SabadellDiscoverDiscover

Mayor's introduction ... … … … … … … … … … … … … … ... …

The first settlers ... … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

From its origins to the industrial city ... … … … … … … … … … … …

1900-1979, the great period of growth and the crisis ... … … … …

The development towards a city of services ... … … … … … … … ..

Historic sites in the City ... … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

Historic sites in the surrounding areas ... … … … … … … … … … …

Sabadell History Museum … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … .

SabadellArt Museum… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … .

The Miquel Crusafont Palaeontological Institute … … … … … … … .

Rural Life Museum (Caixa Sabadell NatureArea) … … … … … … … .

The Historical Archives of Sabadell … … … … … … … … … … … … …

Celebrations in Sabadell … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … ..

Live arts in the city

The Vapor Badia Library, more than a place to read

Awide range of activities for children

Catalunya Park

Romeua Park

The Vallès Central Park

The Ripoll River Park

La Bassa, Sabadell´s Recreation Park

Josep Molins Athletic Stadium

Sabadell, a commercial city to stroll around in

The markets

The itinerant markets

The hotels

The restaurants

Night life

The fairs

The City of Music ... … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

Sant Pau de Riu-sec ... … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … .

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Odessa Park … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

Aigües Park … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … .

The future Can Gambús Park … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

North Park … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … ..

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The Sabadell Agrarian Park … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

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Projects for the future … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … .

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History of Sabadell ... … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … .

Two great future projects ... … … … … … … … … … … … … …

Historical heritage ... … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … .

The museums … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … ..

Sabadell is a city with an intense cultural life … … … … … ..

The parks … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … ..

The sports facilities … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

Shops, markets and services … … … … … … … … … … … … …

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Index

(Routes) … .Discover the Ripoll River and the surrounding area

How to get around in Sabadell

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telephone numbers and websites of interest

By public transport

Sabadell Town Buses (TUS) 13 lines connecting the whole of the city.

Information centre: c. de la Borriana, 33. tel. 93 727 00 90

By bicycle

Sabadell has 24 kilometers of urban bicycle lanes and 19 kilometers of bicyclelanes on the city outskirts.

Sabadell City Council • 93 745 31 00 • www.sabadell.cat

Sabadell Citizens Information Centre 010 • 93 745 31 10

Sabadell Tourist Information Centre • 93 745 31 66

Sabadell Youth Information Centre • 93 745 33 01

Public transport

Sabadell Town Buses (TUS) • 93 710 79 51 • www.tus.es

Sabadell Bus Station • 93 727 92 92

Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya (FGC) • 93 205 15 15 • www.fgc.net

Renfe. Customer Services, Suburban Lines • 902 24 02 02 • www.renfe.es

SabadellAirport • 93 728 21 00 • www.aena.es

Sabadell Radio TaxiAssociation • 93 727 48 48

Catalunya Radio Taxi • 93 716 62 62

Sabadell and Sant Quirze Radio Taxi 033 • 902 433 033

Sabadell Hospital, Corporació Parc Taulí • 93 723 10 10 • www.tauli.cat

Ambulances 061

Municipal Police 092 • 93 745 32 61

National Police 091

Mossos d'Esquadra (Catalan Police Force) 088

Fire Brigade 93 726 00 80

General information about Sabadell

The municipality of Sabadell had a total area of 37.87 km and a population of201,712 on the 1st of January, 2007.

The highest part of the city, to the northwest is 310 meters above sea level whilethe lowest part, in the south east is 131 meters above sea level.

Aplec de la Salut,

the Monday following the second Sunday in May.

Fiesta Major, (mainAnnual Festival)

from the first Friday in September to the following Monday.

By train

There are two stations in Sabadell: Sabadell Estació and Sabadell Rambla, online S2 of the Vallès Metro.

Sabadell has three Renfe stations: Sabadell Sud, Sabadell Centre and SabadellNord, on the Renfe suburban line C4.

By bus

Sabadell is connected to the inter-city lines from Barcelona and with 14 towns inthe area.

Information:

Sabadell Bus Station • C. de l'Estació, 67, tel. 93 727 92 92

By private transport

Sabadell is situated 20 kilometers from Barcelona, 95 from Girona, 105 fromTarragona and 170 from Lleida.

You get to the city on the C-58 motorway: there are two exits, Sabadell Sud andSabadell Centre.

From the Sabadell Centre exit you can also get to the north entrance toSabadell.

By plane

SabadellAirport • Ctra. de Bellaterra s/n, tel. 93 728 21 00

Air taxi and helicopter services. Private and business flights.

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Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya

Renfe

local festivals

how to get to Sabadell

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Welcome to Sabadell

In this brochure you'll find tourist, social and cultural

information about our city produced and designed both

for visitors who wish to find out something about

Sabadell and also for those citizens

already living here who are interested

in delving deeper into Sabadell's histo-

rical and cultural heritage.

Our streets, especially in the heart of the city, still pre-

serve the traces the industrial Sabadell of the 19 cen-

tury with the numerous textile factories or the town

houses of the bourgeoisie now converted into museums

or libraries. The city also has a wide selection of green

spaces like Catalunya Park, North Park or the

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Ripoll

River Park. It's also a vibrant city with an intense cultu-

ral life and a great variety of shops and restaurants.

In the following pages you'll find references to the most significant histori-

cal and cultural sights and attractions of Sabadell, from the Casa Duran to

the Despatx Lluch, as examples of Modernism, passing by the recently res-

tored Teatre Principal. The imposing Torre de l'Aigua, the former city water

deposit or the lofty Sant Fèlix Bell Tower are also important city landmarks.

You'll also find information about the most popular celebrations held in

Sabadell like the Fiesta Major, the Aplec de la Salut and or the Horse Fair to

name but a few.And we've also included news about the latest great projects

now underway such as the City of Music and the new business park of Sant

Pau de Riu-sec, both set to become new features of attraction for the city.

Sabadell is, nowadays, committed to increasing its industrial activities

with the urbanization of about 660,000 square metres of industrial land.

This land earmarked for new industrial developments will be located in

the areas of Sant Pau de Riu-sec, Can Gambús, Can Roqueta and near the

airport. At the same time the city is also promoting projects aimed at

developing new technologies and a knowledge-based society.

For all the above reasons I invite you to come and discover Sabadell.

Explore its historical heritage and enjoy its cultural and commercial life!

Manuel BustosMayor of Sabadell

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SabadellSabadell

History of Sabadell

The first settlers

Sabadell from its origins to the industrial city

The first settlements in the Sabadell area date from pre-historic times and have been thoroughly documented thanks to the

archaeological excavations carried out in the different sites since the beginning of the 20th century. The Museum of

Sabadell exhibits the different findings from these sites enabling us to track the earliest traces of Sabadell's history right up

to the Romanisation of the territory.

The city of Sabadell, as we now know it, originated in the mid 11 century.Around Saint Salvator's Chapel, where the parish

of Saint Felix (the Patron Saint of the city) is now situated, different buildings started springing up, linked with the setting

up of a weekly market which was held in the neighbouring square while the first flour mills were built on the River

Ripoll.

The Middle Ages was a period of great growth for the town of Sabadell, due to the commercial activity in the market

and the farming activities carried out in the fields and in the market gardens on the banks of the river.

In the 14 century a wall was built round the city with different gates opening to the most important roads, such as

the road to Barcelona or the one to Granollers. From this wall and the moat surrounding it, several sections have

been recovered which can still be seen in some present day buildings. At that time there were about 162 houses or

families in Sabadell.

At the end of the 15 century other markets appeared in the district and the activities of the Sabadell townspeople

began to diversify. Throughout the 16 , 17 and 18 centuries, dye works and wool works, the river cloth mills and

the ceramics industries all grew in importance. It

was the textile industry that laid the foundations

for Sabadell's great economic expansion in the 19

century.

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Factory owned by Joan Llonch & Bros. Sabadell, 1881.Photo: Vives i Martí / AHS

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During those centuries, from the 16 to the 18 century, the

town suffered a series of misfortunes, wars and plagues with

the resulting diminished population, but also managed to

achieve some important social advances. The increasingly

important role played by the City Council and the construction

of a public school in Catalonia are examples of this.

During the 19 century, a series of events took place which

gave the city the appearance which we know so well today.

Sabadell was called the “Manchester of Catalonia” because of

the importance of its textile industry, based on wool and also

due to the great concentration of factories. This economic

expansion contributed to the active cultural and artistic life of

the city.

Throughout this century the city's population grew from some

2,200 inhabitants to reach a total of 23,000. This demographic

increase was due mainly to the arrival of immigrants searching

for employment.

During this century, a number of events took place that strengthened the industrial nature of Sabadell. The first steam

engine was installed in a textile factory (1838) and an association called the Sabadell Society of Friends of Agriculture and

Industry was founded. This association was concerned with providing a water supply for industrial requirements and the

population. Two financial institutions were set up during the second half of the century: the savings bank, la Caixa d'Estalvis

de Sabadell (1859) and Banc Sabadell (1881). In 1877, Sabadell acquired the status of a city.

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Sabadell Main Square, 1881. Photo: Vives i Martí / AHS

1. View of the cavity of one of the kilns used for firing pottery at the excavations of theRoman Villa at la Salut. Photographer unknown/ AHS

2. Torrella Mill, 1881. Photo: Vives i Martí / AHS3. Weave Room with looms at the Juli Puncernau factory, subsequently owned by Llorens i Torra. Sabadell,

1920s. Photo: Francesc Casañas Riera/AHS.

Archeological Remains.

Mill.Looms.

The 20 century is the period of greatest growth of the city. Sabadell experienced a strong boost in industry, especially in the textile

and metallurgical sectors and modernized its economy with the development of services. This burst of industrial activity was

accompanied by a significant urban expansion. It was in the 50s and 60s that most of the suburbs surrounding the city appeared.

The economic crisis in the seventies affected numerous firms and led to many of them being closed down. With the recovery of

democracy in 1979, the need for a new model for the city was proposed.

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1900-1979, large-scale growth and crisis

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Development towards a city of services

The tertiarisation of Sabadell's economy has meant that the main service sector activities have increased their number of

workers.

The Eix Macià has become a services centre grouping together a wide range of shopping and business facilities. This change

in the urban development of the historical centre of the city has led to its economic revival.

North Station, Sabadell 1910.Postcard. Photographer unknown / AHS

The City of Music, a leading centre for musical training and composition

This is the most ambitious project of the Eix Macià Cultural Complex, which currently welcomes activities related to all artistic

disciplines, and is situated between Catalunya Park and Plaça d'Espanya. The City of Music seeks to become a leading internatio-

nal centre for training in music as well as musical production and creation.

The new complex seeks to become the new

headquarters for the most important musical

centres in Sabadell which have already been

operating for years –centres such as the School of

Music, the Music Conservatoire or the School of

Opera. It also aims to support and give greater

promotion to all music related activities that take

place in Sabadell.

The City of Music plans to set up a permanent

dance company that hopes to recover dancers

who have left the country and are working for

internationally renowned companies and will also

include the new City of Sabadell Orchestra which

will replace the current Vallès Symphonic

Orchestra (OSV).

However, as well as the artistic activities, the

Centre will also give music classes designed both

for the general public and also for future music

professionals. They will receive classes from the

future Higher School of Singing which is run by

the Higher School of Music of Catalonia (ESMUC).

Two great future projects

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Situated in a strategically favourable position to the south west of

Sabadell, Sant Pau de Riu-sec will provide the greatest offer of land

for industrial and tertiary activities in the urban area of Barcelona

with a surface area of 156 hectares. This is, in fact, the great city

project with which Sabadell intends to achieve a balance between

firms of high added value and a consolidated industrial network in

order to remain faithful to its origins. This macro-project is just one

of a group of activities which will enable Sabadell to make available

over the coming years more than a million square metres of

industrial land.

