Vallès Occidental () is a
comarca (county) in the
Barcelona
Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...
region in
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a ''nationalities and regions of Spain, nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia of 2006, Statute of Autonomy. Most of its territory (except the Val d'Aran) is situate ...
(
Spain
Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
). It has two capitals,
Sabadell
Sabadell () is a city and municipality in Catalonia, Spain. It is in the south of the ''comarca'' of Vallès Occidental, where it is one of the two capitals, the other being Terrassa. It is located on the River Ripoll, north of Barcelona, a ...
and
Terrassa
Terrassa () is a city in central-eastern Catalonia and in the province of Barcelona (Spain). It is one of the two capitals of Vallès Occidental county, being the larger in both area and population.
The name ''Terrassa'' derives from Latin ''Te ...
. Along with
Vallès Oriental
Vallès Oriental () is a comarca (county) in the Barcelona region in Catalonia (Spain). Its capital is Granollers. Along with Vallès Occidental it forms the historical Vallès region.
In May 2015, Vallès Oriental lost four municipalities - C ...
, it forms the historical
Vallès
El Vallès (or simply 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 (Comarques of Catalonia, ''comarques'') which a ...
region.
Physical geography
Vallès Occidental borders the comarques of
Bages
Bages () is a comarca (county) in the central region of Catalonia, Spain. The capital is the city of Manresa.
Industries include the mining of potash at Súria and Sallent, and the manufacture of textiles along the rivers Llobregat and Car ...
(to the north),
Vallès Oriental
Vallès Oriental () is a comarca (county) in the Barcelona region in Catalonia (Spain). Its capital is Granollers. Along with Vallès Occidental it forms the historical Vallès region.
In May 2015, Vallès Oriental lost four municipalities - C ...
(to the north and east),
Baix Llobregat
Baix Llobregat () is a comarca (county) on the coast of Catalonia, Spain. It is located in the Barcelona region and its capital is Sant Feliu de Llobregat.
Municipalities
Proposed changes
It has long been proposed to split the northern part of ...
(to the west), and
Barcelonès
Barcelonès () is the most populated comarca of Catalonia, Spain. It contains Barcelona
Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well a ...
(to the south). It centers on the Catalan prelittoral depression, limited to the west by the River
Llobregat
The Llobregat () is the second longest river in Catalonia, Spain, after the Ter. It flows into the Mediterranean south of the city of Barcelona. Its name could have originated in an ancient Latin word meaning 'dark', 'muddy' or 'slippery', or ...
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
A massif () is a principal mountain mass, such as a compact portion of a mountain range, containing one or more summits (e.g. France's Massif Central). In mountaineering literature, ''massif'' is frequently used to denote the main mass of an ...
s of
Sant Llorenç de Munt (1095m at
La Mola
La Mola is a peninsula that forms the eastern end of the island of Formentera, in the Balearic Islands of Spain, in the western Mediterranean Sea. It contains the highest part of the island, with an elevation of about 200 m, as well as the ...
and 1053m at
Montcau) and
Puig de la Creu (664m); and the
Sant Sadurnà (954m) and
Farell cliffs (789m). At the south of the comarca is the
Collserola range (512m), which forms part of the Catalan
Littoral
The littoral zone, also called litoral or nearshore, is the part of a sea, lake, or river that is close to the shore. In coastal ecology, the littoral zone includes the intertidal zone extending from the high water mark (which is rarely i ...
. Between these various ranges is the valley that gives its name to the comarca.
The valley actually composes two separate
watersheds, the basins of the Llobregat and
Besòs.
The Llobregat watershed lies to the west of the axis that runs from
Obac to
Tibidabo
Tibidabo () is a hill overlooking Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. At , it is the tallest hill in the Serra de Collserola. Rising sharply to the north-west, it has views over the city and the surrounding coastline.
The summit of the hill is occupi ...
