The Sant Llorenç del Munt and L'Obac Natural Park

The Sant Llorenç del Munt and L'Obac Natural Park lies in the Catalan coastal hills, between the counties of El Bages and Vallès Occidental, between the River Llobregat, in the west, and the River Ripoll, in the east. The park is made up of the two ranges of hills that give it its name and that join it to the Estenalles hill. Its rough landscape, full of high cliffs and with vegetation basically made up of holm oak and pine woods extending over the flatter parts of the hills or fitting into the marshes and channels, also offers a rich cultural heritage as a witness to human settlement throughout the centuries. The highest peaks are La Mola (1,104 m), where the Romanesque monastery of Sant Llorenç stands, giving its name to the massif, and Montcau (1,057 m).
The Park's Special Plan was approved in July 1972 and in 1987 it was declared a Natural Park. It is currently managed by Barcelona Provincial Council and 12 municipalities have part of it in their territories: Castellar del Vallès, Granera, Monistrol de Calders, Mura, El Pont de Vilomara i Rocafort, Rellinars, Sant Llorenç Savall, Sant Vicenç de Castellet, Talamanca, Terrassa and Vacarisses.
As for heritage buildings, Sant Llorenç monastery, built on the summit of La Mola, is the most emblematic monument of a massif where Neolithic archaeological remains and large farmhouses are also abundant. The fact is that human settlement on the Sant Llorenç del Munt has been known since prehistory with the considerable number of important sites found in caves and under natural overhangs, showing that the massif was chosen by prehistoric man as a place for settlement. Over time, remains have accumulated, bearing witness to occupation at different historical periods.
The period that has left the deepest imprint is the High Middle Ages, a period when most of the inhabited centres forming the towns and villages of today began to be formed around the massif. The most outstanding buildings from this period are the Romanesque churches and, particularly, Sant Llorenç del Munt monastery. Farming, once extended all over the massif, is now residual, but it is heir to the traditions and culture of its golden age.

For information:
Sant Llorenç del Munt and L'Obac Natural Park Office La Mata
Ctra. BV-1221 from Terrassa to Navarcles, km 14.8
Apartat de correus 71
08230 Matadepera
Tel. 938 318 350
Fax 937 433 300
E-mail: p.santllorenc@diba.cat
Opening times: weekdays: from 9am to 2pm