The industries will be located in Sant Pau de Riu-sec, which is

concentrated in an area of land close to Badia del Vallès, and

will be linked to the economy of the country in order to

discourage the trend towards industrial relocation and will

respect the criteria of economic sustainability and the

environment.

And it is for this reason that this macro-project as well as

planning the creation of a business park will also include the

Riu-sec Network of FreeAreas which will serve to recover green

areas of scenic interest. At the same time, road and rail

connections in the area are due to be improved in order to

facilitate connections, and to consolidate and increase the

already existing networks. Also the buildings of artistic or

historical interest such as the Sant Pau hermitage will be

restored.

As regards facilities for the future industrial park, The Riu Sec

water purifier plant is set to become the biggest in Europe once

the project for its expansion and the incorporation of high

technology-already underway is completed.

Sant Pau de Riu-sec, a strategic industrial park in a metropolitan area

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The chimney and two industrial warehouses in Carrer Blasco de

Garay have been preserved from this old manufacturing complex.

The Codina Steam Mill was one of the examples of the so-called

which consisted of making a profit on the

investment involved in building premises equipped with a steam

engine by renting out the warehouses with motive force included.

Today one of the warehouses which still preserves some of the

axles of the old industrial warehouse is the headquarters of the

Municipal Housing Office the second one houses our City Hall

Education and Youth Services Centre.

Power and Room System,

Historical heritage

The Hotel Suís, built by Juli Batllevell is one of the most emblematic

Modernist buildings in Sabadell. It has an eye catching façade beautifully

decorated with floral designs, colourful mosaics, reliefs, and forged metal

window and balcony railings.

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The urban heritage of Sabadell is spread out through the streets and squares

of the city. Listed below are the sights and buildings to look out for as you

walk through the busiest areas of the city. You'll be able to find them by

consulting the map of the historical centre given at the end of this guide.

Hotel Suís (1902) • C. de la Indústria, 59

Codina Steam Mill (1880) • C. de Blasco de Garay, 19

Historic sites in the city

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This Modernist building was designed by Juli Batllevell. The most attractive feature of

this building is the richly decorated façade where we can appreciate the stucco work,

the ceramic mosaics, the glazed tiles and the paintwork.

The Lluch office used to be the textile office where textiles manufactured by the

Lluch family were sold and commercialised. In fact, in Carrer Industria, the street

where the office was located, there were a number of textile offices and also the odd

steam mill as it was ideally located just beside the railway station, the arrival point

both for commercial salesmen and for the raw material.

The building has recently been refurbished and is now used as the Sabadell Citizens Information Centre.

The Lluch Office (1908) • C. de la Indústria, 10

Turull House-Factory (1819) • C. del Doctor Puig, 16

A house-factory is the name for the kind of building which is divided into working

and living areas. The Turull house-factory was originally built by Pau Turull i Font in

1819, but its present appearance as regards the interior of the building was the

result of major reforms undertaken in 1860 on the occasion of a visit from Queen

Isabel II; and the outside of the building is fruit of another refurbishment dating

from 1865 and carried out by the master builder Josep Lacueva. The austere

outside façade contrasts starkly with the splendour of the interior. Nowadays the

public rooms of the house can be visited: on the ground floor, there is a hall, the so-

called Pompeian Room, the smoking room and the dining room where the original

tiles, wall paintings and panelled ceilings have all been preserved. On the first floor

visitors will find the sitting rooms, the bedrooms, the study and the chapel with the original decorations and period furniture

although some of these areas date more from the refurbishment made to the building in the sixties than from before. It is now

home to the city's Museum ofArt.For information about visits, contact MAS. Tel. 93 725 71 44

The Duran House was built at the end of the XVI century. On the first floor, where the Duran family

used to reside, there are the family living quarters. Of special interest is the main hall with its

panelled ceilings and murals dating from the XVIII century, the library and the bedrooms with the

vivid pictorial decoration on the walls and ceilings. On this floor there is also a raised courtyard and

a chapel. On the ground floor which was devoted to activities related to agriculture and to dyeing

there is a large entrance hall, an open courtyard with a staircase and a magnificent wine cellar

equipped with barrels, a wine press and the vats where the grapes used to be pressed.

The Duran House (XVI century) • C. del Pedregar, 7

For information about visits, contact MHS. Tel. 93 727 85 55

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The wash house we can see today was restored in 1997. The Modernist façade was

preserved and one of the two originally standing wash houses was rebuilt. Also re-

built was the original roof which was designed to take advantage of the rain water

which is collected and runs directly into a sink.

The original project, dating from the end of the century was designed by the

architect Miquel Pascual i Tintorer. Nowadays, guided visits and workshops for

schools are provided. Inside the wash house, information panels have been installed

to explain the history of the wash houses and how they worked.

This Baroque bell tower has an eight-sided floor plan and consists of four different sections, the first

three made of stone and the upper one made of fired brick. There are three bells, two of which are

liturgical and the third one tells the time; the decoration, executed by the artist, Joan Vila Cinca is

particularly beautiful. At the very top of the bell tower there is an angel that acts as a weathercock and

two time bells.

Inside, you can visit a small exhibition featuring the building, the bells, and the last clock that made

them work, built in 1903.And from the top of the bell tower, visitors can have a splendid view of the city

and its surroundings.

The Font Nova Wash House (1892) • C. de les Paus, 35

The Sant Fèlix Bell Tower (XVIII century) • Racó del Campanar

For information about visits, contact MHS. Tel. 93 727 85 55

For information about visits, contact the MHS. Tel. 93 727 85 55

This building is the work of the architect, Juli Batllevell and can be

considered a Modernist construction but sober in style. The original façade

has been preserved and is noteworthy for its brickwork, its decorative

frieze tiles and the pointed arched windows with forged metal railings.

Also worthy of special attention is the panel of polychrome tiles occupying

a prominent position on the corner of the façade which was created by the

Sabadell ceramist, Marià Burguès.

Enric Casassas College (1897) • C. de Llobet, 77

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Only the underground part of the group of workshops and pottery kilns

built by the Escaiola family on this site have been preserved. The kilns are

Moorish in style and were used to fire pottery for everyday use and for

auxiliary materials in construction work. From the nineteenth century

onwards moulded parts for ornamental architecture were also fired here.

Nowadays the workshop and the two outer kilns are open to the public.

Information panels have been installed to explain the history and how the

kilns worked.

The Escaiola pottery kilns - Cal Ventura (XVIII century) • Via de Massagué, 5-7

Central Market (1927-1930) • Pl. del Mercat, 1

Inaugurated in 1930, this is a noucentist building, designed by the

architect Josep Renom. It was recently restored and modernised

but the original typical characteristics have been preserved: the

spectacular metallic structure that can be seen from the inside

the building, and on the outside, the stained glass windows above

the entrances and the fruit filled goblets at the top of the stairs

are all Mediterranean style decorative elements that run all

through Renom's work.

Visits during shop opening timesFor information about visits, contact MHS. Tel. 93 727 85 55

The present day Chapel of the Santíssim is situated in the apse of the old

Gothic Church, Sant Fèlix beside the bell tower.

The church underwent many alterations and extensions until in 1909, during

the Tragic Week, it caught fire and had to be knocked down. The only part

which could be saved was the apse in the Gothic nave and the windows; now it

is the oldest building in the centre of Sabadell.

The Sant Fèlix Church Apse (XV century)

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The Teatre Principal was designed by the architect Francesc Daniel Molina and by Josep Antoni Obradors. It

reflects the style of an Italian theatre with a horseshoe stage and hall. It has stalls, two floors of boxes and a

third floor. The outside façade is austere but the inside is profusely decorated with paintings on the ceiling,

high relief and gilt work and columns. After undergoing recent refurbishment and modernization the theatre

now puts on a regular programme of music, drama and dance.

The present City Hall building was originally built as a school by the Piarist Fathers

between 1871 and 1872. Shortly afterwards, it was bought by the City Council who moved

into the building in 1885. The most important alterations took place in 1900, when the

rear façade, looking on to Dr. Robert Square, was refurbished and the former school

playground was turned into a public square.

Recently two metal lampposts, faithful replicas of the street lights that used to illuminate

Sant Roc Square at the beginning of the XX century were installed at the entrance of the

building.

The Teatre Principal (1866) • C. de Sant Pau, 6

Sabadell City Hall (1871) • Pl. de Sant Roc, 1

The Caixa Sabadell Modernist Heritage (1907-1915) • C. de Gràcia, 17

The head offices of the Caixa Sabadell and the Caixa Sabadell Charitable Trust are installed

in two emblematic buildings of Catalan Modernism which were designed by the architect

Jeroni Martorell. They were built between

1907 and 1915 in the centre of the city. The central building has an imposing

façade, with sculptures by Josep Llimona and ornate forged metal railings. Inside

the building, visitors will be amazed by the Turull Patio crowned with a magnificent

skylight of stained glass and the Modernist Hall with three naves separated by

pillars and parabolic arches. The building of the former Industrial School ofArts and

Crafts, which operated under the patronage of Caixa Sabadell, is more restrained in

style and is distinguished by a high cylindrical tower with a cone-shaped roof.

Regular visits on the last Sunday of every month at 12.00. Workshops and group visitsto the buildings can be arranged at agreed times. Tel. 696 406 767

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The intense activity in the textile industry over the last two centuries has left its mark on the

urban landscape of Sabadell. The chimneys are part of this heritage surviving after a good

number of the factories and steam mills to which they originally belonged were knocked down.

In Sabadell, 45 chimneys in all have been preserved and practically all of them are protected

as historical heritage of the city. At the moment, nine of these chimneys have an identifica-

tion plaque with a brief historical description of the steam mill or factory they were part of.

These chimneys which are situated in urbanized areas belonged to the steam mills Escapçat,

d'en Palà and Bonaventura Brutau, Cal Molins and Ca l'Estruch, and to the factories of

Francesc Sampere and brothers, Fitisa and Garriga Germans. The tallest chimney of those

mentioned above is the Ca l'Estruch chimney which is 43.5 metres high.

The Chimneys (XIXth century)

The school building, designed by the architect Miquel Pascual i Tintorer, was

opened in 1885. The building still preserves its original structure. Of

particular interest are the decorative metal railings on the main gate

opening on to Carrer Escola Pia (1908) and the enamelled tile wainscoting

on the stairwell and the corridor.

Sant Agustí Church was inaugurated in 1932, and was designed by Bernardí

Martorell. The walls of the church are decorated with paintings by Joan Parés

and paintings, relief work and sculptures by Fàbregas, Rius and Juvanteny.

The stained glass windows were produced by the Barcelona firm, Granell.

The Piarist School (1885) and Sant Agustí Church (1932) • C. de l'Escola Pia, 80

Buxeda Vell Steam Mill Engine Room (1906) • C. de Cervantes, 68

The engine room of the old factory and a small part of the plant have been preserved. In this

area the exhibition “From steam to electricity” has been set up with different information

panels and objects on display. In the machine room, visitors can view the last steam engine

installed in the factory, a semi-fixed WOLF (1908). Underground you can visit the chimney,

the coal cellar and other sections related to steam engines.

For information about visits, contact MHS. Tel. 93 727 85 55

For information about visits, contact MHS. Tel. 93 727 85 55

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The Creu Alta Wash Houses (1913) • C. del Papa Pius XI, 165

The old wash house for the Creu Alta district in Sabadell was the work of

the architect Josep Renom and is an important example of industrial

architecture that adopted the principles of Modernism. It is an extremely

hermetic building, 611 square metres in size with a roof with sloping

gutters to catch the water and channel it into the interior of the building.

The outside walls are made of brick covered in stucco mortar and include

geometrical graffiti spirals, stucco work on the façade and panels above

the doors.