(culminating point of the
Collserola range), passing through
Matadepera,
Sant Quirze del Vallès,
Bellaterra, and
Sant Cugat del Vallès
Sant Cugat del Vallès () is a town and municipality north of Barcelona, Catalonia. Known as ''Castrum Octavianum'' in antiquity (which means ''the castle of Octavianus'') and as ''Pins del Vallès'' during the Second Spanish Republic, it is nam ...
. Tributaries of the Llobregat include the
Canyamssos, the
Rubà 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).
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:
Barcelona
Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...
–
Montserrat
Montserrat ( , ) is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean. It is part of the Leeward Islands, the northern portion of the Lesser Antilles chain of the West Indies. Montserrat is about long and wide, wit ...
(Classic route to
Montserrat
Montserrat ( , ) is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean. It is part of the Leeward Islands, the northern portion of the Lesser Antilles chain of the West Indies. Montserrat is about long and wide, wit ...
).
* GR-96: Barcelona – Montserrat (Roman road to Montserrat).
* GR-97:
Abrera
Abrera () is a municipality in the ''comarca'' of the Baix Llobregat in Catalonia, Spain. It is situated in the valley of the Llobregat river, to the south-east of Montserrat, on the main A2 road between Barcelona and Lleida. The municipality i ...
–
Sant Celoni
Sant Celoni () is a Municipalities of Spain, municipality in the Comarques of Catalonia, ''comarca'' of the Vallès Oriental in Catalonia, Spain. It is situated in the valley of the Tordera river between the ranges of Montseny and Montnegre. The m ...
(From the Llobregat to the
Tordera).
* 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
Sabadell
Sabadell () is a city and municipality in Catalonia, Spain. It is in the south of the ''comarca'' of Vallès Occidental, where it is one of the two capitals, the other being Terrassa. It is located on the River Ripoll, north of Barcelona, a ...
and
Terrassa
Terrassa () is a city in central-eastern Catalonia and in the province of Barcelona (Spain). It is one of the two capitals of Vallès Occidental county, being the larger in both area and population.
The name ''Terrassa'' derives from Latin ''Te ...
, as well as
Rubà and
Cerdanyola del Vallès
Cerdanyola del Vallès () is a municipality in the ''comarca'' of the Vallès Occidental in Catalonia, Spain. It is situated on the north side of the Collserola ridge. The town is served by the A-7 and C-58 motorways, the N-150 road and the Ren ...
. The most important industries are
textile
Textile is an Hyponymy and hypernymy, umbrella term that includes various Fiber, fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, Staple (textiles)#Filament fiber, filaments, Thread (yarn), threads, and different types of #Fabric, fabric. ...
s, mechanical engineering,
metallurgy
Metallurgy is a domain of materials science and engineering that studies the physical and chemical behavior of metallic elements, their inter-metallic compounds, and their mixtures, which are known as alloys.
Metallurgy encompasses both the ...
, machinery,
electrical equipment
Electrical devices or electric devices are devices that functionally rely on electric energy ( AC or DC) to operate their core parts (electric motors, transformers, lighting, rechargeable batteries, control electronics). They can be contraste ...
, construction,
chemical
A chemical substance is a unique form of matter with constant chemical composition and characteristic properties. Chemical substances may take the form of a single element or chemical compounds. If two or more chemical substances can be combin ...
s,
paper
Paper is a thin sheet material produced by mechanically or chemically processing cellulose fibres derived from wood, Textile, rags, poaceae, grasses, Feces#Other uses, herbivore dung, or other vegetable sources in water. Once the water is dra ...
, 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
A computer is a machine that can be Computer programming, programmed to automatically Execution (computing), carry out sequences of arithmetic or logical operations (''computation''). Modern digital electronic computers can perform generic set ...
-related work.
The north remains primarily rural. Many of the residences there now function as second homes.
Municipalities
Transportation
Much of Catalonia's transportation network passes through Vallès Occidental, with roads, railroads, etc. crossing the valley in various directions.
