Vallès Occidental
Encyclopedia
Vallès Occidental is a comarca (county)
in Catalonia
, Spain
. It is unique among the comarques in that the two cities Sabadell
and Terrassa
(which are of roughly equal size) share the role of comarcal capital. Along with Vallès Oriental
it forms the grand comarca of Vallès
.
(to the north), Vallès Oriental
(to the north and east), Baix Llobregat
(to the west), and Barcelonès
(to the south). It centers on the Catalan prelittoral depression, limited to the west by the River Llobregat
and to the east by the River Caldes
. The northern part of the comarca is mountainous. From west to east, it contains part of the Obac range (924m altitude at Castellsapera); the massif
s of Sant Llorenç de Munt (1095m at La Mola and 1053m at Montcau
) and Puig de la Creu (664m); and the Sant Sadurní (954m) and Farell cliffs (789m). At the south of the comarca is the Collserola range (512m), which forms part of the Catalan Littoral
. Between these various ranges is the valley that gives its name to the comarca.
The valley actually composes two separate watershed
s, the basins of the Llobregat and Besòs.
The Llobregat watershed lies to the west of the axis that runs from Obac to Tibidabo
(culminating point of the Collserola range), passing through Matadepera
, Sant Quirze del Vallès
, Bellaterra
, and Sant Cugat del Vallès
. Tributaries of the Llobregat include the Canyamssos, the Rubí
and the Vallvidrera
. East of that axis, the watershed of the Besòs includes the rivers Ripoll
and Caldes, (the latter forming the eastern border of the comarca).
"senders de gran recorregut".
and Terrassa
), Rubí
and Cerdanyola del Vallès
. The most important industries are textile
s, mecànica , metallurgy
, machinery, material elèctric , construction, chemicals, paper
, and the processing of food products. An industrial crisis at the end of the 1970s and the beginning of the 1980s led to a greater importance for the commercial and service sectors, especially computer
-related work.
The north remains primarily rural. Many of the residences there now function as second homes.
's Barcelona-Lleida line passes through Manresa.
The Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya
have the "Metro del Vallès", connecting Barcelona to Sabadell and Terrassa.
airport in neighboring Baix Llobregat
. The Sabadell Airport
is used for sport flying, as a base for firemen, and for air freight.
Comarques of Catalonia
This is a list of the comarques of Catalonia . A comarca is roughly equivalent to a US "county" or a UK "district". However, in the context of Catalonia, the term "county" can be a bit misleading, because in medieval Catalonia, the most important rulers were counts, notably the Counts of Barcelona...
in Catalonia
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. It is unique among the comarques in that the two cities Sabadell
Sabadell
Sabadell is the second largest city in the comarca of the Vallès Occidental in Catalonia, Spain. It is in the south of the comarca, on the River Ripoll, 20 km north-west of Barcelona...
and Terrassa
Terrassa
Terrassa is a city in the east central region of Catalonia, Spain, in the comarca of Vallès Occidental, of which it is the co-capital along with Sabadell, the historic capital....
(which are of roughly equal size) share the role of comarcal capital. Along with Vallès Oriental
Vallès Oriental
Vallès Oriental is a comarca in Catalonia, Spain. Its capital is Granollers. Along with Vallès Occidental it forms the grand comarca of Vallès.- Municipalities :*Aiguafreda - pop. 2,308*L'Ametlla del Vallès - pop. 7,319...
it forms the grand comarca of Vallès
Vallès
El Vallès is a historical county in Catalonia, Spain, located in the center of the Catalan Pre-coastal range. It is nowadays represented by two separate administrative divisions which are part of the Barcelona Province, named comarques...
.
Physical geography
Vallès Occidental borders the comarques of BagesBages
Bages is a comarca in the center of Catalonia, Spain. It includes two subcomarques, el Moianès and el Lluçanès.Industries include the mining of potash at Súria and Sallent, and the manufacture of textiles along the rivers Llobregat and Cardener...
(to the north), Vallès Oriental
Vallès Oriental
Vallès Oriental is a comarca in Catalonia, Spain. Its capital is Granollers. Along with Vallès Occidental it forms the grand comarca of Vallès.- Municipalities :*Aiguafreda - pop. 2,308*L'Ametlla del Vallès - pop. 7,319...