It has housed the CreuAlta library since 2006.

Cal Balsach (1942-1948) • Ctra. de Prats de Lluçanès, 2

The Fills de Pere Balsach factory was built between

1942 and 1948 on the piece of ground situated on the

road, carretera de Prats de Lluçanès, where the old

velodrome used to be. Cal Balsach became one of the

biggest and most important textile factories specialising

in woollen material for ladies in the 50s. The economic

crisis in th 70s led to the closure of the factory.

The only alteration work made to the building was the

refurbishment of the central part of the old factory,

protecting the original structure of the building in order

to house the new Creu Alta civic and sports centre. The

total floor area measures 1,452 square metres.

Water Tower (1918) • Pl. de la Torre de l’Aigua

Can Rull Country House (XV century) • Av. de Lluís Companys, 81

This is a raised water cistern constructed by the architect Lluís Homs, in order

to supply water to the city at the beginning of the XX century. Made of

concrete, this spectacular structure of pillars and spiral staircase has become

a city landmark. Inside the building, information panels have been installed

with descriptions of the history of the Water Tower and how it used to work. It

stopped operating in 1967.

The Can Rull country house is one of the historical, patriomonial buildings

recovered by the City Council to be converted into a new facility for the city.

The building preserves the original rural structure typical of a country house

which has undergone alterations over the years espcecially those linked to

the important wine growing industry of the XVII, XVIII and XIX centuries.

The cellars and the wine presses have been preserved as well as other

elements. In the main hall on the ceiling there is an impressive collection of

«socarrats», scorched ceramic work decorated with geometrical and

calligraphic patterns.

For information about visits, contact the MHS. Tel. 93 727 85 55

20

21

On the exact spot where Can Feu Castle now stands, there used to

be a country house and farm dating from the High Middle Ages,

the IX and X centuries, linked to the Sobarber family.

In the XII century the country house became a fortified house in

the centre of stretch of land which got smaller and smaller due to

pious donations made which first by the Sobarber family and then

by the Togores family mainly to the monasteries.

At some point during the XVI century there was a bad fire which

seriously damaged the main building and for this reason this

building has, since then, also been known as the Burnt Tower.

In the last quarter of the XVII century Pau de Feu i Soler bought

the property and at that moment established it as a farm.

In the XVIII century, Can Feu was the logisitics centre of numerous

properties belonging to the Feu family, for whom the country

house became a place for rest and entertainment.

At the end of the XIX century, Josep Nicolau, last of the Olzina

family from Riu-sec and descendent of the Feus, constructed the

building that has reached to this day.

In 2007 the Can Feu Castle was recovered for the city and now

belongs to the City Council. The building will be restored and a

future urban park of 63 hectares will be created around it.

Can Feu Castle (XIX-XX century) • C. de Colòmbia, 21

The Chapel, which dates from some time between the X and

XI centuries, consists of a nave and an apse. This was the lo-

cation of the first parish of Sant Feliu d'Arraona, a place of

worship for the local farmers until the XIV century when it

was transferred to the other side of the river to what is now

the centre of Sabadell.

In 1915, services in the Chapel were stopped due to the bad

condition of the building. In the 90s it was restored and adapted

for visits, with some information panels placed inside the Chapel.

22

For information about visits, contact the MHS. Tel. 93 727 85 55

For information about visits, contact the MHS. Tel. 93 727 85 55

For information about visits, contact the MHS. Tel. 93 727 85 55

The Sant Oleguer ice well was built in the XVII century. It has a diameter of almost 9 metres

and is 7.5 meters deep. It is covered with a semi-spherical dome which gave access to the

well. It was restored in 1995 and a balcony was built to enable visitors to see inside the well.

Ice wells are semi-underground structures used for storing ice by taking advantage of the

thermic isolation of the subsoil. The ice was stored during the winter months and then was

taken out and sold during the summer.

The municipal cemetery situated on the Sant Nicolau Plain was opened in 1864 and since then has

continued to expand. It was relocated on the other side of the river for reasons of hygiene and lack

of space. The Church which is situated in the centre of the cemetery was designed by the architect

Miquel Pascual i Tintorer and was completed in 1891. The cemetery has a great many tombs and

mausoleums in a variety of artistic styles, some displaying the work of well known sculptors and

with a rich and varied symbology.

Around the surrounding district of Sabadell we can discover different points of historical and cultural interest. Some of

them tell us about our distant past and have been restored so that we can visit them; others date from more recent times

but are just as interesting to find out about.

Historic sights in the outskirts

The Sant Oleguer Ice Well

Municipal cemetery

Sant Nicolau Chapel

23

This was originally a Romanesque Church, which was altered for the last time in the XVIII century when

the rectory was added. The rectory is now used as a workshop for paper restoration. Archaeological

excavations and restoration work have revealed traces of the different periods of occupation of the

place (with documents dating from the 1 century BC) and the different stages of construction of the

Church since the XI century. These can be viewed inside the Church.

st

Sant Pau de Riu-sec

The sanctuary of la Salut

The Salut Park is situated on the periphery of Sabadell and contains

several buildings of interest: the sanctuary dedicated to the Mare de Déu

de la Salut, the priest's house, a lodging house, the remains of the old

Romanic hermitage of Sant Iscle and Santa Victoria and the archeological

remains of a Roman villa.

The Sanctuary of la Salut

was built at the end of the

XIX century, although part of

it was damaged during the

Civil War and it was rebuilt

in the 1940s. On the inside

visitors can enjoy the murals

and the stained glass

windows by the Sabadell

painterAntoni VilaArrufat.

Beneath the sanctuary and

round about it you will see

the remains of a Roman villa

which was partly excavated

at the beginning of the XX

century. Some of the items

found there can be seen in

the History Museum.

For information about visits, contact the MHS. Tel. 93 727 85 55

24

La Salut Lodging House

La Salut Lodging House is located near the sanctuary of La

Salut. The building has been renovated and will become

the future Interpretation Centre for the Surrounding

Environment and for theAgro-forestalArea of the Levant.

The new centre aims to provide the public with information both about the natural environment and also about the

historical and archaeological heritage of this area.

The present project involves the preservation of the archaeological

remains found inside the building and also the re-creation of what will be

a new architectural attraction. The original appearance of the Lodging

House will be restored and the old hermitage will be revealed.

The Sant Iscle and Santa Victoria hermitage is just beside the Lodging House.

This 10th century building was constructed on top of the remains of a Roman villa. Inside the chapel,

we can still see remains of a Roman thermal swimming pool and a mosaic portraying the image of

Neptune paving the floor. The original mosaic has been on display in the History Museum since 1934.

There are also building remains from Roman times and other archaeological traces from the Middle

Ages to be seen in the outhouses of the Lodging House.

During the rehabilitation of the hermitage, walls and

other architectural remains from different construction

periods were exposed, basically dating from the XIII and

XIV centuries –the Gothic Period –and the XVIII century–

the Baroque period.

Sant Iscle and Santa Victoria hermitage

25

The outward appearance of this Church is unmistakably Baroque and is the result of some important

alterations that were carried out in the XVII century: the presbytery, topped with a dome, and the upper part

of the bell tower, which is octagonal in shape, with pointed arched windows. However, in the outside walls

and inside the building, visitors can perceive traces left by previous stages: anthropomorphist graves that pre-

date the first Roman construction from the XI century, other cemeteries from the XI to the XVII centuries, silos from the XII-XIII

centuries and the different stages in the alterations made to the building which took place between the XIII and XIV centuries.

We can get to Sant Julià d'Altura, on foot or by bicycle by going along the new path which runs beside the Matadepera road near

the woods. The path starts in the Can Deu district and is 1.8 km long.

This hermitage was built on the remains of an old Roman construction. The oldest piece

of documented information dates from the year 986. The apse is eight-sided and the

hermitage is joined to the farmhouse by an arch. In the spring a celebration is held there

and it is opened to the public for visits.

Sant Vicenç de Jonqueres is composed of the church building, the rectory joined on to

the west side and cemetery on the east side. The whole structure retains different

features from the Romanesque, the Gothic, the Renaissance and Baroque periods.

Since its restoration in 1992, the former church has been handed over to an organisation

of cultural interest: the Mountain Information Service. The rectory is managed by some

tenant farmers and the ground floor is used as a furniture restoration workshop.

Sant Julià d'Altura

Togores Hermitage (Can Pagès Vell)

Sant Vicenç de Jonqueres

For information about visits, contact the MHS. Tel. 93 727 85 55

The oldest known surviving mills in the Ripoll area date from as far back as the X century and were flour mills.

Around the XIV century some of the mills were converted to cloth or fulling mills which stiffened or dressed woollen

cloth. The greatest expansion of the fulling place took place mainly in the

XVI century. The system of mallets used for the fulling of the cloth was also

used for paper mills.Although there is documentary evidence of a paper mill

operating at Jonqueres in the mid XVI century, paper mills became more

widespread from the XVIII onwards.

The building of the Mornau Mill, also known as the

“the mill with as many windows as the number of

days in a year” was built in 1783 to manufacture

paper, although later it was put to industrial use. It became

very well known as a producer of cigarette paper. It was one

of the most important paper mills in Catalonia in the XVIII

century.

This is the oldest documented Ripoll mill in the current

municipal district of Sabadell. It dates from 973 and was

used as a flour mill. In the XVIII century it operated as a

fulling mill and was finally used for stiffening and finishing

textiles. The Mill is currently being restored.

This is one of the most representative mills in the Ripoll

area of Sabadell. In the interior of the present day building

(constructed in the XIX century), the original gallery of the

flour mill has been preserved. It is paved with worn down

millstones and the water raising system with the marks of

the old wheels and modern steam engines can still be seen.

The Mill belongs to the City Council and is currently being

renovated and will be used as an Information Centre for the

Ripoll River Park.

Mornau Mill

D'en Font Mill

Torrella Mill.

26

The Ripoll River Park Mills

Xic Mill

Fontanet Mill

Sant Oleguer Mill

In Mediaeval times this was a flour mill, and then

it was used as fulling mill and finally in more

modern times it became a paper mill. The last

industry to be housed there was the dyeing and

finishing of textiles.

This is the first mill in the municipal district of

Sabadell which first appeared in documents as a

fulling mill at the end of the XIV century.After it was

recorded as a flour mill and then from 1559 onwards

it was transformed to be used as a fulling mill and

continued performing both functions in the

separate parts into which the mill had been divided.

The remains of the mill building are now in a state of

neglect and are part of newly constructed industrial

premises of several companies who have their

headquarters there.

This is the most modern mill in the municipal district

of Sabadell. It was constructed around the year

1780. One hundred years later it was converted into

a cardboard factory and continued operating as such

until the 1960s. The remains of the hydraulic wheels

have been preserved and they are currently being

rebuilt. This Mill belongs the the City Council and is

being renovated. It will be turned into a Youth

Hostel.

27

The museums

29

The Sabadell History Museum (MHS) occupies the former

factory house of Antoni Casanovas (1859). This building has

been totally refurbished for its current purpose but the

original façade and the volume of the original building have

been preserved. Walking through the different rooms of the

museum and observing the different exhibitions visitors can

trace the history of the area known today as Sabadell. Of

special importance are the materials recovered from different

prehistoric and proto-historic remains and from the Roman

villas in the area which are on display in the rooms “Settle-

ments in the area from prehistoric to late antiquity”. The

exhibition “Sabadello, the birth of a town (XI-XV centuries)”

shows the origins of the mediaeval town and “Manufacturing

and Artisans. Sabadell, XVI-XVIII centuries” the origins of the

textile industry which were to shape the character of Sabadell

in the XIX century.

The museum has two rooms devoted to temporary exhibitions

especially for subjects related to local history and the history

of Catalonia.