Motorways
*
AP-7 crosses Vallès in an east-west direction. Heading west, it connects Vallès with
Tarragona
Tarragona (, ; ) is a coastal city and municipality in Catalonia (Spain). It is the capital and largest town of Tarragonès county, the Camp de Tarragona region and the province of Tarragona. Geographically, it is located on the Costa Daurada ar ...
,
València
Valencia ( , ), formally València (), is the capital of the Province of Valencia, province and Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Valencian Community, the same name in Spain. It is located on the banks of the Turia (r ...
and the southern part of the
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula ( ), also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in south-western Europe. Mostly separated from the rest of the European landmass by the Pyrenees, it includes the territories of peninsular Spain and Continental Portugal, comprisin ...
, similarly to the A-2/AP-2 (which connects
Barcelona
Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...
,
Lleida
Lleida (, ; ; '' see below'') is a city in the west of Catalonia, Spain. It is the capital and largest town in Segrià county, the Ponent region and the province of Lleida. Geographically, it is located in the Catalan Central Depression. It ...
, and
Zaragoza
Zaragoza (), traditionally known in English as Saragossa ( ), is the capital city of the province of Zaragoza and of the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Aragon, Spain. It lies by the Ebro river and its tributaries, the ...
). Heading east, it connects Vallès with the province of
Girona
Girona (; ) is the capital city of the Province of Girona in the autonomous community of Catalonia, Spain, at the confluence of the Ter, Onyar, Galligants, and Güell rivers. The city had an official population of 106,476 in 2024, but the p ...
and with
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
.
* C-58 crosses the comarca south to north, connecting Barcelona with
Manresa
Manresa () is the capital of Bages county, located in the central region of Catalonia, Spain.
Crossed by the river Cardener, it is an industrial area with textile, metallurgical, and glass industries. The houses of Manresa are arranged aro ...
by wy of
Montcada i Reixac
Montcada i Reixac (), often referred to as simply Montcada, is a municipalities of Spain, municipality in the Comarques of Catalonia, ''comarca'' of the Vallès Occidental in Catalonia, Spain. It is situated at the confluence of the Ripoll river an ...
,
Ripollet,
Cerdanyola del Vallès
Cerdanyola del Vallès () is a municipality in the ''comarca'' of the Vallès Occidental in Catalonia, Spain. It is situated on the north side of the Collserola ridge. The town is served by the A-7 and C-58 motorways, the N-150 road and the Ren ...
,
Sabadell
Sabadell () is a city and municipality in Catalonia, Spain. It is in the south of the ''comarca'' of Vallès Occidental, where it is one of the two capitals, the other being Terrassa. It is located on the River Ripoll, north of Barcelona, a ...
, and
Terrassa
Terrassa () is a city in central-eastern Catalonia and in the province of Barcelona (Spain). It is one of the two capitals of Vallès Occidental county, being the larger in both area and population.
The name ''Terrassa'' derives from Latin ''Te ...
.
* Manresa, Terrassa, and Barcelona are also connected by C-16 or the
Vallvidrera Tunnels, by way of
Sant Cugat del Vallès
Sant Cugat del Vallès () is a town and municipality north of Barcelona, Catalonia. Known as ''Castrum Octavianum'' in antiquity (which means ''the castle of Octavianus'') and as ''Pins del Vallès'' during the Second Spanish Republic, it is nam ...
and
RubÃ.
* C-33 connects
Montcada i Reixac
Montcada i Reixac (), often referred to as simply Montcada, is a municipalities of Spain, municipality in the Comarques of Catalonia, ''comarca'' of the Vallès Occidental in Catalonia, Spain. It is situated at the confluence of the Ripoll river an ...
and
Mollet del Vallès
Mollet del Vallès () is a municipalities of Spain, municipality in the Comarques of Catalonia, ''comarca'' of the Vallès Oriental in Catalonia, Spain. It is situated in the valley of the Besòs (river), Besòs river, and is an important commun ...
, connecting the northern part of Barcelona with autopista AP-7 to the northeast.