(to the north and east), Baix Llobregat
Baix Llobregat
Baix Llobregat is a comarca on the coast of Catalonia, Spain. Its capital is Sant Feliu de Llobregat.-Municipalities:Populations are from 2002.* Abrera - pop. 9,166* Begues - pop. 5,023* Castelldefels - pop. 52,405...
(to the west), and Barcelonès
Barcelonès
Barcelonès is the most economically important comarca of Catalonia, Spain. Its capital is Barcelona, which is also the capital of Catalonia.- Municipalities :Population figures are for 2009 .-External links:* *...
(to the south). It centers on the Catalan prelittoral depression, limited to the west by the River Llobregat
Llobregat
The Llobregat is the second longest river in Catalonia, Spain. It originates in Castellar de n'Hug at an altitude of 1,259 meters in the Serra del Cadí, and ends in the Mediterranean Sea, in the municipality of El Prat de Llobregat, near Barcelona...
and to the east by the River Caldes
Caldes
Caldes is a comune in Trentino in the northern Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, located about 35 km northwest of Trento...
. The northern part of the comarca is mountainous. From west to east, it contains part of the Obac range (924m altitude at Castellsapera); the massif
Massif
In geology, a massif is a section of a planet's crust that is demarcated by faults or flexures. In the movement of the crust, a massif tends to retain its internal structure while being displaced as a whole...
s of Sant Llorenç de Munt (1095m at La Mola and 1053m at Montcau
Montcau
Montcau is a mountain of Catalonia, Spain. It has an altitude of 1056 metres above sea level. This mountain is part of the Sant Llorenç del Munt massif. It is accessible from Terrassa or Navarcles....
) and Puig de la Creu (664m); and the Sant Sadurní (954m) and Farell cliffs (789m). At the south of the comarca is the Collserola range (512m), which forms part of the Catalan Littoral
Littoral
The littoral zone is that part of a sea, lake or river that is close to the shore. In coastal environments the littoral zone extends from the high water mark, which is rarely inundated, to shoreline areas that are permanently submerged. It always includes this intertidal zone and is often used to...
. Between these various ranges is the valley that gives its name to the comarca.
The valley actually composes two separate watershed
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
s, the basins of the Llobregat and Besòs.
The Llobregat watershed lies to the west of the axis that runs from Obac to Tibidabo
Tibidabo
Tibidabo is a mountain overlooking Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. At 512 meters it is the tallest mountain in the Serra de Collserola. Rising sharply to the north-west, it affords spectacular views over the city and the surrounding coastline....
(culminating point of the Collserola range), passing through Matadepera
Matadepera
Matadepera is a municipality in the comarca of the Vallès Occidental in Catalonia.-Twin towns: Mariapfarr, Austria, since 1984 Lincoln, USA, since 1989-References:...
, Sant Quirze del Vallès
Sant Quirze del Vallès
Sant Quirze del Vallès is a town in the comarca of the Vallès Occidental, province of Barcelona, Spain....
, Bellaterra
Bellaterra
Bellaterra is a wealthy quarter of Cerdanyola del Vallès, in the metropolitan area of Barcelona . It's famous for being the location of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona...
, and Sant Cugat del Vallès
Sant Cugat del Vallès
Sant Cugat del Vallès is a town and municipality north of Barcelona in Catalonia, Spain. In antiquity known as Castrum Octavianum, it is named after Saint Cucuphas, who is said to have been martyred on the spot now occupied by its medieval monastery.Sant Cugat has seen its population increase in...
. Tributaries of the Llobregat include the Canyamssos, the Rubí
Rubí
Rubí is a Mexican telenovela that aired on Televisa in 2004. The plot is based on a short story by Yolanda Vargas Dulché, published as a serial on the 1960's Mexican comic book Lágrimas, Risas y Amor...
and the Vallvidrera
Vallvidrera
Vallvidrera is a neighborhood of Vallvidrera, Tibidabo i les Planes of the Sarrià-Sant Gervasi district of Barcelona, Catalonia, in one of the sides of the Collserola hills . There are excellent views over the city and the Mediterranean from Vallvidrera, on a clear day it's possible to see the...
. East of that axis, the watershed of the Besòs includes the rivers Ripoll
Ripoll
Ripoll is the capital of the comarca of Ripollès, in the province of Girona, Catalonia, Spain. It is located on confluence of the Ter River and its tributary Freser, next to the Pyrenees near the French border...
and Caldes, (the latter forming the eastern border of the comarca).