The museum organises special Sunday activities (visits, tours,

demonstrations, workshops...) in the museum rooms and at

the heritage sights of the city: the Casa Duran, the Water

Tower, the Sant Fèlix Belltower, the Sant Oleguer Ice Well, the

Font Nova public wash houses, the anti-aircraft shelter at the

airport, the Sant Nicolau cemetery and the local churches.

Tuesdays to

Saturdays, in the afternoon from

5.00 to 8.00; Sundays and holidays,

in the morning from 11.00 to 2.00,

and closed on Mondays. The

museum is closed on the 25 and

26 December, the 1 and 6 of

January, Good Friday and the 1 of

May. In the month of August, the

museum is open every other day.

a variety of

activities for organised group visits

didactic activities for students,

bibliographic and material

consultations and lectures...

Opening times:

Other services:

th

th st th

st

Entrance free.

Tel. 93 727 85 55 • E-mail: mhs@ajsabadell.cat

Sabadell History Museum • C. de Sant Antoni, 13

The museums in Sabadell

30

The Sabadell Art Museum (MAS) occupies what used to be a

house factory owned by the Turull family. The public rooms of

the house have been preserved as they were whereas the

remaining quarters have been converted into the museum.

The permanent exhibition, on the second floor, is divided into

two parts. The first part is devoted to current trends in

Academicism, represented, above all, by artists associated with

the Sabadell Academy of Fine Arts, such as the artists Joan Vila

Cinca and Joan Figueras, to name but two. The second part

starts at the turn of the century, basically with the exhibition of

“New Catalan Art from 1915”, and the works of “noucentista”

artists, with Antoni Vila Arrufat and Rafael Durancamps as the

most outstanding representatives of this school.

The Museum has two rooms for temporary exhibitions where

contemporary art collections are displayed and parallel activities

and group visits are organised. The programmes are open to all

kinds of interest groups and are focussed mainly on the study of

local art and the museum's own collections although exhibitions

from other non-local fields of interest can also included.

The Museum organises regular activities (visits,

tours, demonstrations, workshops...) aimed at

making people aware of the artistic heritage of

the city. For instance there is a free activity open

to all publics arranged on the first Sunday of

every month. You can also visit the patio where

performances often take place.

Tuesdays to Saturdays, in the af-

ternoon from 5.00 to 8.00; Sundays and holidays,

in the morning from 11.00 to 2.00, and closed on

Mondays. The Museum closes on the 25 and 26

of December, the 1 and 6 of January, Good

Friday and the 1 of May. In the month ofAugust,

the museum is open every other day.

a variety of activities for

organised group visits didactic activities for students, bibliographic

and material consultations and lectures...

Opening times:

Other services:

th th

st th

st

Entrance free.

Tel. 93 725 71 44 • E-mail: mas@ajsabadell.cat

The Miquel Crusafont Palaeontological Institute, of the Barcelona

County Council, is an institution devoted to the research, the

dissemination and the preservation of the paleontological heritage

of our country. It was inaugurated in 1969, as a result of the

prospecting and research activities of the Sabadell palaeontologist,

Miquel Crusafont. His work, carried out the length and breadth of

the Spanish peninsula and in the Mediterranean basin, enabled

him to create the most important collection of mammal fossils in

Spain and the most complete collection of primate fossils in

Europe. The Institute is a research centre that concentrates on

two basic lines of research: the first is focussed on the study of

the land vertebrate fauna-amphibians, reptiles and dinosaurs- that

inhabited our country during the Mesozoic Era; the second line of

research is concerned with the Neozoic Era-a period which started

25 million years ago and studies the geological environment of

the fossil deposits and determines their age. Climate changes and

their subsequent influence on the evolution of

fauna and hominidae are also analysed. In order

to promote public awareness of our paleontologi-

cal heritage, the Institute has two halls with per-

manent exhibitions, one devoted to the evolution

of life throughout the Mesozoic Age and the other

to the succession of mammal fossils in Catalonia.

Apart from this, the Institute also organises tem-

porary exhibitions and provides a service of didac-

tic activities designed for use by schools. There is also a library

specialised in paleontology.

Tuesdays to Fridays, from 10.00 to 1.00 and from

5.00 to 8.00. Saturdays from 10.00 to 1.00 and from 5.00 to

7.00. Sunday mornings, from 11.00 to 2.00.

Opening times:

Tel. 93 726 17 69 • E-mail: icp@icp.cat

Sabadell Art Museum • C. del Doctor Puig, 16

Miquel Crusafont Palaeontological Institute • C. de l'Escola Industrial, 23

The Caixa Sabadell Nature Area occupies the southern edge of

Can Deu Wood, which has 81 hectares of woodland, and the Can

Deu farmhouse. Educational activities are provided right through

the year for school children, summer schools, family groups,

horticulturalists and the Nature Area also caters for visits from

senior citizens. One of the main attractions of the Nature Area is

the Rural Life Museum. This museum was created out of what

was originally a permanent exhibition of farm tools and since the

year 2000 three more rooms were added to the exhibition

specialising in demonstration of the cultivation techniques for

vines, wheat and olives as well as showing the work in the

woodlands and different kinds of transport. This is truly an

ethnographic museum with four

rooms furnished according to the

country traditions of a hundred

years ago where visitors imagine

what the rural world of that time

was like and learn about the

relationship between man and

his environment. The museum is

open to the public every Sunday

morning and special visits can be arranged at other times.

Sunday mornings from 10.30 to 2.30Opening times:

Tel. 93 716 47 81 • E-mail: espainatura@caixasabadell.es

The Sabadell Historical Archives (AHS) is a public institution

belonging to the City Council which has as its main functions

the collection, preservation, data processing and diffusion of

the documentary heritage of the city. Over the years the AHS

has gathered together a total of 5,000 cubic metres of

documents originating from a wide variety of sources. Most of

the collection consists precisely of documents created by the

incipient organs of municipal government and the acquired

community rights from the XIV century.Also important are the

documents produced by notaries and mayors who administe-

red justice with documents dating from 1347 and right up to

the XVIII century. Of special interest is the important collection

of over 1,300 parchments, the oldest of which dates from

1111. The Archives also hold the records of contemporary

courts (1870-1983) and private documents. As regards the

latter, the AHS stands out as one of the most important

municipal archives in the country thanks to its long track

record in the recovery of our industrial heritage with more

than 50 archives from textile and metalwork firms. The

Archives also contain a good number of personal documents

(from musicians. writers, professionals), from institutions and

organisations, patrimonial archives linked to the old line

families of the city, etc. And finally, it has an important local

antiquarian library with some 20,000 volumes (the collection

dates back to the XV century), a wide local newspaper library

(more than 1,300 headlines) and sound and vision collections.

These resources have been used for research in the most diverse

selection of written, audiovisual projects and doctoral theses as

well as for published materials aimed at making these resources

known to the public and in the promotion of research.

L'AHS is located in a refurbished building, 2,000 m2 in size,

which was built in 1891 as a private house for the Ponsà

family. While still preserving some of its more valuable

architectural and historical features, it has been perfectly

adapted to fulfil the technical functions performed there.

Monday to

Friday, 10.00-1.30 and 5.00-

8.00. At Easter and Christmas:

9.30-2.30. For the months of

July, August and September

please consult the timetable

on the website.

Opening times:

Tel. 93 726 87 77

E-mail: ahs@ajsabadell.cat

Rural Life Museum (Caixa Sabadell Nature Area) • C. de la Prada, s/n

The Sabadell Historical Archives • C. de la Indústria, 32-34

31

The city of Sabadell has a wide, varied and top-quality selection of culture to offer visitors covering three main areas: symphonic

music and opera; the wealth of local associations, and its important industrial heritage and archaeological sites.

The enthusiasm for forming associations is a distinctive and decisive factor. One out of every two Sabadell citizens belongs to

some association or other; there are all different kinds and they cover all aspects of social life.

Sabadell is one of the few cities in Spain which has its own Opera season which is organised through the efforts of the Sabadell

Friends of the OperaAssociation.And what's more, it has its own professional orchestra: the Vallès Symphonic Orchestra.

There are four theatres which offer a well established programme of drama: the Teatre Principal, l'Estruch, the Teatre Municipal

La Faràndula and the Sala Miguel Hernández.

Apart from this, the city has the Illa School of Art, the Municipal School of Music and its own mid-grade Conservatory of Music. It

also has an important municipal arts centre providing facilities for the creation and production of theatrical, musical, plastic and

audiovisual arts: Ca l'Estruch. Other facilities such as the network of five municipal libraries led by the main central library, the

Vapor Badia Library, the Pere Quart House all serve to provide the people of Sabadell and visitors from outside with a wide variety

of cultural activities including popular, traditional festivals such as the Fiesta Mayor, the Kings' Cavalcade and the Aplec de la

Salut, to mention but a few.

Sabadell is a city with an intense cultural life

33

The city of Sabadell holds its main annual festival

from the first Friday in the month of September

until the following Monday. The programme is

packed full of fun, participative activities;

activities suited to all ages; dances, musical processions, human towers, concerts,

activities for children, street shows, sports, exhibitions, visits, guided tours… in the hope

that everybody, citizens and visitors alike, whatever their tastes or age, will find

something to enjoy in the programme; and the activities are all free.

As well as this Fiesta Mayor, each district in the city also celebrates its own annual

celebration on different dates between the months of May and September with a

continuous programme of popular fun activities during these months of hot, sunny

weather.

The main annual festival: Fiesta Mayor

Celebrations in Sabadell

34

The Kings Cavalcade is a show for all the family and is watched by thousands of

people on the 5 of January every year. Following a route of nine kilometres, the

procession slowly winds its way through the central streets of the city led by the

spectacular carriages bearing the Three Kings from the Orient, accompanied by

their colourful retinue of pages, torch and flag bearers, dancers, musical bands, and

decorated floats. Kilos of sweets are tossed from the carriages and floats to the

people, old and young, lining the streets.

th

Sabadell is one of the few cities in Spain that celebrates the festival of Sant Antoni Abat, the pa-

tron saint of animals, on the 17 of January, regardless of whether it's a working day or a holiday.

Two long standing associations are traditionally entrusted with organising the ceremonies for that

special day. First comes the blessing of the animals which is followed by the Mounted Procession

of SantAntoniAbat, one of the most popular activities of all the festivals throughout the year: the

streets fill with horse drawn carriages and mounted horses to offer us an impressive parade.

th

One of the most genuine examples of popular traditions in our city is Sant Jordi's Day on the 23 of April. On

this day the people of Sabadell and visitors can enjoy a wide range of activities including street stalls selling

roses and books, the visits of local authors for book signing, recitals, cinema shows and concerts.

rd

Kings Cavalcade

San Antonio Abad

Sant Jordi

The Aplec de la Salut is a celebration held on the first Monday after the second Sunday in May. It is considered the

second most important festival in Sabadell after the Fiesta Mayor and is one of oldest traditional gatherings in the

city, over 300 years old. In the past, the Aplec de la Salut became one of the most well known festivals throughout

the Vallès Occidental area, to the extent that it was even known as the Fiesta Mayor of Sabadell.

While retaining it's original essential religious spirit it has come down to our days as a festive day full of games and a wide

variety of very different activities: the concert of children's choirs, the quick painting competition, the musical procession,

the freeing of doves, the children's workshops, the race up to la Salut and a selection of up to thirty different cultural

activities are provided in a programme which seeks to strike a balance between tradition and modernity.

The Aplec de la Salut

Throughout the year there are other celebrations all of which follow popular traditions and

bring them out into the streets. In all cases, they have the collaboration of the City Council

and different citizens associations who join in the organisation of these ceremonies.

