Logbook · 6 places

What to see and do in els Prats de Rei

What to see and do in els Prats de Rei (Anoia, Barcelona): 6 places across monuments, nature, activities and curiosities, with a photo and a Google Maps location.

1 Villages · 3 Monuments · 2 Historical milestones

How far each place is from the centre of els Prats de Rei

Towns near els Prats de Rei

What to see in Calaf 3.6 km · 8 places
What to see in Sant Martí Sesgueioles 4.3 km · 2 places
What to see in Sant Pere Sallavinera 4.4 km · 1 place
What to see in Veciana 7 km · 4 places
What to see in Rubió 7.2 km · 7 places
What to see in Copons 7.9 km · 3 places
What to see in Calonge de Segarra 8.2 km · 5 places
What to see in Aguilar de Segarra 8.3 km · 3 places

Spain › Catalonia › Barcelona › Anoia › els Prats de Rei

What to see and do in els Prats de Rei

Els Prats de Rei
Village
Els Prats de Rei is a medieval walled town in the north of l'Anoia, with the castle of la Manresana and the castle of Puigdemàger, on the high plateau of la Segarra; it has 554 inhabitants (INE 2025), and between 1842 and 1981 its official name was Prats del Rey. The main centre is grouped around the church of Santa María, and to the south of the municipality stands the Torre de la Manresana, a watchtower with remains of a medieval castle documented since 1034. Its climate, of Mediterranean-continental transition, does not prevent its cereal harvests from being among the highest in Catalonia. The economy, once centred almost entirely on agriculture, has diversified with small industries in clothing, carpentry, sawmilling and metalworking.
Tower of el castell de la Manresana
Monument
The Torre de la Manresana is a watchtower located in the hamlet of la Manresana, in els Prats de Rei (Anoia), declared a cultural asset of national interest. Documented since around 1034, the current construction dates from the 12th century, which suggests it replaced an earlier building; its terrace stands at a height of 21 metres. It is a cylindrical tower of Romanesque origin, the only element in good condition of the old medieval border castle, and from it the landscape of the comarca is overlooked, with the bell towers of els Prats de Rei and Calaf and the towers of the castle of Boixadors; the access door is at a height of 11 metres and is reached by an outside staircase. During the War of the Spanish Succession it was a key setting for clashes between Habsburg and Bourbon supporters.
Castle of Puigdemàger
Monument
Documented since 1070 and mentioned again in the 1359 hearth-tax census (fogatge) of Cervera; today only ruined structures survive around the church, which once formed the small settlement of Puigdemàger, at 694 m altitude. In 1390 its jurisdiction passed to Galceran de Calders, reverting after the townspeople paid to recover their privileges as a royal town. An Asset of National Cultural Interest (BCIN 1840-MH).
Sant Andreu de la Manresana
Monument
Single-nave church located in the hamlet of la Manresana, in the municipality of els Prats de Rei, included in the Inventory of the Architectural Heritage of Catalonia. It has a quadrangular apse, a single lateral chapel and a pointed vault of rough construction; the lateral walls, of Romanesque origin, have a sloping, talus-like form, while the façade, crowned by a bell-gable and with a rose window above the door, was remade in a simple Baroque style in the 18th century. The original construction, in Romanesque style, underwent extensions over time, among them that of the 18th century and a restoration in 1931. On the left lateral façade, stones decorated with plant motifs and stonemasons' marks are preserved, possibly medieval.
Settlement charter of els Prats de Rei
Historical milestone
On 6 December 1188 Alfons the Chaste granted the place the statute of royal villa with franchises, a weekly market and an annual fair. The privilege fixed the layout of the settlement and its role as agricultural head of the Calaf plateau.
The Prats de Rei front in the War of the Spanish Succession
Historical milestone
In the autumn of 1711 the allied army of Guido von Starhemberg entrenched itself at Prats de Rei facing the Bourbon troops of the Duke of Vendôme. The lines remained facing each other for months without a decisive battle, in a key episode of the conflict in Catalonia.