Major natural parks
- Parc Natural de Sant Llorenç de Munt i Serra de l'Obac
- Parc de Collserola
Hiking trails
Vallès Occidental has several notable official hiking trails, known as"senders de gran recorregut".
- GR-6: BarcelonaBarcelonaBarcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
- MontserratMontserrat (mountain)Montserrat is a multi-peaked mountain located near the city of Barcelona, in Catalonia, Spain. It is part of the Catalan Pre-Coastal Range. The main peaks are Sant Jeroni , Montgrós and Miranda de les Agulles...
(Classic route to MontserratMontserrat (mountain)Montserrat is a multi-peaked mountain located near the city of Barcelona, in Catalonia, Spain. It is part of the Catalan Pre-Coastal Range. The main peaks are Sant Jeroni , Montgrós and Miranda de les Agulles...
). - GR-96: Barcelona - Montserrat (Roman road to Montserrat).
- GR-97: AbreraAbreraAbrera is a municipality in the comarca of the Baix Llobregatin Catalonia, Spain. It is situated in the valley of the Llobregat river, to the south-east ofMontserrat, on the main A2 road between Barcelona and Lleida...
- Sant CeloniSant CeloniSant Celoni is a municipality in the comarca of the Vallès Oriental inCatalonia, Spain. It is situated in the valley of the Tordera river between the ranges of Montseny and Montnegre. The main part of the town is on the left bank of the river...
(From the Llobregat to the TorderaTorderaTordera is a town in the comarca of Maresme, province of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, situated 64 km from Barcelona and 36 km from Girona on the edge of the Montnegre natural park...
). - GR-173: Circumnavigation of Vallès Occidental.
Human and economic geography
Industry is concentrated in the south, coinciding with the flattest land in the comarca. The principal industrial cities are the co-capitals (SabadellSabadell
Sabadell is the second largest city in the comarca of the Vallès Occidental in Catalonia, Spain. It is in the south of the comarca, on the River Ripoll, 20 km north-west of Barcelona...
and Terrassa
Terrassa
Terrassa is a city in the east central region of Catalonia, Spain, in the comarca of Vallès Occidental, of which it is the co-capital along with Sabadell, the historic capital....
), Rubí
Rubí
Rubí is a Mexican telenovela that aired on Televisa in 2004. The plot is based on a short story by Yolanda Vargas Dulché, published as a serial on the 1960's Mexican comic book Lágrimas, Risas y Amor...
and Cerdanyola del Vallès
Cerdanyola del Vallès
Cerdanyola del Vallès is a municipality in the comarca of the Vallès Occidental in Catalonia . It is situated in the on the north side of the Collserola ridge. The town is served by the A-7 and C-58 autopistes, the N-150 road and the RENFE railway commuter lines R4, R7 and railway regional line Ca4...
. The most important industries are textile
Textile
A textile or cloth is a flexible woven material consisting of a network of natural or artificial fibres often referred to as thread or yarn. Yarn is produced by spinning raw fibres of wool, flax, cotton, or other material to produce long strands...
s, mecànica , metallurgy
Metallurgy
Metallurgy is a domain of materials science that studies the physical and chemical behavior of metallic elements, their intermetallic compounds, and their mixtures, which are called alloys. It is also the technology of metals: the way in which science is applied to their practical use...
, machinery, material elèctric , construction, chemicals, paper
Paper
Paper is a thin material mainly used for writing upon, printing upon, drawing or for packaging. It is produced by pressing together moist fibers, typically cellulose pulp derived from wood, rags or grasses, and drying them into flexible sheets....
, and the processing of food products. An industrial crisis at the end of the 1970s and the beginning of the 1980s led to a greater importance for the commercial and service sectors, especially computer
Computer
A computer is a programmable machine designed to sequentially and automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The particular sequence of operations can be changed readily, allowing the computer to solve more than one kind of problem...
-related work.
The north remains primarily rural. Many of the residences there now function as second homes.
Municipalities
Populations are from 2000.- Barberà del VallèsBarberà del VallèsBarberà del Vallès, also known as Santa Maria de Barberà, is a municipality in the comarca of the Vallès Occidental inCatalonia, Spain. It is situated in the valley of the Ripoll river to the south of Sabadell, about 17 kilometers from Barcelona....
-- pop. 26,681 - Castellar del VallèsCastellar del VallèsCastellar del Vallès is a municipality of the comarca of Vallès Occidental located 7 km from Sabadell and 11 km from Terrassa, the two comarca's capitals...
