Terrassa
Spain · Europe
About Terrassa
Terrassa is a city in the autonomous community of Catalonia in Spain, in the province of Barcelona. It is one of the two capitals of Vallès Occidental county, being the larger in both area and population, 70.12 km2 (27.07 sq mi) and 228,294 respectively.
The name Terrassa derives from Latin Terracia, either from earlier Terracium castellum (“earthen castle”), or meaning "terrace", "area of flat land". Historically, the name of the city has been spelled Terraça, Terraza, Terraca and Tarrassa in the native Catalan language whilst it's been traditionally spelled Tarrasa in Spanish. The Spanish spelling is now largely out of use given its ties with the Francoist Regime and the sole official spelling being the Catalan Terrassa since 1978.
Terrassa is known for its industrial past and present, its lively cultural scene, its industrial modernist architecture, its status as a "City of Film" and as the seat of several universities such as UPC, ESCAC, Institut del Teatre and EUIT. It was also awarded in 2024 the Council of Europe's "The Europe Prize" for cities with an outstanding commitment to European values.
It is the site of Roman Egara, a former Visigothic bishopric, which became a Latin Catholic titular see. Since 2004, it is again the see of a bishopric.
The city is located in the Catalan Prelitoral depression (Depressió Prelitoral), at the feet of the Prelitoral mountain range (natural reserve of Sant Llorenç del Munt) and the average altitude of the city is 277 meters above sea level. It is 20 and 18 kilometres from Barcelona and Montserrat respectively. Terrassa's location as the most-inland city in the Barcelona Metropolitan Region makes it sometimes be referred to as the "entrance to Central Catalonia".
As of 2024, Terrassa is the third largest city in Catalonia, after Barcelona and l'Hospitalet de Llobregat. Terrassa is also the largest municipality in what's considered the second most important urban, economic and cultural center of Catalonia, the Vallès region.
Terrassa travel guide
Understand
The city is located in the Catalan Prelitoral depression (Depressió Prelitoral), at the feet of the Prelitoral mountain range (natural reserve of Sant Llorenç del Munt). It is 20 km from Barcelona and 18 km from Montserrat respectively
1 Tourist office (Oficina de Turisme / Masia Freixa), Masia Freixa. Plaça Freixa i Argemí, 11, ☏ +34 937397019, [email protected]. (updated Feb 2025)
Getting there
By plane Barcelona El Prat Airport BCN IATA is about 1 hour away by car (40 km). Depending on the route you will go across Barcelona, and the traffic can be intense. Girona/Gerona/Costa Brava airport GRO IATA is about 1 hour away by car (92 km). There is a local airport in Sabadell, but only for private airplanes: Sabadell Airport QSA IATA
By train From Barcelona: Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya , line S1 Terrassa Rodalies de Barcelona, line R4 suburban From Lleida: RENFE Regionals , line
By car From Barcelona: C-58 Barcelona-Terrassa motorway (free) C-16 motorway (European route E-9 ) Barcelona- Vallvidrera tunnels (toll)-Sant Cugat-Terrassa, Manresa, Berga, Cadi tunnels. From Lleida: A-2 , connection with the AP-7 and C-58 motorways (Barcelona-Terrassa) A-2 , connection with C-243c (Martorell-Terrassa) From France-La Jonquera-Girona: AP-7 , connection with the C-58 (Barcelona-Terrassa) From Tarragona: AP-7 , connection with the C-58 (Barcelona-Terrassa)
By bus Moventis. (updated Feb 2025)
E2.1-BARCELONA - TERRASSA Bus lines to Terrassa. (updated Feb 2025)
M1 - Olesa - Terrassa - Bellaterra M5 - Terrassa-Vacarisses M6 - Viladecavalls-Terrassa M6A - Llançadora Viladecavalls - Terrassa M7 - Terrassa-Ullastrell M8A - Terrassa-Matadepera M8D - Matadepera-Terrassa FGC/RENFE M9 - Esparreguera - Abrera - Terrassa M11 - Terrassa-Coll d'Estenalles-Mura/Talamanca M12 - Terrassa-Rellinars-Castellbell i el Vilar L59A - St. Vicenç dels Horts - Terrassa
See
1 Cartoixa de Vallparadís castle (Castell Cartoixa de Vallparadís), Parc de Vallparadís. (updated Feb 2025) 2 The churches of Sant Pere (Saint Peter) (Conjunt Monumental de les Esglésies de Sant Pere) (a l'antic poble de Sant Pere). These three churches were built close to the site of old Ègara to be the seat of the Ègara Diocese, which was founded around 450 CE and remained in existence until the 8th century. This episcopal complex follows the Byzantine model of antiquity, with two churches (Sant Pere and Santa Maria) and a mausoleum (Sant Miquel). After a long period of construction, the churches were finished in the then-current manner about the 11th and 12th centuries and in Romanesque style, on the site of the pre-Romanesque buildings of the Visigothic period. The church of Santa Maria contains outstanding works of art, and there are murals dating from the Romanesque period to the Gothic. There is also an altar stone dating from the 10th century and medieval and Romanesque tombstones (one of which documents the name of the Roman town of Egara). In the transept there are three Gothic altarpieces: Santa Maria (Saint Mary) the old CathedralSant Pere (Saint Peter)Sant Miquel (Saint Michael). (updated Feb 2025) 3 Casa Alegre de Sagrera, carrer de la Font Vella. A Modernist house (updated Feb 2025) 4 Tower of the Palau (Torre del Palau), plaça Vella. The only vestige of the castle-palace of the count-kings of Catalonia in Terrassa. (updated Feb 2025) Center of medieval interpretation of the city of Terrassa (Centre d'interpretació de la vila medieval de Terrassa). (updated Feb 2025) 5 Convent of Sant Francesc (Convent de Sant Francesc). A cloister decorated with polychromed ceramics (1671–1673). (updated Feb 2025) 6 National Museum of Science and Industry of Catalonia (mNACTEC-Museu Nacional de la Ciència i de la Tècnica de Catalunya). mNACTEC runs several museums across Catalonia, this one specialises on textiles. The aim of the museum is to provide a comprehensive overview of the history of knowledge and technology in Catalonia, and the process of industrialisation. It starts with the Neolithic revolution, shows power generation techniques with waterwheels, electricity and turbine drives and solar technology. (updated Feb 2025) 7 Textile Museum (Centre de Documentació i Museu Tèxtil), C. Salmerón, 25. The museum's extensive collection, with over 20,000 representative pieces of textile history from around the world, is presented in different temporary monographic exhibitions, lasting between ten and twelve months in the Modernisme area on the first fl
Overview adapted from Wikipedia, travel guide fromWikivoyage (CC BY-SA)。Photography via Wikimedia Commons.