Other popular celebrations

The Teatre Principal is one of the symbolic landmarks of the city and boasts an

excellent stage that caters for the city's varied and high quality programme of theatre

and other cultural events. The stage offers a perfect setting for artistic performances

and is especially well suited for medium scale dramatic productions. Furthermore,

thanks to recent refurbishment work, the Teatre Principal has become an example of

how to incorporate the latest hi- tech facilities required for the future while

respecting the historical heritage of the building.

Teatre Principal. The city's most important theatre used both by drama companies and cultural organisations

Live arts in the city

It's the Canigó flame that starts off the festivities on the eve of Sant Joan,

the 23 of June. The Flame arrives in the city to light up the bonfires which

have been built in different places on what is the shortest night of the year.

rd

Sant Joan's Eve

35

Teatre Principal • C. de Sant Pau, 6 • Tel. 93 727 08 33

Thanks to the efforts of the Sabadell Friends of the OperaAssociation who put on

their productions at the Ca l'Estruch and the Faràndula theatres, the city can

enjoy a regular season of opera with a total of four different productions a year.

The operas produced in Sabadell have their première performance at the

Faràndula Theatre and are then performed at other theatres throughout

Catalonia. This has converted the city of Sabadell into a creative space in the

artistic world which foments an interest in opera throughout Catalonia.

A selection of symphonic music is provided by the Vallès Symphonic Orchestra

which, every year, presents a season of symphonic concerts.

This programme of concerts providing top quality symphonic music has become a well established feature of cultural life of the city

thanks to the collaboration between the City Hall and the Vallès Symphonic Orchestra

The orchestra is the only symphonic orchestra of its kind in Spain in that it is organised as a public limited company in which the

musicians and the workers are both the owners and the shareholders. It was created in Sabadell out of the Sabadell Friends of the

Opera Association with great artistic ambition and a variety of offerings; it is an orchestra that lives, like

no other orchestra, off its public, its concerts and its quality.

Sabadell is also host to the Jaume Aragall International Song Competition which is addressed to

opera singers. It is open to singers under the age of 35, of all nationalities, residing anywhere in the

world and is held every two years.

The sessions which are open to everybody are held at the Teatre Principal. As well as this, the well

known tenor Jaume Aragall offers a master class to the students of the Municipal Conservatoire

during his stay in the city. The Sabadell Friends of the Opera Association and the Vallès Symphonic

Orchestra both take part in the competition and the city's Music Conservatoire is also involved.

The Faràndula Municipal Theatre: theatre, opera and music

36

The Faràndula was built from funds raised from popular donations in 1956. In 1972 it

was taken over by the City Council and in 2002 a major refurbishment project was

completed with the updating of equipment and facilities. The theatre now has seating

capacity for 1,060 spectators.

The municipal programme at the Faràndula is made up of a season of operas promoted

by the Sabadell Friends of the Opera Association and also includes different local

artistic performances and large scale theatre productions.

Teatre Municipal la Faràndula • c. d’Alfons XIII, 33 • Tel. 93 745 75 60 - 93 745 75 61

Opera in Sabadell and the Vallès Symphonic Orchestra

37

This festival was held for the first time in the year 2000 and since then it has established itself as a

cultural programme offering a wide range of leisure possibilities throughout the whole of July.

The festival takes place in the evenings in different locations around the city such as the Ca l'Estruch

patio or the SabadellArt Museum, the Sant Roc or Doctor Robert Squares or in Catalunya Park.

The cultural programme offers a wide selection ranging from theatrical shows, or a cycle of

flamenco dancing, to a demonstration of short films, or literary nights, dance shows and a strong

musical component including opera, jazz and music from around the world. The festival is designed

to appeal to different publics of all ages.

The Ca l'Estruch Centre promotes the most daring proposals in drama and music. The programme is

designed for restless minds. The Ca l'Estruch factory used to operate as dye works until the eighties.

In 1995, it started up as a centre for artistic production and creation.

In this area, all the different phases in the creative processes of dramatic and visual art co-exist:

creation and diffusion. The rehearsal rooms for theatre and dance and the rehearsal booths for

musicians contribute to the production of new ideas. The creative spirit of the resident artists in

the South Warehouse (Nau Sud) encourages lively debates and reflection and the diffusion of

different artistic practices.

The Auditorium is used for putting on plays, contemporary dance shows and music as well as

presenting programmes of innovative images, contents and formats such as short films and videos.

It has seating capacity for 190 spectators and is perfectly adapted to present day requirements of

dramatic performances.

L' Estruch • c. de Sant Isidre 140 • Tel. 93 717 25 71

The Ca l'Estruch Centre for Artistic Creation, Production and Diffusion

30 nights summer festival

Near on 70,000 documents, 250 newspapers and

magazines are available to the citizens of Sabadell at

the Vapor Badia Library, which is one of the largest

libraries in Catalonia. Situated in les Tres Creus Street

and officially opened on the 15 of November, 2002,

this establishment has a surface area of 4,762 m

divided into three floors.

The Vapor Badia Libary is located in a former XIX century wool textile factory. The library has 437

reading places and provides users with Internet access through 10 computers and also through Wi-Fi

connection for personal laptops. La Vapor Badia has broken with the classic idea of a library and has

transformed it into a dynamic, interactive area, enhanced by a café, an assembly hall, a children's

area, a help centre for the Catalonia Open University, a study room, and an area for connecting with

the Internet. A supply of local material and more general resources as well as newspapers, magazi-

nes and audiovisual material all go to make up a complete and diversified service.

The Vapor Badia is both the city and the regional central library but there is also a network of

smaller public libraries in Sabadell including the Can Deu Library (modernised in 2007), the Can

Puiggener Library, the Safareigs Library and the Serra Library. The last three were inaugurated in

2006. Each library provides all the usual library services and also organise a variety of activities

including lectures, literary talks, exhibitions, courses, workshops, concerts, plays and story telling

for adults and children.

In the future the network of public libraries in Sabadell, the BiMS, will be expanding with the creation of four new libraries

located in the new third, fourth, fifth and sixth districts.

th

2

Biblioteca Vapor Badia

C. de les Tres Creus, 127-129 • 08202 Sabadell

Tel.: 93 745 17 03

Biblioteca Can Deu

Biblioteca dels Safareigs

C. del Portal de la Floresta, 20 • 08207 Sabadell

Tel.: 93 716 56 04

C. del Papa Pius XI, 165 • 08208 Sabadell

Tel.: 93 717 53 43

temporarily closed for alterations

Biblioteca de Can Puiggener

Biblioteca de la Serra

Pl. del Primer de Maig, 1 • 08208 Sabadell

Tel.: 93 716 51 50

Pl. de Cristóbal Ramos, 1 • 08202 Sabadell

Tel.: 93 726 34 68

The Vapor Badia, more than a place to read

38

Network of Public Libraries

www.sabadell.cat/bims

39

Theatre, music, puppets, dancing... every Sunday morning the Miguel

Hernandez Hall puts on a show aimed at young kids.

A wealth of stories from all over the world is vividly narrated by expert story

tellers to delight and enchant younger children. This programme of story

telling takes place from October to June in the three municipal libraries, in

the Roureda Reading Room and in the Can Rull and Torre-romeu civic centres.

The museums of the city also play their part; the History Museum and the Art

Museum have designed programmes especially for younger children and

families: guided visits, workshops... and most important of all, special activities for the younger family members over Christmas

just when the school holidays begin.

Other leisure activities, related mainly to public holidays, complete a wide and varied selection of activities designed for boys and

girls of all ages, from toddlers to teenagers: Sant Jordi, Sants Innocents, Children's New Year celebrations...And we mustn't forget

the different activities to do with the world of live arts where the children appear both as performers and spectators, activities

such as dance sessions and workshops, children's opera performances to name but a few.

Wide range of activities for children

LASALA Miguel Hernández

Rda. de la Roureda, 24

Tel.: 93 723 28 33

Sabadell History Museum

Sabadell Art Museum

C. de Sant Antoni, 13

Tel.: 93 727 85 55

C. del Dr. Puig, 16

Tel.: 93 725 71 44

Children's Shows

Workshops and didactic activities

The Park has an artificial lake, 8,439 m in size, with a four-

metre high waterfall and a fountain in the middle all of which

combine to make a really spectacular view.

There are white swans and ducks in the lake. And you can see

carp and gambusias, also known as mosquito fish.

There's a landing stage where you can hire boats; there are

about thirty boats for hire at week ends.

2

The parks

41

This 43 hectare park stretching from the Eix Macià to Sant Isidor Street in Can Rull is the

green lung of Sabadell.

Catalunya Park has a woodland area with a

total of 5,102 different types of trees.

Strolling through the Park you can see olive

trees, agaves, ginkgos, laurel, speedwell,

pines, holm-oaks, cypresses, plane trees,

weeping willows, oaks and Japanese cherry

trees. There's also a wide variety of bushes,

such as thyme, broom, rockrose and different

kinds of climbing plants.

The lake

Trees and vegetation

Catalunya Park

On the west side of Catalunya Park, near the Can Rull farm, we find a double tracked

railway circuit, three kilometres in length. The train trip takes twenty three minutes in

all and has all the vital ingredients for an enjoyable journey (a viaduct, six tunnels…),

making it one of the biggest and most attractive train circuits in Europe.

16 September to 14 June: Sundays and public holidays from 11.00 to 14.00

15 June to 15 September: Sundays and public holidays from 18.00 to a 21.00

th th

th th

Timetable:

Ferrocarril del Parc C. d'Andreu Nin • Tel. 647 547 262 - 647 547 607•

The amphitheatre

42

The Park railway

At the highest part of the Park we find the Astronomic Observatory, an unusual building with an

imposing cupola, 5 metres in diameter which holds a modern automated 50 centimetre telescope.

The Observatory is run by the Sabadell Astronomical Group, an amateur association which has won

great scientific prestige both for research and for making astronomy accessible to the general public.

The building contains an auditorium with seating for 60 people, a permanent exhibition and a

thematic library with volumes dating from the eighteenth century right up to the present time. The

Society provides star observation sessions for school groups and the general public at arranged times

as well as courses and lectures.

Observatori Astronòmic de Sabadell • C. de Prat de la Riba, 1 • Tel. 93 725 53 73

www.astrosabadell.cat

The astronomic observatory

The amphitheatre which is right in the centre of the Park, beside the Astronomic Observatory provides

seating for some 40,000 people and hosts a variety of musical shows starring nationally popular

performers and groups.

A part of Catalunya Park is also reserved for children and adolescents. At the

Ernest Lluch Square, which covers an area of 6,500 square metres, boys and girls

can climb a three-dimensional space-net, swing across a 25 metre Tyrolean

traverse or have fun on a play unit composed of two 10 metre high towers with

connecting slides attached to wooden platforms. The third area is a play park for

toddlers surrounded by a wooden fence.

For sports fans the Park also has a special area for skaters around 50 skaters visit

it every day- and a permanent cross country circuit. And there's the recently

opened new trial bike circuit which, with a surface area of 1,500 square metres

and 17 sections with different obstacles and difficulty levels offers some of the

best facilities for this sport in Europe.

Sports and children’s play parks

43

Near Can Llong in an area of important growth in Sabadell the city has a corridor of two great “green lungs”, the

Romeua and Odessa Parks and the future park of les Aigües. Romeua Park which covers 37,500 square metres was

the first of these green areas to be opened to the public. It has areas for walking and practising sport as well as areas

for rest and relaxation. One of the most striking features of this Park is the fact that the natural topography and the

native trees and shrubs of the area have been preserved although the park has been enriched with the introduction

of other species such as oaks, holm oaks ,white and black maples, and plane trees. Also aquatic species have been

planted in the marshy areas of the Park's river bed.