-- pop. 17,444 - CastellbisbalCastellbisbalCastellbisbal is a municipality in the comarca of Vallès Occidental in Catalonia. It is situated on the left bank of the Llobregat river at its confluence with the Rubíriver...
-- pop. 10,004 - Cerdanyola del VallèsCerdanyola del VallèsCerdanyola del Vallès is a municipality in the comarca of the Vallès Occidental in Catalonia . It is situated in the on the north side of the Collserola ridge. The town is served by the A-7 and C-58 autopistes, the N-150 road and the RENFE railway commuter lines R4, R7 and railway regional line Ca4...
-- pop. 52,778 - GallifaGallifaGallifa is a municipality in the comarca of the Vallès Occidental in Catalonia, north-western Spain.-Claim to fame:The tiles for Joan Miro's ceramic mural Gallifa is a municipality in the comarca of the Vallès Occidental in Catalonia, north-western Spain.-Claim to fame:The tiles for Joan Miro's...
-- pop. 156 - MatadeperaMatadeperaMatadepera is a municipality in the comarca of the Vallès Occidental in Catalonia.-Twin towns: Mariapfarr, Austria, since 1984 Lincoln, USA, since 1989-References:...
-- pop. 6,924 - Montcada i ReixacMontcada i ReixacMontcada i Reixac , often referred to as simply Montcada, is a municipality in the comarca of the Vallès Occidental inCatalonia, Spain. It is situated at the confluence of the Ripoll river and the Besós river, and very close to the northernmost neighbourhoods of the city of Barcelona and is...
-- pop. 27,952 - Palau-solità i PlegamansPalau-solità i PlegamansPalau-solità i Plegamans is a municipality in the comarca of Vallès Occidental, province of Barcelona, in the autonomous community of Catalonia, Spain. It lies approximately 15 km from Sabadell and Granollers and 25 kilometres north of the city of Barcelona...
-- pop. 11,089 - PolinyàPolinyàPolinyà is a village in the province of Barcelona and autonomous community of Catalonia, Spain.-References:...
-- pop. 4,657 - RellinarsRellinarsRellinars is a village in the province of Barcelona and autonomous community of Catalonia, Spain....
-- pop. 378 - RipolletRipolletRipollet is a municipality in the comarca of the Vallès Occidental inCatalonia, Spain. It is situated on the left bank of the Ripoll river. The town is served by the AP-7, C-58 andC-33 highways, the N-150 road and a RENFE railway line.- Demography :...
-- pop. 29,877 - RubíRubí, BarcelonaRubí is a municipality in Catalonia , in the comarca of Vallès Occidental and the province of Barcelona, 15 kilometers from Barcelona. It is bordered on the north by Terrassa and Ullastrell, on the south by Sant Cugat del Vallès, on the west by Castellbisbal and on the east by Sant Quirze del...
-- pop. 72,002 - SabadellSabadellSabadell is the second largest city in the comarca of the Vallès Occidental in Catalonia, Spain. It is in the south of the comarca, on the River Ripoll, 20 km north-west of Barcelona...
-- pop. 201,897 - Sant Cugat del VallèsSant Cugat del VallèsSant Cugat del Vallès is a town and municipality north of Barcelona in Catalonia, Spain. In antiquity known as Castrum Octavianum, it is named after Saint Cucuphas, who is said to have been martyred on the spot now occupied by its medieval monastery.Sant Cugat has seen its population increase in...
-- pop. 70,034 - Sant Llorenç SavallSant Llorenç SavallSant Llorenç Savall is a municipality of the shire of Vallès Occidental....
-- pop. 1,983 - Sant Quirze del VallèsSant Quirze del VallèsSant Quirze del Vallès is a town in the comarca of the Vallès Occidental, province of Barcelona, Spain....
-- pop.15,467 - Santa Perpètua de MogodaSanta Perpètua de MogodaSanta Perpètua de Mogoda is a municipality in the comarca of Vallès Occidental inCatalonia.-References:* Panareda Clopés, Josep Maria; Rios Calvet, Jaume; Rabella Vives, Josep Maria . Guia de Catalunya, Barcelona:Caixa de Catalunya. ISBN 84-87135-02-1 .-External links :*...
-- pop. 19,084 - SentmenatSentmenatSentmenat is a municipality in the comarca of the Vallès Occidental in Catalonia.-References:*Panareda Clopés, Josep Maria; Rios Calvet, Jaume; Rabella Vives, Josep Maria . Guia de Catalunya, Barcelona:Caixa de Catalunya. ISBN 84-87135-01-3 . ISBN 84-87135-02-1 .-External links:*...
