Educational farm route
Did you know that, far from containing only urban allotments, the farmhouses of Can Cadena (Sant Martí) and Can Mestres (Sants-Montjuïc) also feature two farms with sheep, goats, ducks, rabbits, geese and chickens?
Come along to see them and take the educational tour available at each site. You don't have to leave Barcelona to learn more about the lives of farm animals, organic farming and urban biodiversity.
Immerse yourself in the most iconic aspects of rural life, which until the mid-20th century could also be found in Barcelona city.
The Can Cadena and Can Mestres farmhouses
Can Cadena and Can Mestres represent Catalonia's traditional farmhouse dedicated to horticulture and livestock farming, with production for self-sufficiency and small-scale sales. They currently feature an urban farm, a classroom for gardening and environmental education and an area with allotments.
The aim of these facilities is to encourage the public to observe and experiment with organic agriculture and livestock farming, teaching visitors, schoolchildren and families about traditional farming practices.
Can Cadena
Can Cadena is a farmhouse built in the Catalan rural style of the 17th and 18th centuries that appears in the Inventory of Architectural Heritage of Catalonia as a Cultural Asset of Local Interest. In the past, it was a stopover for those travelling to Barcelona, where cart drivers who stayed overnight at the Sant Martí de Provençals rectory hostel would store their carts and livestock. It was part of a small urban centre that included the parish church and other rural buildings.
Can Mestres
Can Mestres started life as a small single-story farmhouse built in the early 20th century. It is one of the oldest farmhouses in Barcelona and remains as evidence of the significant amount of agricultural and livestock activity that used to take place in the fields of La Marina, in the Llobregat river delta. In 1997, Can Mestres became the first member of the Municipal Allotment Network established by the Barcelona City Council.
