Once you pass Martorell, the motorway and the railway that go from Barcelona to Tarragona, turn left and the landscape soon changes considerably: you arrive at a vast plain, perfectly delimited by two lines of mountains. The ones on the left are smaller and nearer (the mountains of Ordal and Garraf) and the ones on the right are further away and higher (the Prelitoral mountains); the plain is still covered by plants, especially vineyards, which are very dominant. If you arrive from the south, once you round Vendrell you have the same view, yet even more magnificent, as you can see the imposing silhouette of Montserrat in the background.  You are then in the Penedès region. This beautiful landscape has gentle Mediterranean weather with hot summers softened by the sea wind. Rain is not very frequent, normally falling in spring and autumn and being a cause of concern for those who harvest during those days. 

The region is traditionally divided between Alt and Baix Penedès – with the addition of the coastal land known as the district of Garraf – L’Alt Penedès, starting in the town of Gelida and ending in Castellet. The towns located on the plain are predominant, as it is located on the land where the waters from the River Foix and the River Ribes divide, waters that drain most of the region and go directly to the sea. On the other hand, the east side ends in L’Anoia with two affluents: El Riudebitlles and El Lavernó.

The Prelitoral mountains are shaped in long smooth lines: they form the mountain range of Mediona, Font-Rubí, Torrelles and Pontons. Behind them we can see the Ancosa Mountain, which is almost 1,000m high and in front of them we can see parallel hills of lower height, which limit the plain. On the Ordal side the most outstanding mountains are the Montcau and Agulles, both slightly higher than 600m. To the south we can see the last mountains from Garraf, with the Àliga imposing its image on top of the ancient ruins of Olèrdola.

The plain has been an important itinerant route since the Roman Age, when the Via Augusta was built as the main road to the imperial city of Tarraco. However the reconquest went on for almost two centuries and the Penedès region was a forgotten land until the 12th century. The modern age has recovered the land as a communication route and on the same remains of the Via Augusta roads, motorways and railways have been built, including the high-speed train.

As far as economic activity is concerned, neither the first nor the second phase of industrialization in the second part of the 20^th century caused an important impact in the region. This fact has often been considered the reason for a lack of dynamism and progress in the area, but on the other hand it has also allowed for the preservation of the landscape and environment, which have become two of the region’s most valued assets. Nowadays things are changing and there is an open debate about the most appropriate future for the region: what degree of importance should be given to industry (which is continuously growing), services, and the vineyard sector (very important but also fragile). 

For all these reasons, the Penedès region has had a relatively low population if compared with crowded Barcelona and nearby towns. However, nowadays the population growth is considerable - 16% in the last ten years. Vilafranca, the capital of Alt Penedès, has more than 30,000 inhabitants - 2/5ths of the total population of the region.  The second biggest town is Sant Sadurní with 10,000 inhabitants, followed by Els Monjos and Gelida with around 5,000 inhabitants each. Most of the towns have between 800 and 2,000 inhabitants. It is a surprising feature that the population is widely distributed: the masies, surrounded by vineyards, are one of the visual attractions of the region as well as the small forest groups located on the irregular parts of the plain, pine trees –predominant in the mountain areas - and some vegetable lines near riversides and torrents. 

Data from Alt Penedès

Extension: 592 km2
Population: 86,845  (2001)
Capital: Vilafranca del Penedès: 33,502  (2003)
Towns: 27



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