-- pop. 7,987 - TerrassaTerrassaTerrassa is a city in the east central region of Catalonia, Spain, in the comarca of Vallès Occidental, of which it is the co-capital along with Sabadell, the historic capital....
-- pop. 210,941 - UllastrellUllastrellUllastrell is a village in the province of Barcelona and autonomous community of Catalonia, Spain.-References:...
-- pop. 1,114 - VacarissesVacarissesVacarisses is a village in the province of Barcelona and autonomous community of Catalonia, Spain....
-- pop. 2,687 - ViladecavallsViladecavallsViladecavalls is a municipality in the comarca of the Vallès Occidental in Catalonia, north-western Spain.-References:*Panareda Clopés, Josep Maria; Rios Calvet, Jaume; Rabella Vives, Josep Maria . Guia de Catalunya, Barcelona:Caixa de Catalunya. ISBN 84-87135-01-3 . ISBN 84-87135-02-1 .-External...
-- pop. 5,755
Transportation
Much of Catalonia's transportation network passes through Vallès Occidental, with roads, railroads, etc. crossing the valley in various directions.Autopistes
Autopistes are roughly equivalent to freeways or motorways.- Autopista AP-7Autopista AP-7The Autopista AP-7 is a Spanish autopista . It is a toll motorway that runs along the Mediterranean coast of Spain.AP-7 has two different sections :...
crosses Vallès in an east-west direction. Heading west, it connects Vallès with TarragonaTarragonaTarragona is a city located in the south of Catalonia on the north-east of Spain, by the Mediterranean. It is the capital of the Spanish province of the same name and the capital of the Catalan comarca Tarragonès. In the medieval and modern times it was the capital of the Vegueria of Tarragona...
, ValènciaValencia-In Spain:* Valencia , Spain, capital of the Valencia Autonomous Community* Valencian Community, an autonomous community of Spain**Valencian people, an ethnic group or nationality whose homeland is the Valencian Community...
and the southern part of the Iberian PeninsulaIberian PeninsulaThe Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar...
, similarly to the autopista A-2/AP-2 (which connects BarcelonaBarcelonaBarcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, LleidaLleidaLleida is a city in the west of Catalonia, Spain. It is the capital city of the province of Lleida, as well as the largest city in the province and it had 137,387 inhabitants , including the contiguous municipalities of Raimat and Sucs. The metro area has about 250,000 inhabitants...
, and ZaragozaZaragozaZaragoza , also called Saragossa in English, is the capital city of the Zaragoza Province and of the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain...
). Heading east, it connects Vallès with the province of GironaGirona (province)Girona is a province of north-eastern Spain, in the northern part of the autonomous community of Catalonia. It is bordered by the provinces of Barcelona and Lleida, and by France and the Mediterranean Sea....
and with FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. - Autopista C-58 crosses the comarca south to north, connecting Barcelona with ManresaManresaManresa is the capital of the Comarca of Bages, located in the geographic centre of Catalonia, Spain, and crossed by the river Cardener. It is an industrial area with textile, metallurgical, and glass industries. The houses of Manresa are arranged around the basilica of Santa María de la Seo....
by wy of Montcada i ReixacMontcada i ReixacMontcada i Reixac , often referred to as simply Montcada, is a municipality in the comarca of the Vallès Occidental inCatalonia, Spain. It is situated at the confluence of the Ripoll river and the Besós river, and very close to the northernmost neighbourhoods of the city of Barcelona and is...
, RipolletRipolletRipollet is a municipality in the comarca of the Vallès Occidental inCatalonia, Spain. It is situated on the left bank of the Ripoll river. The town is served by the AP-7, C-58 andC-33 highways, the N-150 road and a RENFE railway line.- Demography :...
, Cerdanyola del VallèsCerdanyola del VallèsCerdanyola del Vallès is a municipality in the comarca of the Vallès Occidental in Catalonia . It is situated in the on the north side of the Collserola ridge. The town is served by the A-7 and C-58 autopistes, the N-150 road and the RENFE railway commuter lines R4, R7 and railway regional line Ca4...
, SabadellSabadellSabadell is the second largest city in the comarca of the Vallès Occidental in Catalonia, Spain. It is in the south of the comarca, on the River Ripoll, 20 km north-west of Barcelona...
