Vineyards cover 63 percent of the area of El Pla del Penedès. They shape the village’s landscape, alongside routes through the vineyards and a diverse architectural heritage. When planning a trip, you can explore these themes side by side: the landscape on different routes, the history of individual buildings, and the local tradition of the Festa de les Torrades.
Vineyards, routes and a local festival
El Pla del Penedès is the starting and ending point for numerous hiking, cycling and horse-riding routes through the vineyards. These include routes along the Via Augusta. The Bonavista route is 12.3 kilometres long, providing a specific distance to help you plan. You can first consider whether you would like to explore the landscape on foot, by bike or on horseback, and then consider the Bonavista route as an option with a stated distance.
Timing can also play a role in planning your trip: the Festa de les Torrades takes place on Carnival Sunday and is a recurring local tradition. If you would like to combine your visit with this festival, you can plan your trip to coincide with Carnival Sunday.
Building history in churches and chapels
The Església de Santa Magdalena is the village’s parish church and is protected as a cultural asset of local interest. Its origins are Romanesque, and it has been documented since 1080. The bell tower dates from the 16th to 17th centuries, rests on the walls of the old crossing, and is 22.5 metres high. The information about the church therefore covers both its early history and specific features of the tower, which was built later.
The Capella de Sant Jaume de Can Cerdà de Palou is also considered a cultural asset of local interest. It was built in the 17th century; the year 1623 is inscribed on its lintel. The present-day building was created after a reconstruction. It has a single nave, a gabled roof and a bell gable. The construction period and the date on the lintel provide two different historical points of reference, while the description of the present-day building records its form.
Individual residential and agricultural buildings also reveal different architectural forms. Ca l’Orpí is a free-standing medieval masia dating from the 12th century. Access is via the historic path from Pujolet to the masia; ask locally about the condition of the route. L’Aguilera is also a medieval rural masia, but it is surrounded by a defensive wall. It includes a square, battlemented tower dating from the 19th century. On the ground floor of this tower is a chapel dedicated to the Mare de Déu del Roser.
Traces of winemaking and community life
The wine landscape also has an architectural history. The Antic sindicat was built in 1919 by several agricultural landowners from El Pla del Penedès. Until the 1930s, the building was used for the production, storage and sale of wine. This former use makes it a distinct chapter in local wine history, separate from today’s routes through the vineyards.
The Centre Agrícola-Unió d’Agricultors is a Noucentisme-style building and is protected as a cultural asset of local interest. It continues to host leisure and cultural activities. The building includes a bar, a theatre or multipurpose hall, and two smaller rooms for activities. Several kinds of community use therefore sit alongside the building’s architecture.
Another ensemble is L’espai de la Bassa. The area includes a spring, a well, public washhouses, a former wastewater collector and surrounding garden land. The washhouses were built in the late 19th or early 20th century. During restoration in 2022, an information panel and a collection of current and historical photographs were added to the area. Its various features bring together water, garden land and former infrastructure in one place.
At La Font de l’Esteve, there is a picnic area above the spring. This shady recreational area is equipped with benches, waste bins and underground lights. The spring was once used to irrigate the surrounding gardens; later, it remained a meeting place for local residents. At the Font, specific facilities and a former social role therefore sit side by side.
The Creu de Terme also links local history with a precise description of its location. Documentary evidence dates back to the 16th century. The cross stands at the junction of the roads from the village to Cal Fontanals and La Sala, around 180 metres south of the edge of El Pla, at the end of Carrer de la Creu. It is surrounded by a triangular space called Plaça de la Creu. The approximate distance and named roads help distinguish this site from buildings in the village.
Discover more destinations: Cantallops, Sant Bartomeu Del Grau, Sant Quirze Safaja, Puigdàlber, Santa Eulália De Riuprimer, Sant Vicenç Dels Horts, Sant Joan Despí, Les Corts.
For the broader travel overview: Barcelona.
