Wilderness Landscape & Natural Heritage
Parc Natural de Collserola is a vast protected natural park located immediately northwest of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. Covering approximately 8,000 hectares, it forms one of the largest metropolitan natural parks in the world. The park sits within the Serra de Collserola mountain range, stretching over a belt between Barcelona and the Vallès region. It features a Mediterranean forest ecosystem with holm oak, pine groves, and shrublands that support diverse wildlife including wild boars, foxes, and numerous bird species. Established officially in 1987, the park was created to preserve the natural environment amidst increasing urbanization and to offer residents and visitors a place for outdoor recreation. Collserola has an extensive trail network—over 180 km—where walkers, runners, and mountain bikers can explore quiet forest paths and hilltop lookouts. One of the key landmarks is the iconic Torre de Collserola, a telecommunications tower designed by Norman Foster that doubles as a panoramic viewpoint. The park also contains historical sites, such as ancient Roman ruins and medieval hermitages. Visitors are drawn to Collserola for its easy accessibility from Barcelona’s urban core, its panoramic vistas overlooking the city and the Mediterranean Sea, and the opportunity to encounter a peaceful natural landscape just minutes from a major European city.