, and TerrassaTerrassaTerrassa is a city in the east central region of Catalonia, Spain, in the comarca of Vallès Occidental, of which it is the co-capital along with Sabadell, the historic capital....
. - Manresa, Terrassa, and Barcelona are also connected by autopista C-17 or the Vallvidrera Tunnels, by way of Sant Cugat del VallèsSant Cugat del VallèsSant Cugat del Vallès is a town and municipality north of Barcelona in Catalonia, Spain. In antiquity known as Castrum Octavianum, it is named after Saint Cucuphas, who is said to have been martyred on the spot now occupied by its medieval monastery.Sant Cugat has seen its population increase in...
and RubíRubíRubí is a Mexican telenovela that aired on Televisa in 2004. The plot is based on a short story by Yolanda Vargas Dulché, published as a serial on the 1960's Mexican comic book Lágrimas, Risas y Amor...
. - Autopista C-33 connects Montcada i ReixacMontcada i ReixacMontcada i Reixac , often referred to as simply Montcada, is a municipality in the comarca of the Vallès Occidental inCatalonia, Spain. It is situated at the confluence of the Ripoll river and the Besós river, and very close to the northernmost neighbourhoods of the city of Barcelona and is...
and Mollet del VallèsMollet del VallèsMollet del Vallès is a municipality in the comarca of the Vallès Oriental in Catalonia, Spain. It is situated in the valley of the Besòs river, and is an important communications hub from Barcelona towards the north: the AP-7 Motorway passes through the municipality, as do the RENFE railway lines...
, connecting the northern part of Barcelona with autopista AP-7 to the northeast.
Carreteres
Carreteres are roughly equivalent to highways.- Carretera N-150, the principal carretera of the comarca, crosses south to north, connecting Barcelona to TerrassaTerrassaTerrassa is a city in the east central region of Catalonia, Spain, in the comarca of Vallès Occidental, of which it is the co-capital along with Sabadell, the historic capital....
by way of Montcada i ReixacMontcada i ReixacMontcada i Reixac , often referred to as simply Montcada, is a municipality in the comarca of the Vallès Occidental inCatalonia, Spain. It is situated at the confluence of the Ripoll river and the Besós river, and very close to the northernmost neighbourhoods of the city of Barcelona and is...
, RipolletRipolletRipollet is a municipality in the comarca of the Vallès Occidental inCatalonia, Spain. It is situated on the left bank of the Ripoll river. The town is served by the AP-7, C-58 andC-33 highways, the N-150 road and a RENFE railway line.- Demography :...
, Cerdanyola del VallèsCerdanyola del VallèsCerdanyola del Vallès is a municipality in the comarca of the Vallès Occidental in Catalonia . It is situated in the on the north side of the Collserola ridge. The town is served by the A-7 and C-58 autopistes, the N-150 road and the RENFE railway commuter lines R4, R7 and railway regional line Ca4...
, Barberà del VallèsBarberà del VallèsBarberà del Vallès, also known as Santa Maria de Barberà, is a municipality in the comarca of the Vallès Occidental inCatalonia, Spain. It is situated in the valley of the Ripoll river to the south of Sabadell, about 17 kilometers from Barcelona....
, and SabadellSabadellSabadell is the second largest city in the comarca of the Vallès Occidental in Catalonia, Spain. It is in the south of the comarca, on the River Ripoll, 20 km north-west of Barcelona...
. Beyond Terrassa, various carreteres comarcals complete the comarca's network: - Carretera C-1413 starts at Molins de ReiMolins de ReiMolins de Rei is a municipality located at 18km from Barcelona's city centre, in the comarca of the Baix Llobregat in Catalonia, Spain.It is situated on the left bank of the Llobregat river, on the A-7 autopista from Valencia to La Jonquera and the main N-II road.Its location has made Molins de Rei...
, connects to the N-IIN-IIN-II was the former name for the Route Nacional from Madrid to Barcelona and France. According with the new Spanish roads nomenclature, the sections which have been already enhanced and upgraded to autovía have been recently renamed to A-2, whereas the sections still not upgraded keep the old name...
and N-340 and the autopista A-2, and passes through Rubí, Sabadell, and SentmenatSentmenatSentmenat is a municipality in the comarca of the Vallès Occidental in Catalonia.-References:*Panareda Clopés, Josep Maria; Rios Calvet, Jaume; Rabella Vives, Josep Maria . Guia de Catalunya, Barcelona:Caixa de Catalunya. ISBN 84-87135-01-3 . ISBN 84-87135-02-1 .-External links:*...
before connecting finally to the N-152 at the heights of CentellesCentellesCentelles is a municipality in the comarca of Osona inCatalonia, Spain. It is situated in the upper valley of the Congost River in the south of thecomarca. The municipality is served by the C-17 road...