Romeua Park

44

Sabadell has recently acquired a new green area called the Odessa

Park with a surface area measuring more than 30,000 square

metres. It has an esplanade with lush vegetation where children

and adults alike can have fun and an open area sloping downwards

with different paths for visitors to explore. In the recreation area

there's a play park for children and an area for elderly people with

gymnastic apparatus, a space to do Tai Chi and facilities for table

tennis, basketball and petanque.

The les Aigües Park is one of our most ambitious projects and is planned to be located in

the Can Llong district. The future park will have special features such as little artificial

lakes, illuminated fountains and a small stage for public performances. There's a special

lesAigües Promenade for people to stroll or cycle through the Park.

With around 116,000 square metres, Can Gambús will be the second biggest park in the

city after Catalunya Park. The centre of the Park, which will hold the district's main

square, will have two large woods and a 350 metres long walkway along which the visitor

will be able to try out different sports activities. To the north and south of the Park, two

car parks with spaces for 64 and 256 cars respectively will be provided to facilitate visitor

access. In both sectors there is also a variety of smaller squares attached to the houses in

the new district of Can Gambús.

Odessa Park

Aigües Park

The future Can Gambús Park

The 18 hectare North Park is situated among the districts of Can Deu, Sant Julià, la Plana del

Pintor, Ca n'Oriac and the Torrent del Capellà. The gully which used to go all the way from

Can Deu to the River Ripoll has been filled in and turned into flat terrain and is now a green

corridor linking these districts in the north of the city.

The vegetation is rich and varied, changing from one area of the Park to another. There is an area with umbrella pines and

holm oaks; and another with riverbank deciduous trees such as elms, poplars, willows and ash trees. The areas bordered by

streets are lined with plane trees.

To the north of the Park there is a large

esplanade you can find an open air

amphitheatre with rows of seats made of

wood. There is also an area of palm trees

surrounding a pool of water out of which

shoots a spectacular 15 metre high

fountain.

The Oscar Arnulfo Romero Square is in the

centre of the Park and, there, you'll find a playground for children and terraces covered in climbing plants.

In the rest of the Park the transformation process is still underway. Once finished, the Park will have a main walkway where

all the paths crossing the Park from the different districts will meet. All sections will be suitable for cycling. During the

coming years these reforms will be affected by the works to extend the railway lines. However once these are completed the

improvements will continue.

45

North Park

The Vallès Central Park is a large intercity public space,20 hectares in size, which is situated

on old farmland between the municipalities of Sabadell and Barberà del Vallès.

The Park has full public park facilities, a sports circuit and some buildings that have been

restored as a “masia” (a country house) where you can find the offices, an auditorium and

further premises which are used for the Environmental Information Centre (DIMA), with

showrooms for Sources of Renewable Energy and Waste Disposal.

The Park offers a varied programme of fun activities, cultural and fund raising events such as

the Horse Fair and the Park Festival.

C. de Ramon Albó, 1 • 08204 Sabadell • Tel. 93 712 06 57 • www.parccentraldelvalles.com

The Vallès Central Park

46

The River Ripoll is a tributary of the River Besòs, which is characterised as having

very little water, with variable flow and few incidences of overflowing apart from

the most famous one in September 1962, which caused flash flooding that

resulted in great loss of life and material damage.

As a result of the alluvial terrain through which it flows, the erosion has given rise

to a typical landscape of sloping banks, cornices and terraces.

The Ripoll winds its way through Sabadell for 7 kilometres with gently sloping

banks which, from the past up till the present day have been used for industrial

purposes and also by the townspeople. The river bed was profoundly transformed with the great flood of 1962. Concentrated in

this area, visitors will find a great wealth of interest, be it cultural, hydrological, archaeological, architectural, hydrological,

industrial, agricultural and natural, all of which testify to the variety of activities pursued throughout the past centuries.

In the past decades, the waters of the Ripoll River where it flows through Sabadell suffered the consequences of the rapid

expansion of the city and intense industrial development. So bad was the pollution of the waters and the surrounding countrysi-

de that it was difficult to remember that in other times the Ripoll had been for the people of Sabadell one of their favourite spots

-a place for leisurely walks, picnics and even swimming in the river.

All the different actions carried out within the Ripoll River Park Project have succeeded in reversing this trend. The relationship

between the city and the river has been recovered and the area has been adapted and exploited

more effectively for social use. In short the project has shown the true value of the Ripoll River

Park and aims to continue improving the different thematic areas of which it is composed: the

industry established there, the traditional market gardens, the historical, archaeological and

industrial heritage, the parks, the natural springs, the pathways, the countryside and the natural

and biological resources, the water, the vegetation and the fauna.

The Ripoll River Park

47

The Sabadell Agrarian Park, covering a total area of approximately 550 hectares, is

situated to the west of the city, bordering on Can Gambús, Castellarnau and Ca n'Oriac.

This extensive area of exceptionally beautiful countryside and of great environmental

value includes such beauty spots as Can Cunillé, the Pedralba Sierra, theAdelardo Wood,

mas Canals, Ca n'Ustrell, Ca n'Argelaguet, Can Deu and Sant Julià d'Altura. It is a mosaic

of agroforestal countryside which is part of the biodiversity connector of Sant Llorenç

and the Obac Sierra with Collserola and marks the limit of the northern part with the

LlevantAgroforestal Space.

Travelling through this area, visitors will see fields of cereals with trees scattered among

the fields. The countryside is typical of the Vallès area where the gentle slopes of

undulating land welcome the visitor to an environment out of keeping with the area of

urban development in which it finds itself.

The basic mission which distinguishes the agrarian park and gives value to this agricultu-

ral land is the protection and production of autochthonous varieties of vegetables such

as “ganxet” bean.

The historical, cultural, social and architectural heritage of the Agrarian Park are to be

found in the country houses of Ca n'Argelaguet and Ca n'Ustrell, Can Deu, Mas Canals and

Sant Julià d'Altura. Also worthy of mention is the great botanical richness of the Medite-

rranean woods of Can Deu, Ribatallada, Ca n'Argela-

guet, Ca n'Ustrell, Castellarnau and Can Gambús and

the mountain streams of Vallcorba and Abelardo.

They are a clear illustration of the nature of the

countryside and are all linked by public walkways.

The Sabadell Agrarian Park

49

Sabadell has a deeply rooted sports tradition. The city has a wealth of open areas and facilities for practicing sport both for

pleasure and in competitions. It's got 140 sports clubs and associations. Due to the special support and encouragement

given to competitive sports, Sabadell has become one of the best known cities in the sporting world.

Sports facilities

Sabadell's Recreation Park is situated on Can Quadres

Road, next to the Josep Molins Athletics Stadium. The

biggest attraction of La Bassa is its swimming pool, the

biggest in the region, measuring 100 metres in diame-

ter, with different depths ranging from 1.80 metres to

60 centimetres.

La Bassa provides all the amenities you need to spend

the whole day there: a picnic area, a bar restaurant. It

also has ticket offices, a first aid centre and locker

rooms.

The Recreation Park also has

two gigantic water slides, an

adventure circuit, inflatable

attractions and counter-

current swimming. All in all, a wide selection of acti-

vities for old and young to have a fun, and relaxing time

at la Bassa.

From the first week in June to the first week in Septem-

ber. From 10.00 to 19.30

Sabadell Recreation Park

Opening days and times

• Camí de Can Quadres, 183

Tel. 93 725 99 79

La Bassa, Sabadell's Recreation Park

The municipal athletics track, which has been operating for

over 40 years, was recently re-modelled to include equipment

providing the best facilities necessary for training and

competition in this sport.

The stadium has the following facilities:

• A 400 metre running track with a central grassed area, jump

pits, throwing area and a surrounding fence.

• 2 fields with sports pitches marked out. Each has an 11-a-

side football pitch and two 7-a-side football pitches, with

granite sand surfaces and automatic sprinklers.

• 1 multi-sport area, measuring 24 x 13 metres with a basket-

ball and volleyball court.

• 1 pelota court, measuring 24 x 13 m.

• 1 indoor rock climbing centre with 2

walls, one 24 metres by 3.75 metres of

low level difficulty and another, 13.5 x

3.75 metres of medium difficulty.

The stadium also has a building for complementary facilities,

with an office, a first aid room, a gymnasium and a bar and

another building which houses the changing rooms. The new

seating area has five rows of seats for spectators and two

aisles to facilitate access. To complete the modernisation of

the stadium, a photo-finish system has been installed at the

finishing line.

Mondays to Fridays, from 7.00 to 22.00. Saturdays from 9.00

to 22.00. Sundays and holidays from 9.00 to 14.00

Opening Times

Josep Molins Athletics Stadium • Camí de Can Quadres, 179 •

Tel. 93 725 99 79

Josep Molins Athletics Stadium

50

The recently inaugurated South Pavilion is large enough to

accommodate a wide selection of sporting activities such as five-a-

side soccer, basketball, rhythmic gymnastics or handball to name

but just a few. The pitch can be divided into three areas so that

different sports can be practised at the same time. The pavilion

has a seating capacity for 500 spectators plus different comple-

mentary services such as changing rooms, a multi-purpose room

and a cafeteria.

South Pavilion

The Sant Oleguer Sports Complex is the location selected for the

new Catalonia Indoor Athletics Track just beside the outdoor track

and in an area easily accessible for transport.

The new athletics track will have a seating capacity for some 2,500

spectators and will belong to the City Council. It will be used for

the Catalonia Indoor Athletics Championships and will enable

athletes from the Sant Cugat High Performance Development

Centre to hold their training sessions and competitions there. So as

well as serving as an amenity for amateurs who practice sport and

athletics, in particular, for health and social reasons, the new

indoor track will also act as cradle for promising future athletes.

This project will help Sabadell to become even more important in

the world of athletics and sports.

Catalonia Indoor Athletics Track

51

Projects for the future

The sports pavilion which is being built in the northern part of the city will

have a seating capacity for 1,500 spectators in the terraces. This new

sports facility will be located on land near the Ca n'Oriac Sports Centre at

the Ronda de Collsalarca.

The new pavilion will provide the city with a wider range of this type of

sports facilities and will also serve to promote the practice of sports in

general. The pavilion building will have two floors and a usable area of

5,000 m . The main floor includes the entrance to the building, the hall,

ticket sales, the bar, a shop and access to the terraces. On the lower floor

there is the sports pitch, the muscle fitness and directed activity centres,

the changing rooms, the store rooms and the administration area.

2

North Pavilion

The shops in Sabadell are accessible,

varied, attractive and full of life. They

cater for every need and are located

throughout the city. In addition to the

services sector, it is local commerce that

creates the greatest number of jobs and

proves a great attraction for visitors from

the surrounding areas.

At Sabadell you can find small and

medium sized establishments, either

traditional or unique, shops and services

specialised in food, goods and services

for people, products for the home,

leisure or culture items along with the

larger nationwide chain department

stores and franchises.

The city is a hub of non-stop, dynamic

activity, stretching for 7 kilometres from

north to south under the aegis of eight

commercial retailer associations who

seek to promote and stimulate their res-

pective commercial areas.

One important commercial centre is the

Eix Macià where you'll find a wide selec-

tion of services and shops. There is a large

department store and a shopping mall, as

well as five tower blocks for offices and

services. In addition, this area has a 9-

screen cinema complex and a wide range

of restaurants and hotels, all in close

proximity just beside Catalunya Park.

Shops, markets and services

53

Sabadell, a commercial city to stroll around in

Sabadell has five municipal markets: Campoamor

Market, the Central Market, Creu Alta Market,

Merinals Market and the Torre-romeu Market which

all provide a wide selection of fresh top quality

produce and are the main source of commercial

activity wherever they are situated. These

traditional markets, through an extensive renova-

tion process are being converted into modern

commercial centres catering for the present day

needs of the public. The latest market to have

benefited from these improvements is Campoamor Market where

the work is now in its final stages.

