralada de Marina, and activities at Parc de Mobilitat Sostenible i Educació Viària. There, visitors can learn basic road rules by riding go-karts and bicycles on a traffic course. If you plan to take part in these activities, check the latest dates and arrangements in advance, as the programme and visiting arrangements may change.

Winegrowing at Vinya d'en Sabater

More than 4,000 vines grow at Vinya d'en Sabater in Recinte Torribera. The vineyard comprises four varieties: Garnatxa and Garrut (red), and Pansa and Picapoll (white). Guided visits focus on wine tourism and sommelier skills. The named grape varieties give the vineyard a distinctive profile, while the visits also focus on wine and expert knowledge of the subject. Here too, it is advisable to check the latest visit dates in advance.

Discover more destinations: Calella, Guardiola De Berguedà, Malla, Fígols, Canovelles, Sant Bartomeu Del Grau, Cerdanyola Del Valles, Montmeló.

For the broader travel overview: Barcelona.