. - Carretera C-1415 connects Vilafranca del PenedèsVilafranca del PenedèsVilafranca del Penedès, or simply Vilafranca, is the capital of the comarca of the Alt Penedès in Catalonia, Spain. The Spanish spelling of the name, Villafranca del Penedés, is no longer in official use...
(N-340), Sant Sadurní d'AnoiaSant Sadurní d'AnoiaSant Sadurní d'Anoia is a municipality in the comarca of the Alt Penedès in Spain, and the centre of production of a sparkling wine known as cava. It is situated in the north-east of the Penedès Depression at the confluence of the Avernó river and the Anoia river...
, and MartorellMartorellMartorell is a town near Barcelona, in Catalonia, Spain, primarily known for its medieval Devil's bridge.It has three railway stations - one on the RENFE line from Manresa to Sant Vicenç de Calders called "Martorell", and three on the FGC line from Barcelona to Manresa called "Martorell-Vila",...
(A-7, N-II) to GranollersGranollersGranollers is a city near Barcelona, in Catalonia, Spain. It is the capital and most densely populated city of the comarca of Vallès Oriental.Granollers is a bustling business centre, and many industries are located there...
and MataróMataróMataró is the capital and largest city of the comarca of the Maresme, in the province of Barcelona, Catalonia Autonomous Community, Spain. It is located on the Costa del Maresme, to the south of Costa Brava, between Cabrera de Mar and Sant Andreu de Llavaneres, to the north-east of Barcelona. , it...
(N-II, A-19) passing through Terrassa, MatadeperaMatadeperaMatadepera is a municipality in the comarca of the Vallès Occidental in Catalonia.-Twin towns: Mariapfarr, Austria, since 1984 Lincoln, USA, since 1989-References:...
, Castellar del VallèsCastellar del VallèsCastellar del Vallès is a municipality of the comarca of Vallès Occidental located 7 km from Sabadell and 11 km from Terrassa, the two comarca's capitals...
, and Sentmenat. - Carretera C-155 connects Sabadell to GranollersGranollersGranollers is a city near Barcelona, in Catalonia, Spain. It is the capital and most densely populated city of the comarca of Vallès Oriental.Granollers is a bustling business centre, and many industries are located there...
, passing through PolinyàPolinyàPolinyà is a village in the province of Barcelona and autonomous community of Catalonia, Spain.-References:...
and Palau de Plegamans.
Railroads
Both railroad companies that operate in Catalonia have lines in Vallès Occidental. RENFERENFE
Renfe Operadora is the state-owned company which operates freight and passenger trains on the 1668-mm "Iberian gauge" and 1435-mm "European gauge" networks of the Spanish national railway infrastructure company ADIF .- History :The name RENFE is derived from that of the former Spanish National...
's Barcelona-Lleida line passes through Manresa.
The Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya
Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya
Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya , or FGC, is a railway company which operates several unconnected lines in Catalonia, Spain....
have the "Metro del Vallès", connecting Barcelona to Sabadell and Terrassa.
Airports
Most air traffic for Vallès Occidental comes through the PratEl Prat de Llobregat
El Prat de Llobregat , commonly known as El Prat, is a municipality in the comarca of Baix Llobregat inCatalonia, Spain. It is situated in the delta of the Llobregat river on the right bank, bordering the coast of the Mediterranean Sea between Barcelona and Viladecans. More than a quarter of the...
airport in neighboring Baix Llobregat
Baix Llobregat
Baix Llobregat is a comarca on the coast of Catalonia, Spain. Its capital is Sant Feliu de Llobregat.-Municipalities:Populations are from 2002.* Abrera - pop. 9,166* Begues - pop. 5,023* Castelldefels - pop. 52,405...
. The Sabadell Airport
Sabadell Airport
Sabadell Airport is located next to the city of Sabadell, from Barcelona's city center. This, and the Cuatro Vientos Airport, are the most important airports for general aviation in Spain. There are more than 200 aircraft registered in this airport, doing around 150.000 operations per year...
is used for sport flying, as a base for firemen, and for air freight.