The Natural Park of Montserrat Mountain is an important religious spot due to the Benedictine Monastery that stands there. Montserrat is the most important religious destination in Catalonia —the Moreneta (“Little Brunette”), the patron black virgin of Catalonia is venerated there; but it is also a destination of a large number of trekking routes. The Natural Park of Sant Llorenç del Munt and L’Obac stretches between the regions of Bages and the Western and Eastern Vallès. It is part of the Prelitoral mountain chain, whose highest peaks are the Montcau and the Mola, where the Romanesque monastery of Sant Llorenç del Munt stands. The Natural Park of Montseny, with large forests that have their best specimens of beeches and fir trees in the high valley of Santa Fe, includes mountains as visited as the Turó de l’Home, Les Agudes and the Matagalls.
Some outstanding elements of the architectural heritage in Central Catalonia are the Romanesque churches of Sant Miquel and Santa Maria, as well as the House-Museum Alegre de Sagrera in Terrassa; Casa Turull, Casa Duran and the bell tower of Sant Fèlix in Sabadell; the Romanesque monastery of Sant Cugat del Vallès; the Porxada, ancient cereal guild from the 16th century; the Renaissance church of Santa Maria and the 17th century cloister of the Piarist Convent in Igualada; the Gothic basilica of Santa Maria de la Seu is the symbol of Manresa and the fortress of the castle is the symbol of Cardona. In Lleida, the old cathedral (Seu Vella) from the 13th century is the dominant element of the city.
From the mid 19th century, the Industrial Revolution left its footprint on many regions of Central Catalonia as an industrial heritage. Terrassa has a Science and Technology Museum that has been built on the ancient factory of Vapor Aymerich and the wool factory of Vapor Buxeda Vell in Sabadell. Not forgetting the salt mountain of the mines of Cardona, or the Paper Mill Museum in Capellades.
There are many activities available in inland Catalonia: hot-air balloon routes, mid-mountain trekking, quad routes, archery, horse-riding routes, chariot routes and many more.
Prestigious products of Central Catalonia are for example wines —the best wines of the Guarantee of Origin Pla de Bages; the hygrophorus mushroom from Cardona, the little chickpea from Alta Anoia, the dry-cured pork sausage from Vic, the kidney bean and the milk curd from Montserrat.
