Mollet Del Vallès: Gallecs, Parks and Culture

Mollet Del Vallès can be explored through its varied landscapes and buildings: the rural area of Gallecs offers a contrast to the city parks, while museums, churches and historic buildings tell the story of the town. These contrasts provide practical points of reference when choosing a destination—from nature and walking trails to art and architecture.

The Gallecs natural landscape and its trails

Gallecs covers 733.52 hectares, 448 hectares of which lie within the municipality of Mollet Del Vallès. In October 2009, the rural area was included in the Pla d'Espais d'Interès Natural (PEIN), Catalonia’s network of protected natural areas. Its size and protected status give Gallecs a different character from the urban parks.

From Mollet, you can reach Gallecs on foot via two pedestrian bridges over the motorway or by car via exits 15 and 16 of the AP-7. Check local access information before setting out. There is also a direct link to Parc dels Pinetons: a footbridge on the Carena dels Bandolers path crosses the AP-7 and connects the park directly with the rural area of Gallecs.

City parks with distinct features

Parc de la Plana Lledó covers almost seven hectares. Mediterranean vegetation, walking paths, an artificial lake with aquatic plants and a pergola surrounded by wisteria define the park. It also has many shady areas and quiet corners. Visitors who look for paths, vegetation and places to unwind will find several different features here.

Parc dels Colors offers a different experience: it opened in 2001 and is a posthumous work by architect Enric Miralles. Its design draws on Mollet’s industrial, agricultural and young urban history, as well as the city’s location on the Besòs. Features include brick walls, wooded areas, raised concrete and steel structures with graffiti-inspired designs, and fountains and water jets. Parc de Can Mulà, meanwhile, is Mollet’s first city park; its facilities include large children’s play areas and a road safety education area.

At Parc de Les Pruneres, an eleven-metre-high arched fountain marks the entrance to a 20,000-square-metre park. It has areas for walking, inclusive play facilities for children, and places to rest and take in the surroundings. The parks differ not only in size, but also in whether their design, play facilities, or paths and landscape take centre stage.

Architecture, collections and local history

The Museu Abelló opened on 29 March 1999 in a Modernist building. Its façade has been preserved; the building previously served as a Guardia Civil barracks. The collection comprises more than 10,000 works, including significant collections of Catalan paintings and sculpture from the 19th and 20th centuries. The museum brings together two distinct aspects: architectural history and an art collection.

The Menhir de Mollet is also notable for both its dimensions and striking details: it is five metres high, weighs six tonnes and bears engravings and reliefs, including a recognisable face. This design gives it the character of a menhir statue. Santa María de Gallecs, by contrast, is an example of late Romanesque church architecture, dating from the 12th to the 14th century. Its floor plan is in the shape of a single-nave Latin cross, and its vault is pointed.

The fortified farmhouse Masia Can Borrell dates from the 13th to the 14th century and is the only surviving fortified farmhouse in the municipality. At Jardí de la Farinera, surviving features recall the original Neoclassical garden: a central avenue of lime trees and terracotta pots with clipped spherical boxwood. The two sites offer different perspectives on architectural history, from a fortified rural building to historic garden design.

The Gomà family commissioned architect Francesc Vilagut to build Edifici Can Gomà in 1947 for cava production. The basement housed the Xampany Gomà cava cellars, which had a two-kilometre circular tour. The building was converted to house Teatro Municipal Can Gomà, the municipal music and dance school, and various cultural facilities run by the municipality. Centro Cultural La Marineta has an auditorium with a stage and 80 seats for conferences, discussions, film screenings, small performances and chamber music concerts, as well as exhibition spaces.

Local products

Agrobotiga de Gallecs is a small shop run by farmers from the region. It sells organic products from Gallecs and other locations, as well as artisan and regional goods. This adds a glimpse of local products to the natural and cultural attractions, without implying that any particular offering, such as tastings, is available.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Sant Quirze De Besora, Pontóns, Sant Pere De Ribes, Fogars de la Selva, Santa Perpetua De Moguda, Manlleu, La Beguda Alta, L'Alt Penedès.

For the main travel overview: Barcelona.