A round bell tower at the Església de Santa Maria points to a tower from the former palace dating back to the 13th century. Together with church architecture, bridges, industrial history and river landscapes, Santa Maria de Palautordera offers a variety of themes to consider when planning your trip. You can focus on historic buildings, a walk through the town center or nature along the rivers.
Church architecture from different periods
The Església de Santa Maria was completed as a late Gothic church between 1562 and 1588. Its round bell tower reuses a tower from the former palace dating back to the 13th century. These two details alone point to different periods: the 16th-century church and the older tower incorporated into the church building.
The windows add another period to the picture. In 2014, four Baroque stained-glass windows were identified in the church. These include depictions of the Verge del Roser and Sant Pere from 1628, as well as two geometric windows. This gives you specific reference points for understanding the church: late Gothic architecture, the reused tower and the Baroque windows.
The Ermita del Remei offers a different architectural accent. It was completed and consecrated in 1803 and is designed in the Baroque-Neoclassical style. In contrast to the late Gothic Església, here the focus is on a later date and a different stylistic classification. If you are interested in architectural history, you can distinguish the two churches by period and design.
Bridge and industrial history
Pont Trencat is a pre-Gothic-style bridge dating from the 15th century, crossing the Tordera River. During its restoration in 2005, the original and modern sections were made visible. The restoration received several national and international architecture awards. The structure thus offers another historic point of reference, this time in the form of a bridge over the river.
A much later period is represented by Route 3, “Les fà briques de Palau.” It conveys the industrial reality of Santa Maria de Palautordera at the beginning of the 20th century; along the route, you can discover the Can Balada, Can Guiñau and Can Guarro factories. Unlike Pont Trencat, this is not about a 15th-century bridge, but about the industrial history of the early 20th century. The two themes differ both in their historical periods and in the structures they focus on.
Arboretum and riverbanks
The Parc de l'Arboretum “L'Arbreda del Montseny” is located in Santa Maria de Palautordera, at the foot of the Parc Natural del Montseny. It features around 80 labeled tree and shrub species from the Montseny massif. The park is also home to ducks, turtles and fish, among other animals. This combination of tree and shrub species and the animal groups mentioned makes a visit to the arboretum a different nature experience from the riverside routes.
Route 8, “From the Reguissol to the Tordera,” runs along the two rivers that cross Santa Maria de Palautordera. It follows riverbanks with plane tree plantings and riverside vegetation; the wide variety of birds is also among the landscape features described. The focus here is therefore on the river courses and their banks, while the arboretum features tree and shrub species from the Montseny massif and animals in the park.
Compare walking tours and cycling routes
If you want to focus on the town center, there is the “Visita TurĂstica per Santa Maria de Palautordera”: this easy walking tour showcases notable features of the center. It is available in Catalan, Spanish, French and English. This sets it apart from routes whose themes focus more on rivers, industry or landscapes.
The “Ruta bici blanca” is an easy cycling route connecting Sant Celoni with Santa Maria and Sant Esteve de Palautordera. The “Ruta bici blava” has a different focus: it offers views of the Montseny massif, including Turó de l’Home, Les Agudes and Pla de la Calma; the valleys of Mosqueroles and the Tordera; and the Parc del Montnegre i el Corredor. This gives you a specific distinction to guide your choice: the bici blanca is described as connecting three towns, while the bici blava focuses on views of named landscapes.
Discover more destinations: Vilassar De Mar, Lliçà D'amunt, Sant Llorenç Savall, Sant Iscle De Vallalta, L'Alt Penedès, La Pobla De Lillet, Fogars de la Selva, Gualba.
For the broader travel overview: Barcelona.