The most important of the 5 commercial centres is without a doubt

the Central Market, first opened in 1930 and then inaugurated for a

second time in 2004, after undergoing extensive refurbishment. An

underground car park was added to the building and the market is

now divided into two parts, an indoor part consisting of two commercial floors and an outdoor market area.

The indoor market consists of about 100 stalls, where you can find both fresh produce from all over the world and food produced

and prepared locally by the city artisans, as well as non-food products

(a bookshop, a jeweller's, a costume jewellery store, home products as well as other items are all available). There's also a

supermarket and restaurant open every day of the week.

Surrounding the building on the outside is a canopy under which farmers and florists set up their stalls selling local produce and on

Mondays there is a street market.

The markets

54

Every morning, except Friday, there is an itinerant market where you

can find textiles, shoes, household utensils, leather goods among

other products. It's held at a different place every day and is set up

round one of the municipal markets except for Sundays when it is

located in Costa i Deu Street.

On Sunday mornings, a popular antique, collectors and flea market is

held outside the Central Market.

Itinerant markets

The city can provide accommodation for over 1,200 visitors in different types of hotels. There

are two 4-star hotels, three 3-star hotels and five more with two or one stars.

Hotels

Gran Hotel Verdi ****

Hotel Sabadell ****

Hotel Urpí ***

Av. de Francesc Macià, 62

195 habitacions

Tel. 93 723 11 11 • www.hoteles-catalonia.es

Pl. de Catalunya, 10-12

110 habitacions

Tel. 93 727 92 00 • www.hoteles-catalonia.es

Av. de l'Onze de Setembre, 38

125 habitacions

Tel. 902 31 31 34 • www.hotelurpi.com

Hotel Husa Vallès ***

Hotel Arrahona ***

Hotel Gaudí *

C. de Milena Jesenská, 40-60

100 habitacions

Tel. 93 746 04 98 • www.hotelhusavalles.com

Ctra. de Barcelona, 446

49 habitacions • 39 apartaments

Tel. 93 720 53 20 • www.arrahonahotel.com

C. del Berguedà, 119

10 habitacions

Tel. 93 716 31 70 • www.hotelgaudi.net

Pensión Los Martínez *

C. de Can Viloca, 52

8 habitacions

Tel. 93 710 68 75

C. de Fra Juníper Serra

Pensión Los Maños

, 20

16 habitacions

Tel. 93 711 31 92

Hotels

55

Hostal Ric **

Hostal Fonda Huix **

Ctra. de Terrassa, 114

10 habitacions

Tel. 93 727 86 97 • www.hostal-ric.com

C. de Sant Maties, 135

19 habitacions

Tel. 93 716 02 75 • www.hostalfondahuix.com

Boarding and Guest Houses

56

Sabadell has a wide and varied selection of musical bars and clubs which are concentrated

mainly in the south west industrial estate called Zona Hermètica. Here you can find about ten

clubs and fifteen musical bars.

And then around the city you can find lots of quieter pubs where you can relax over a drink

after dinner.

Night life

For further information, check with the Sabadell website <www.sabadell.cat/visitasabadell>.

Sabadell has around 300 restaurants located throughout the city, both in the

centre and in the surrounding districts.

The restaurants offer mainly Catalan or market cuisine based on the fresh

products in season at each particular time of the year. But you can also find

traditional cooking from the other communities in Spain, sea food restaurants,

fast food establishments as well as restaurants specialised in gastronomy from

other countries: Italian, Greek, Mexican, Argentinean, Chinese, Japanese,

Lebanese and Moroccan cuisines.

Restaurants

Fairs

57

Sabadell Fira

Just off the Gran Via, beside Tres Creus Street and easily accessible by all

modes of transport we find the new Trade Fair and Convention Centre,

Sabadell Fira. The Centre is ideally situated, just a short distance away

from the RENFE central railway station, the Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat

station, the bus station and from the C-58 motorway connection.

Fira Sabadell is located on the site of the old headquarters of the

multinational firm, ABB, an emblematic industrial building constructed in

the 1940 s. But now, however, it has been turned into a modern, spacious

and comfortable area equipped with state of the art technology.

The city's Trade Fair and Convention Centre comprises some 5.000 m of

floor space, divided into a central bay, an auditorium and multi-purpose

halls providing ideal facilities to cater for conventions, seminars, trade

fairs, corporate functions and other events.

The central bay, with a surface area of over 3,000 square metres is designed to host large scale events such as trade fairs and

conventions and can hold 2700 people. It is open plan in design and on a single level.

The auditorium measures 1,300 m in size and has a seating capacity of 308 - 302 of which are intelligent seats. It's an ideal

area for lectures, presentations, seminars, technical conferences, etc. There is an adjoining technical control room with

translating facilities. Also available is a selection of multi-purpose rooms and four open space rooms of differing capacities and

sizes ranging from 100 to 400 m and which can accommodate meetings of 30 up to 300 attendees. In addition the auditorium

has a restaurant and a car park of 354 spaces which is just being completed.

Fira Sabadell provides an interior electric power of 1,500 kW and an n extended network of internal communication. All the

rooms have Wi-Fi coverage and lighting systems at very reasonable rates. It also has photovoltaic energy installations.

2

2

2

Medievàlia is a kind of cultural mediaeval festival

which was first started in the year 2000 and is now in

its 11 year. It is organised by the Friends of

Mediaevalia Association in conjunction with local cultural and theatrical groups

from Sabadell. Throughout the week end, visitors are treated to a varied

selection of events and activities, such as performances and shows all set in

mediaeval times. Demonstrations are given of old artisan and traditional crafts

and trades that emerged around the 12 century. On the Sunday morning there's

a Mediaeval Cooking Competition and prizes are awarded for the best recipes and

the best cooked dishes. Stroll around the market and you'll find artisan and food

products, jewellery and gift items. And there's lots of fun entertainment and

activities laid on for children

Everything you see at Medievàlia is a dramatisation of the origins of the town of

Sabadell, in the mid eleventh century. The fair sets out to recreate the life of the

townspeople around the market and shows just how important these activities

were in the growth and development of a town like Sabadell.

th

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58

Trade fairs

For further information: www.firasbd.com

Different trade fairs linked to commercial and services sector are held every year at the

Sabadell Convention and Trade Fair Centre. These fairs can attract up to 15,000 visitors in

one weekend. Among the most popular fairs are the following:

Fairs: traditional fairs

Medievàlia

Location:

Date:

city centreMay

Fira del Turisme, Oci, Esport i Aventura

Fira del Món del Vi

Turiswork

Fira Relájate

Fira Energies Renovables i Reciclatge

Esport de Reis

International Air Meeting

Fira per als Nuvis i Cerimònia del Vallès

Fira del Vehicle d'Ocasió

Fira Habitatge

Fira Salut

Fira Golf i Pitch Putt&

The Horse Fair, which was first

started in 2000, has quickly

become one of the most

important equestrian competitions held in Spain. The fair draws visitors

from all over Spain and southern Europe and for four days provides a

varied programme of equestrian events. Among the many different

events that take place during the Horse Fair we can see the Commercial

Cattle Fair with an extensive exhibition area to display cattle and all

types of products and services related to horses from all over Spain,

France and Italy. And there are also activities and courses organised for

children, senior citizens and disadvantaged groups.

And, that's not all. Cultural associations from Sabadell and Barberà del

Vallès as well as representatives of the different autonomous regions in

Spain get together to offer visitors a wide selection of popular cultural

activities and gastronomic delights.And also you'll find one of the biggest

fun fairs in the country.

59

The Sabadell Ceramics Fair, which has been held annually for the past 20 years, takes

place over a weekend in October. It is organised by the Vallès Potters Association. The

work of some thirty potters is exhibited at the fair, providing a good sample of current

contemporary ceramics. There, we can find a wide variety of styles ranging from highly

creative and personal pieces to popular traditional pottery. The Fair displays the work of the members of

the association but also invites contributions from other potters from the rest of Catalonia and Spain.

During the weekend children can take part in various fun activities, such as working with clay,

decorating pieces of art which are then Raku fired. During the week prior to the fair, other activities

linked to the world of ceramics, namely exhibitions, courses and workshops, are organised.

Horse Fair

Sabadell Ceramics Fair

Location:

Date:

Frequency:

city centreOctober

every two years

Location:

Date:

Central Parkbetween the first and the thirdweek of May

The ChristmasArtisan Fair of Sabadell

(FANSA), now in its ninth year, has

been consolidated as one of the

traditional activities associated with the city's Christmas celebrations. Co-organised

by theArtisanAssociation, FANSAand the Vallès PottersAssociation, the fair exhibits

a varied selection of quality artisan products every year. There are about fifteen

workshops from all over Catalonia. The Fair provides lots of ideas for Christmas gifts

made from a variety of materials as diverse as wood, paper, material, glass, pottery

and metals, etc.

60

Sabadell's Christmas Artisan Fair

The Sabadell Santa Llúcia Fair is 66 years

old. For the past three decades it has been

organised by the Sabadell Association of

Santa Lucia Stallholders. This is the most

firmly rooted and popular of the fair

traditions in Sabadell filling the air with the warmth and spirit of Christmas.

There are about forty stalls where you can find Christmas figurines and nativity

scenes, Christmas decorations and garlands, Christmas trees, poinsettias and good

luck bunches of mistletoe.

Santa Llúcia Fair

Other fairs: fairs in the city centre

Record Fair

Sant Ponç Fair

Date:

Description:

first Sunday in Marchsale of second hand records

Date:

Description:

first Sunday in Maysale of artisan foods: sausages, cheeses, honey, herbs, and pâtés.

Location:

Dates:

city centre15 December to 5th Januaryth

Location:

Dates:

Ramblafrom the first Saturdaybefore the 6 December untilthe 23 December

th

rd

61

Antique and Second Hand Book Fair

Artisan Fair

Food Fair

Date:

Description:

first Sunday in Novembersale of antique books, comics and calendars

Dates:

Description:

second Sunday of every monthhandmade craft products, gifts, textiles and jewellery.

Dates:

Description:

fourth Sunday of every monthsale of artisan food products

Fairs held during the Sabadell Fiesta Mayor

Carrer de la Indústria Fair

Art and Design Fair

Description: craftwork, ideas for presents, craft jewellery and artisan food

Location:

Description:

at the Plaça del Gasexhibition and sale of works by artists from Sabadell and theSabadell area

Ripoll river andits natural environment

Discover theDiscover the

Routes

Route: Ripoll river park

Ecological-Scenic Walk. Rest areas: Can Roqueta, Boixò Steam Mill, Els Degotalls Spring, the Clota

Park, the Gitanos Spring, the Amat Mill and Sant Vicenç de Jonqueres (with barbecue facilities)

Start: Bassa de Sant Oleguer

Finish: Plaça del Primer de Maig

Approx. length: 2.5 hours on foot

Information: Ripoll and Surroundings Section • Tel. 93 748 08 45

Recommendations: the route is suitable for walking and cycling

Bus: Nº 5 Can Rull - Les Termes

Bus: Nº 7 La Roureda - Can Deu

Distance: 8 km

1. Bassa de Sant Oleguer.

2. Can Roqueta Market Garden.

3. The Romau Market Garden.

4. Fontanet Mill.

5. Horta Vella.

6. Xic Mill.

7. Ca la Daniela Steam Mill.

8. Torrella Mill.

9. Font dels Degotalls.

10. Arraona Market Garden.

11. Parc de la Clota.

12. Font dels Gitanos.

13. Sèquia Monar.

14. The Amat Mill.

15. The Mornau Mill.

16. D'en Font Mill.

17. Parc de Jonqueres.

18. Sant Vicenç de Jonqueres.

19. Primer de Maig Square.

Start the walk.

A new municipal market

garden has been designed based on the original market

garden. The gardens are irrigated with water pumped from

a nearby pool using solar energy.

