Sant Pau D'ordal: Church, Art and Local History

When choosing a hotel in Sant Pau D'ordal, it may help to first consider what kind of visit you are interested in. The church and local history, the centrally located Parc de Subirats, public art and a route connected to Esperanto offer different points of interest.

Church and local history

The Església de Sant Pau d'Ordal has a single nave and an apse. Its portal has a voussoir arch; a square bell tower stands to the left of the main façade. These features give you concrete points of reference when viewing the building: its layout, portal and tower can be seen as individual elements of church architecture.

The earliest documented references to the Església date from 1054 to 1060. Inside the church, there is also a fragmentary baptismal font in a chapel to the right of the entrance. Together, these details offer two different perspectives on the church: its architecture and early history on the one hand, and a specific detail of the interior on the other.

Parc de Subirats and public art

Parc de Subirats is located in the centre of Sant Pau d'Ordal. Large stone forms meet native and cultivated vegetation characteristic of the local landscape. In this way, the park combines designed forms with plants that belong to the surrounding area. It is a distinct point of interest when choosing what to see in town, alongside the church and cultural history.

The Plaça and Parc de Subirats are also home to the Font de la Plaça Subirats. The complex in which the fountain is incorporated was designed by architect Iñaki Ozcariz and inaugurated in June 2005. The Font is on the landscaped path that descends from Plaça Subirats to the football pitch. Its location describes a specific stretch of public space: the path slopes downhill, and the fountain is situated along its landscaped section.

Another work in public space is the Escultura de la Plaça Subirats. The abstract wooden sculpture is three metres tall and fixed to the ground with a metal platform. Its origins lead to another location: it was created at the first Alt Penedès Sculpture Symposium, held from 16 to 20 June 2003 in Plaça Jaume I in Vilafranca del Penedès, in front of the Palau Baltà. Its shape and material describe the work; its history adds the occasion and its location to the picture.

Cultural history and routes

A religious legend about Sant Serapi, also known as Sant Serafí, is also historically associated with Sant Pau d'Ordal. It forms another part of the town's cultural history. The Esperanto Route in Subirats explores a different theme and, in Sant Pau d'Ordal, takes visitors to the pharmacy, Carrer Zamenhof, the former Esperanto Museum, the schools and other outdoor areas in town.

Lluís M. Hernández Yzal (1917–2002), a pharmacist from Barcelona who settled in Sant Pau d'Ordal in 1945, is associated with this history. From the late 1950s onwards, he became interested in Esperanto. The route's stops range from a pharmacy and a street to a former museum, schools and outdoor areas. If you plan to include the route, it is worth checking the current route details before setting out.

For a more active itinerary, the Subirats route network offers another perspective: it can be explored by electric bicycle, on foot or on horseback. This gives you three different ways to get around. You can consider this option alongside the cultural themes when deciding what you would like to focus on during your stay.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Lavern, Olivella, Vilassar De Mar, Castellví De La Marca, Torrelavit, Cantallops, Sant Just Desvern, Folgueroles.

To the main travel overview: Barcelona.