Vallès Occidental


Vallès Occidental is a comarca in Catalonia, Spain. Sabadell, one of the economical powerhouses of Catalonia, is the comarcal capital. Along with Vallès Oriental it forms the grand comarca of Vallès.

Physical geography

Vallès Occidental borders the comarques of Bages, Vallès Oriental, Baix Llobregat, and Barcelonès. It centers on the Catalan prelittoral depression, limited to the west by the River Llobregat and to the east by the River Caldes. The northern part of the comarca is mountainous. From west to east, it contains part of the Obac range ; the massifs of Sant Llorenç de Munt and Puig de la Creu ; and the Sant Sadurní and Farell cliffs. At the south of the comarca is the Collserola range, which forms part of the Catalan Littoral. Between these various ranges is the valley that gives its name to the comarca.
The valley actually composes two separate watersheds, the basins of the Llobregat and Besòs.
The Llobregat watershed lies to the west of the axis that runs from Obac to Tibidabo, passing through Matadepera, Sant Quirze del Vallès, Bellaterra, and Sant Cugat del Vallès. Tributaries of the Llobregat include the Canyamssos, the Rubí and the Vallvidrera. East of that axis, the watershed of the Besòs includes the rivers Ripoll and Caldes,.

Major natural parks

Vallès Occidental has several notable official hiking trails, known as
"senders de gran recorregut".
Industry is concentrated in the south, coinciding with the flattest land in the comarca. The principal industrial cities are the capital Sabadell as well as Terrassa, Rubí and Cerdanyola del Vallès. The most important industries are textiles, mechanical engineering, metallurgy, machinery, electrical equipment, construction, chemicals, paper, and the processing of food products. An industrial crisis at the end of the 1970s and the beginning of the 1980s led to a greater importance for the commercial and service sectors, especially computer-related work.
The north remains primarily rural. Many of the residences there now function as second homes.

Municipalities

Transportation

Much of Catalonia's transportation network passes through Vallès Occidental, with roads, railroads, etc. crossing the valley in various directions.

Motorways

Both railroad companies that operate in Catalonia have lines in Vallès Occidental. RENFE's Barcelona-Lleida line passes through Manresa.
The Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya have the "Metro del Vallès", connecting Barcelona to Sabadell and Terrassa.

Airports

Most air traffic for Vallès Occidental comes through Prat airport in neighboring Baix Llobregat. Sabadell Airport is used for sport flying, as a base for firemen, and for air freight.