Highways
* N-150, the principal highway of the comarca, crosses south to north, connecting Barcelona to
Terrassa
Terrassa () is a city in central-eastern Catalonia and in the province of Barcelona (Spain). It is one of the two capitals of Vallès Occidental county, being the larger in both area and population.
The name ''Terrassa'' derives from Latin ''Te ...
by way of
Montcada i Reixac
Montcada i Reixac (), often referred to as simply Montcada, is a municipalities of Spain, municipality in the Comarques of Catalonia, ''comarca'' of the Vallès Occidental in Catalonia, Spain. It is situated at the confluence of the Ripoll river an ...
,
Ripollet,
Cerdanyola del Vallès
Cerdanyola del Vallès () is a municipality in the ''comarca'' of the Vallès Occidental in Catalonia, Spain. It is situated on the north side of the Collserola ridge. The town is served by the A-7 and C-58 motorways, the N-150 road and the Ren ...
,
Barberà del Vallès, and
Sabadell
Sabadell () is a city and municipality in Catalonia, Spain. It is in the south of the ''comarca'' of Vallès Occidental, where it is one of the two capitals, the other being Terrassa. It is located on the River Ripoll, north of Barcelona, a ...
. Beyond Terrassa, various ''carreteres comarcals'' complete the comarca's network:
* C-1413 starts at
Molins de Rei, connects to the
N-II and
N-340 and the motorway A-2, and passes through RubÃ, Sabadell, and
Sentmenat before connecting finally to the N-152 at the heights of
Centelles.
* C-1415 connects
Vilafranca del Penedès
Vilafranca del Penedès, or simply Vilafranca, is the capital of Alt Penedès county in Penedès, Catalonia, Spain. It is situated in the Penedès Depression on the left bank of the Foix River, and on the main axis of communication from Barcel ...
(N-340),
Sant Sadurnà d'Anoia, and
Martorell
Martorell () is a municipality, county, and city that forms part of the Baix Llobregat Comarques of Catalonia, comarca, in Catalonia, Spain, primarily known for its medieval Pont del Diable, Devil's bridge. It lies at the confluence of the Llobr ...
(A-7, N-II) to
Granollers
Granollers (; ) is a city in central Catalonia, about 30 kilometres north-east of Barcelona. It is the capital and most densely populated city in the comarca of Vallès Oriental.
Granollers is now a bustling business centre, having grown from ...
and
Mataró
Mataró () is the capital and largest town of the Maresme county in Catalonia, Spain. It is located on the Costa del Maresme, Maresme coast, to the south of Costa Brava, between Cabrera de Mar and Sant Andreu de Llavaneres, north-east of Barcel ...
(N-II, A-19) passing through Terrassa,
Matadepera,
Castellar del Vallès, and Sentmenat.
* C-155 connects Sabadell to
Granollers
Granollers (; ) is a city in central Catalonia, about 30 kilometres north-east of Barcelona. It is the capital and most densely populated city in the comarca of Vallès Oriental.
Granollers is now a bustling business centre, having grown from ...
, passing through
Polinyà and
Palau de Plegamans.
Railroads
Both railroad companies that operate in Catalonia have lines in Vallès Occidental.
Renfe
Renfe (, ), officially Renfe-Operadora, is Spain's national state-owned railway company.
It was created in 2005 upon the split of the former Spanish National Railway Network (RENFE) into the Administrador de Infraestructuras Ferroviarias ( ...
'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.
Airports
Most air traffic for Vallès Occidental comes through
Prat airport in neighboring
Baix Llobregat
Baix Llobregat () is a comarca (county) on the coast of Catalonia, Spain. It is located in the Barcelona region and its capital is Sant Feliu de Llobregat.
Municipalities
Proposed changes
It has long been proposed to split the northern part of ...
.
Sabadell Airport is used for sport flying, as a base for firemen, and for air freight.
Politics and government
Comarcal council
References
External links
Official comarcal web site (in Catalan)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Valles Occidental
Vallès
Comarques of the Province of Barcelona