Getaway to Vallès Occidental: A walk through history

You'll spend the first afternoon of your trip in Santa Perpètua de Mogoda, beginning in the agricultural colony in the south-east of the town centre which emerged on the grounds of a 12th-century fortified farmhouse. The neighbourhood is made up of about 50 houses spread over two streets, one old and one new. There are occasional tours of the fortified farmhouse, which is spread over three floors with a central patio, a pond, and a 16th-century chapel.

Afterwards, head to the older neighbourhood of Santiga, which has kept the same 19th-century appearance that it had at the time it became part of Santa Perpètua. In its centre you’ll find a 12th-century Roman church, a castle, a fortified 10th-century farmhouse – declared a National Heritage Site – and a washing site. Though serious industrialisation didn’t arrive in Santa Perpètua de Mogoda until the 1960s, some factories, like the Vapor Arañó, built in 1857, marked the beginning of an urbanisation project which saw the development of the plain that lies between the church, La Rambla and the Avinguda de Santiga. The building, a notable example of industrial architecture in the region, is now property of the municipality and one of its warehouses is used as a civic centre. Look out for some of the 17 workers' houses that still stand near the factory, among which is Ca n'Oller, a classic Catalan farmhouse that's been in the hands of the same agricultural family for 700 years.

There are so many things to see in Cerdanyola del Vallés, a town with a fascinating legacy covering different eras, that we recommend you dedicate a whole day to it. You could, for example, start the day by visiting the Poblat Íber de Ca n’Oliver, an archeological site of a settlement once inhabited by a Laietani tribe between the 6th and 1st centuries A.D. The site, which occupies more than 6,000m2, is located on a hill in the Collserola mountain range, and houses a museum and three replica buildings – two houses and a workshop – where you can learn about the daily life of the Iberians.

After this you could hop into an imaginary time machine and travel to the time when Cerdanyola became an important summer holiday destination, at the beginning of the 20th century, and visit the modernista building Can Domènech. Built by Gaietà Buïgas, the building was once home to the Teatre Casino, and was later privately owned. Since 2009 it's been the headquarters of the Museu d'Art de Cerdanyola, displaying works by a wealth of artists linked to the city, including the stained glass piece 'Les Dames de Cerdanyola', (The Ladies of Cerdonyola), which is considered a masterpiece of the modernisme art movement.

Perhaps you’ll then whizz back, in your machine, to the medieval period of Cerdanyola, and take a look at the castle of Sant Marçal, another national heritage site. Though the castle was refurbished in 1895 by Gaietà Buïgas, it retains its historic 12th century appearance. In the outskirts of the Vall de les Feixes (in the Collserola mountain range), you’ll find the 12th century Roman parish church of Sant Iscle and Santa Victòria de les Feixes, as well as the 14th century baroque hermitage of Santa Maria de las Feixes. These are just a few of the ‘must sees’ of Cerdanyola.

For your last day in el Vallès, start in a museum where you can easily spend all morning. The Museu Etnogràfic Vallhonrat de Rubí has an extensive collection and brings together pieces from various periods of domestic Catalan life.

For example, you'll find a room dedicated to the inventions of the 19th and 20th centuries, with special attention to the evolution of electrical appliances, but also to siphons, comics, postcards and 'cromos de xocolatina' (collectors cards contained in chocolate packaging). The Bodega room is dedicated to – you guessed it – objects related to the long tradition of wine production in the area, and the Mobiliari room is centred mainly around the furniture that filled the living rooms of the wealthiest houses in the villages.

The final destination of the day is Montcada i Reixac. One of the most unusual and spectacular places is the Laguna Park, which is of great environmental importance and a natural beauty spot. Ideal for stretching the legs, a walk around the area will take you from an observatory to viewing points, provided to help you better admire the natural lake and surrounding area.

Continuing the theme of nature and natural parks, Can Cuiàs is a gateway to Collserola and offers panoramic views of Montcada i Reixac hill and of the church of Sant Pere Reixac. And there's yet another park: Parc de les Aigües, where you’ll find the Casa de les Aigües, an old pump and extraction centre built around the underwater spring of the Besòs river, another fine example of Catalan industrial modernista architecture. Walking around the urban centre it won’t be long before you find one of the most emblematic buildings of the municipality, begun in 1918 by the architect Josep Graner and today home to a sociocultural space where workshops, courses and exhibitions are held. If there's an exhibition on that strikes your fancy, going to see it could be a good way to finish this fantastic trip.