Sant Adrià De Besòs: Industrial History, Art and the Besòs Estuary

Sant Adrià De Besòs can be explored through several distinct themes: migration history, industrial heritage, public art, and the river estuary and coast. When planning your stay, you can then decide whether to focus on the town’s history, art, the landscape along the Besòs, or an annual festival.

Industrial History and Migration

Les Tres Xemeneies de la Central Tèrmica del Besòs are a striking part of Sant Adrià de Besòs’s industrial heritage. The complex consists of three boiler and chimney buildings and a turbine building, and stands 200 metres tall in total. Since 2016, it has been protected as a Bé Cultural d'Interès Local (BCIL), a Local Cultural Heritage Site.

Migration is another focus of the town’s history: since 20 November 2004, the Masia de Can Serra in Sant Adrià de Besòs has housed the Museu d’història de la immigració de Catalunya (MhiC). The museum’s name points to this theme and complements the industrial history with a distinct perspective.

A bridge also tells a story of structural change. The Pont dels Passadors was built between 1942 and 1944, replacing an iron bridge built in 1885. That bridge was swept away in a flood in 1937.

Public Art and Remembrance

Bosc de columnes is a graffiti art project featuring an installation of approximately 400 columns. Each is about five metres high and has a circumference of 2.85 metres. The project began in 2016 to enhance urban spaces; the city council and the El Generador, Art i Creació Cultural association took part. Bosc de columnes is also part of the HOP programme for dance and urban culture.

The project to bring the Refugi antiaeri de la placeta Macià to life, known as RapM, offers another perspective on remembrance. It includes an inclusive museological design for communicating history and remembrance.

The Besòs Estuary and Coastal Landscape

The last 450 metres of the Besòs before it flows into the Mediterranean form the La desembocadura zone in the Parc Fluvial del Besòs. Sant Adrià de Besòs also has two beaches: Platja del Litoral and Platja del Fòrum.

The beach area next to the estuary is protected and sensitive. Designated sections are intended to help stabilise the dunes and promote biodiversity.

In summer, Platja del Litoral and Platja del Fòrum have facilities such as showers, children’s play areas, volleyball nets and accessible paths. As seasonal facilities may change, check the conditions before your visit.

For context on the location of the Parc Fluvial: the section in question stretches for about five kilometres from the Pont de la Pota Nord in Santa Coloma de Gramenet to the railway bridge in Sant Adrià de Besòs.

Festa dels Passadors

The Festa dels Passadors takes place every year in mid-February. It is held on the weekend closest to 12 February, the feast day of Saint Eulàlia. To plan your visit, check the dates for the relevant year; details may vary from year to year.

On Sunday, the festival includes a parade with the local Diables, Gegants and Castellers, as well as Sardana dancers and other folk culture groups. The programme may vary from year to year.

Discover more destinations: Sant Llorenç Savall, Sant Vicenç de Castellet, La Pobla De Claramunt, Montmajor, Vic, Vallgorguina, Santa Perpetua De Moguda, Gaià.

For the broader travel overview: Barcelona.