Discover Artés: Wine, Geology and History

Artés offers a range of ways to shape your stay: winemaking and local history, a network of signposted trails, and traces of Roman and early Christian times. If you are looking for a hotel in Artés, these themes can help you decide which experiences you want to define your stay. Highlights range from an event in October to geological walks and cultural venues.

Winemaking and the Festa de la Verema del Bages

The Festa de la Verema del Bages takes place on the first Sunday in October. The streets of Artés’s old town provide its open-air setting. The festival includes cultural and artistic events celebrating winemaking, as well as farming and craft traditions. Check the specific event dates and programme before travelling.

The history of winemaking in Artés can also be explored at specific locations. The Celler Cooperatiu d'Artés was founded in 1908 under the name Sindicat Agrícola d'Artés. Wine tourism activities include guided cellar tours, a historical exhibition about the cooperative, and wine and cava tastings. As visitor activities may change, check what is currently available before your trip.

Geology and trails around Artés

Artés has an extensive and varied network of signposted trails and paths where you can discover the municipality’s nature, geology and cultural heritage. These include routes exploring dry-stone construction, geological trails, official trails in Artés, and health walks through the town centre. The different themes offer a range of ways to choose trails based on what they explore.

The Itinerari geològic de les Guixeres circular trail starts at Plaça Francesc Blancher d’Artés. It leads to marine sediments from the late Eocene and to gypsum left behind when the former sea evaporated. The geological trail to the palaeochannels is also a signposted circular route. There, you can see rock formations created millions of years ago by deposits in river or stream beds. The two trails therefore focus on different geological features: sediments and gypsum on one, and ancient watercourses on the other.

The Matacans geological trail in the Geoparc de la Catalunya Central passes, among other sites, dry-stone huts, an archaeological site and geological remains. A Roman villa is thought to have stood at the Matacans site. The route brings together geological and archaeological themes, but does not indicate a specific visit duration or difficulty level.

Historical traces and culture

In Artés’s old quarter, the last surviving arch of the town wall is one of the historic sights. A surviving section of the town wall lies north of Plaça Vella in Parc de les Muralles, near the buildings of the old castle. The former parish church of Santa Maria d’Artés retains a Romanesque apse, a 17th-century bell tower and part of the wall of a nave. Three Roman inscriptions from the 2nd and 3rd centuries were also found in Plaça Vella.

The Roman villa Els Calls is dated to between the 1st and 3rd centuries AD and is being studied as cultural heritage. A Roman villa is only thought to have stood at Matacans. A necropolis and an early Christian church in Artés are dated to the 6th or 7th century. These differing dates and degrees of certainty give the town’s history several distinct layers.

The Museu de la Història d’Artés – Fons Pare Faura explores the history of Artés from its beginnings to the present day, including economic and social life and notable residents of the municipality. Check current access arrangements before visiting. The Espai Tines, in the basement of one of the two buildings of the Casa Museu in Artés, preserves nine large wine vats and two 18th-century wells discovered during restoration work.

The Complex Cultural de Cal Sitges includes, among other venues, the Auditori and Sala Dos de Gener. Most of Artés’s music, theatre and interdisciplinary cultural programme takes place there; individual programmes may change. Artés Cultura also organises and coordinates local festivals and cultural events rooted in the municipality.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Campins, Castell De L'areny, Castellbell I El Vilar, Moia, Mollet Del Vallès, L'Estany, Sant Juliá De Vilatorta, Sant Iscle De Vallalta.

For the main travel overview: Barcelona.