Old market garden situated

on the river terrace where the Romau farm used to be

situated (now it is the Torre-Romeu district) and beside the

Sant Nicolau stream basin.

This was the first mill in Sabadell which was

used in pre-industrial times in the production of textiles,

for fulling or cleansing the cloth around the year 1400. It

had previously been a flour mill. Surrounding the mill today

there are a number buildings which have been rented out

to different local companies. The mill building itself is in a

state of neglect.

This was the main market garden for Sabadell

and was formerly known as Horta Major. It provided vege-

tables including potatoes for the Sabadell market and was

watered by the Monar irrigation canal which ran across it.

Today it is divided into plots and fenced off into private

allotments and is cultivated by families for their personal use.

In Mediaeval times this was a flour mill, and then

it was used as fulling mill and finally in more modern times

it became a paper mill. The last industry to be housed

there was the dyeing and finishing of textiles. It's also

popularly known as ca l'Espantananos and cal Julià.

Group of factories with buildings

dating from two different periods: the Old Dry Steam Mill (XIX

century) and the rationalist constructions from the second half

of the XX century. In the 90's the buildings were badly dama-

ged by fire but they have been fully rebuilt in the same style.

This is one of the most representative of the

Ripoll mills in Sabadell and is located on the exact spot

where there used to be a flour mill dating from the year

999. In the interior of the present day building (constructed

in the XIX century), the original gallery of the flour mill has

been preserved. It is paved with worn down millstones and

the water raising system with the marks of the old wheels

and modern steam engines can still be seen.

This spring is situated opposite the

Castelló factory, on the opposite bank of the river.

This garden area occupies a ri-

ver terrace created by a former meander in the river and

is watered by an irrigation channel.

The Park covers the area stretching

from beneath the north wall of what used to be the Can

Puiggener farm as far as the banks of the river.

This rest area was recovered from

the land surrounding the Gitanos Spring in front of a

stretch of water which has undergone an environmental

and scenic facelift.

The Monar irrigation canal winds its way

across the municipal area of Sabadell for about 11

kilometres and is situated beside the Ripoll River, exposed

in some sections and covered in others. The canal was

used to irrigate market gardens and also to power the

mills and steam mills situated on the banks of the river.

Nowadays a great deal of the canal has fallen into disuse

and disrepair due partly to the floods in 1962. At this

stage of the walk it is uncovered.

According to official documents from

1501, this mill was called the Carbó Farm Mill and was a

flour mill. In 1679 it appeared in official records as the

Amat Mill and, at that time, operated as a textile mill.

Nearby the chimney of the old steam mill is still standing.

Also known as the Ca l'Estruc Mill or the

Windows Mill. The building was constructed in 1783 for

the manufacture of paper although in later times it was

used for other industrial purposes. It became very famous

for the cigarette paper it produced. It was the most

important paper mill in Catalonia in the XVIII century

This is the oldest documented mill in the

whole of the Ripoll area (dating from 973). It was

originally a flour mill but, according to documents, from

1735 onwards it was used as a fulling mill. The old mill is

now in ruins.

Rest area with barbecue facilities.

This Church was mentioned

officially for the first time in the year 973. It was the

Parish Church for the districts of Creu Alta, Hostafrancs,

Can Feu, Can Rull, Concòrdia, Torreguitart, Can Puiggener

and the Torrent del Capellà. It is now used as the office

for the Mountain Information Service.

Here, we find an enormous sun

dial, 14.45 metres in diameter which covers the square.

In the centre of the mosaic there is a metal analemmatic

dial with calendar points. This is the end of the walk.

63

64

Route: Can Deu, Ribatallada, Ca n'Argelaguet, Sant Julià

Ecological-scenic walk. Rest area at Sant Julià.

Start: Masia de Can Deu

Finish: Sant Julià - Can Deu

Approx. length: 3 hours on foot

Information: Ripoll and Surroundings Section • Tel. 93 748 08 45

Recommendations: The indicated is suitable for walking

Buses: Nº 1 Can Deu - Estació Sud • Nº 2 Can Deu - Creu BarberàNº 3 Can Deu La Romànica

Distance: 8.5 km

1. Can Deu Farmhouse.

2. Sant Vicenç de Verders and the Can Deu

Woods.

3. Sant Julià d'Altura Church.

4. Font del Capellans.

5. The old Ribatallada reservoir.

6. Torrent de Gotelles.

7. Ca n'Argelaguet Spring and Farmhouse.

8. CASSA Cisterns.

We start off our

walk along the wide tarmac road leading

to Can Deu. Just before we get to the

farmhouse, we go up some steps on our

left and enter the woods.

Sant Vicenç is a Romanesque hermitage

which was originally located in the district of Osona.

When this area and the hermitage were submerged

under the waters of the Sau reservoir in the sixties, the

hermitage was taken to pieces and rebuilt on its present

location. Walking on past the hermitage, you get to a viewpoint over

the River Ripoll where you can enjoy a wonderful view of Castellar del

Vallès, the Bruguera Plain and the Ripoll River Valley. We are now right

inside the Can Deu Wood. Consisting mainly of white pines, it's a relatively

recent wood (planted at the end of the XIX century, following the destruction

of the vines afflicted by phylloxera which used to cover all the area which is now

the wood).

This was the heart of the old Sant Julià d'Altura

parish which was joined to Sabadell in 1904. In the recreation area there are

tables and benches and barbecues available for hire at weekends.

The Capellans Spring is situated on the left side of the

Capellans Stream, which joins the Ribatallada a few metres downriver. There is

usually running water from the spring all year though not in great abundance. This

place is lush with vegetation and a feeling of coolness persists all year round. A

large holm oak tree leans over the spring.A few metres further down we find the

Suro Spring and, surprisingly, a couple of cork oaks. From these oaks we can see

up above the half fallen down manor house, Ribatallada.

This example of hydraulic engineering, 4 metres

deep and with a capacity of 10.000 m , today lies abandoned and covered in

vegetation. It was built in 1895, as the still-standing stone plaque reminds us, to

benefit from the waters flowing down from the Ribatallada stream. At that time

it was very difficult to store water for the population of Sabadell. The reservoir

was used for many years as a water cistern for the city until the heavy flooding in

September burst open one wall. It was subsequently repaired, but one month

later more flooding broke the wall again and so it was decided to stop using the

reservoir. The water was directed straight to the underground passageways of

Ribatallada and then to the whole city.

This stream rises near Can Sales and it flows parallel to the

Matadepera-Sabadell road, finishing when it joins the larger Can Font stream

which went on to be called the Ribatallada stream. To get to the path leading to

this stream we have to turn right off the main track and continue along a path

which is signposted with wooden markers. The vegetation beside the stream is

what you would expect from an area of great humidity, - ferns, sedge, elm

saplings, hazelnut trees and horsetail all abound there. At one point along the

stream we find a triangular municipal milestone with the coat of arms of

Sabadell, Castellar del Vallès and Terrassa. Further up the stream there are two

springs, one of which is in fact a continuation of the other: the Gotelles Spring.

In the past, the spring was known as the

Market Garden Spring because the water that collected in the pool was used to

irrigate the farm vegetable plots. The water from this spring came from an

underground passage and originated from the Murtra stream which further down

becomes the Riereta, the river that crosses Sabadell, nowadays flowing

underground. The Ca n'Argelaguet farm which dates from the XVI century still

operates as a working farm.

Pro-

perty of the Water

Company (CASSA),

they are situated

beside the Can Deu

Woods car park and in

front of the Ca

n'Ustrell farmhouse.

3

65

Route: Torrent de Colobrers, Togores, La Salut

Ecological-Scenic Walk

Start: Plaça del Primer de Maig

Finish: La Salut - Cemetery

Approx. length: 3 hours on foot

Information: Ripoll and Surroundings Section • Tel. 93 748 08 45

Bus: Nº 7 La Roureda - Can Deu • Nº 80 P. del Pintor - pl. de Picasso (no service at week-ends and on holidays)

Bus: Nº 4 Castellarnau - Poblenou

Distance: 8.5 km

1. Plaça del Primer de Maig.

2. Sant Vicenç de Jonqueres.

3. Horta del Prat Vell.

4. Can Pagès.

5. Colobrers.

6. Font de Can Moragues.

7. Can Moragues.

8. Togores.

9. Serra de Sant Iscle.

10. La Salut.

Start the walk at the Primer

de Maig Square, walk along Mas Canals Street till the end

where the Jonqueres path starts.

To get down to the River Ri-

poll, take the steps which are on the right of the espla-

nade. Cross the river at the Jonqueres ford and on the

other bank of the river continue upsteam.

The route goes past this area of allot-

ment gardens located on the banks of the winding Ripoll

River.

A former country house inn converted into a

restaurant. Take the path on the right of the restaurant,

which leads you to the torrent de Colobrers.

The route takes you through the natural

unspoilt beauty of the Colobrers river valley. The Tosca

Spring bubbles up like a natural fountain to the right of

the gushing stream, a few yards away from the path.

Further up you can see the pumice stone (tosca) rock

formation, of incredible beauty and surrounded by tall

sedge or reeds known as “els Degotalls” (the dripping

reeds). The path continues on to a bend in the stream

where the water used to flow before “la Foradada” was

built. This great hole in the rock was made to divert the

flow of the stream and create a market garden area taking

advantage of the meander in the river. This part of the

walk is extremely unstable so we strongly recommend you

not to stand beneath the hole as there is a permanent

danger of falling rocks and boulders. The path finally leaves

the stream and we arrive at a wide track called Can

Moragues, where we continue walking to the right.

This spring has an old washing

area dating from mediaeval times. You can find it by taking

a path to the left about 100 metres off the main track.

Today the open area in front of Can

Moragues is used as a landing field for ultra light

aeroplanes. Further on we find a path on our left with a

signpost indicating the path to Togores, Can Vilar and the

old path to Castellar, which is the way we have to go.

Approaching Togores there is an impressive pine tree with

three branches.

Here you

find the Togores her-

mitage and the old

Can Pagès farm. Conti-

nue along the main track

just before the hermitage.

From this

point in our walk we have a

wonderful panoramic view of the

city of Sabadell and another of the Canonge Tower, dating

from the XV century and now in ruins. This is a cattle track

and is known as the Serra Highroad or the Ripollet to

Castellar road.

This is a place of religious worship and tradition

associated with the celebration of the Aplec de la Salut in

the month of May and has great historical and scenic

interest. Altogether there is a church, a farmhouse, the

remains of the Sant Iscle and Santa Victòria hermitages and

the archaeological remains of a Roman villa which can be

visited.

Recommendations: The route indicated is suitable for walking. The part suitable for cycling starts at the Can Moragues fountain(La Font de Can Moragues) and goes as far as the chapel, la Salut

Director and Coordinator:

Editorial Staff:

Translation:

Corrections:

Photos:

Design and Lay-out:

Printing:

Registered copyright:

Second edition:

Department of Tourism and Commerce - Sabadell City Council

Sabadell City Council, Sabadell Archives (AHS),

Miquel Crusafont Paleontological Institute, Sabadell Art Museum (MAS),

Sabadell History Museum, Caixa Sabadell Social Activities, Vallès Central Park

Lilias Adam

Linguistic Advisory Service - Sabadell City Council

Sabadell City Council, AHS, Miquel Crusafont Paleontological Institute,

MAS, MHS, Caixa Sabadell Social Activities, Vallès Central Park, Lluís Fernàndez (UES and Amics del Ripoll),

Joan Carles Lorenzo, Juanma Peláez, Moisès Serra and Francesc Ventura

Primera Impressió, SL. Tel. 93 715 58 00

Gràfiques Cuscó, SA. Tel. 93 313 86 54

B-49093-2008

December 2008