Arenys de Mar facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Arenys de Mar
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Municipality
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 Arenys de Mar
Location in Catalonia
Arenys de Mar
Location in Spain
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| Country |  Spain |
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| Community |  Catalonia |
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| Province | Barcelona | ||
| Comarca | Maresme | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 6.8 km2 (2.6 sq mi) | ||
| Elevation | 10 m (30 ft) | ||
| Population
(2018)
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| • Total | 15,533 | ||
| • Density | 2,284/km2 (5,920/sq mi) | ||
| Demonyms | Arenyenc, arenyenca | ||
| Postal code |
08350
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Arenys de Mar is a lovely town located in Catalonia, Spain. Its name means "sands by the sea" in the Catalan language. This is because it sits right on the coast, unlike its neighbor, Arenys de Munt, which is "sands up hill."
Arenys de Mar is one of the main towns in the Maresme area of Barcelona Province. It's about 40 kilometers (25 miles) northeast of the big city of Barcelona. In 2022, about 16,155 people lived there.
For many years, Arenys' harbor was the only port along the northern coast of Barcelona. The town has beautiful beaches with coarse sand. These beaches are surrounded by hills that go all the way down to the sea. From here, you can even see parts of the nearby Costa Brava.
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Cool Places to See in Arenys de Mar
Arenys de Mar has some interesting spots to explore! The beaches here are quite big and are made of coarse, grainy sand. They are perfect for a sunny day out.
One of the most important buildings is the Parish Church of Santa Maria. It has a beautiful old altarpiece, called a reredo, which was made in 1704 by a sculptor named Pau Costa. It's a real work of art!
Along Church Street, you'll find two cool museums that are part of the Arenys de Mar Museum.
- The Marés Museum of Lace-making shows off the delicate art of making lace.
- The Mollfulleda Museum of Mineralogy is full of amazing rocks and minerals.
You can also spot some old defense towers around town. These were built a long time ago to protect the town from pirates!
The Arenys Cemetery, also known as Cementiri de Sinera, is a special place. It's built on top of a hill called Turó de la Pietat and offers great views.
What People Do Here: Economy and Culture
Arenys de Mar is an important center for its region. The main way people make a living here is through fishing and everything related to it. There are also new industrial areas being built. While farming has become less common, growing fruits and vegetables is still important.
The harbor is super important for the Maresme region. It's where almost all the fishing boats in the area are based. Every afternoon, when the boats come back, there's a lively fish auction where the day's catch is sold. The port also has lots of space for yachts, and many sailing boats stop here during their trips across the Mediterranean Sea. Building and repairing ships is still a big local business too.
The Riera is like the town's main street and shopping area. It's actually a dry riverbed that becomes the center of all activity. The market, which is in a cool old building, is open every morning and on Friday afternoons. It's always busy and full of people! On Saturday mornings, the Riera turns into a big weekly street market.
Arenys de Mar also celebrates two fun village festivals:
- One is for Saint Zenon on July 9th.
- The other is for Saint Roc on August 16th.
- A big fair happens on Saint Joan's Day, June 24th.
The town also has several schools. There's a grammar school, a special school for chicken farming, a music school, and places where you can learn the old craft of lace-making.
Getting Around Arenys de Mar
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Arenys de Mar is easy to reach! It's about 47 kilometers (29 miles) from Barcelona by road. You can take the N-II road or the A-19 highway. There's also a train, the R1 line, that takes you right to Plaça de Catalunya in the center of Barcelona in about 50 minutes.
If you want to explore the countryside, the B-511 road connects you to the A-7 highway. This means you can easily get to the beautiful Montseny massif or the Natural Parks of Montnegre and Corredor.
Girona is about 60 kilometers (37 miles) away, and a trip to the famous Montserrat mountain takes just over an hour.
For flying, there are two airports nearby:
- Barcelona International Airport is about 56 kilometers (35 miles) away.
- Girona-Costa Brava Airport is closer, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) away.
Arenys de Mar also has a local bus line that connects it to nearby towns like Arenys de Munt and Sant Iscle de Vallalta.
Famous People from Arenys de Mar
Many interesting people have come from Arenys de Mar:
- Santa Paula Montal (1799–1889) was born here. She started a group of nuns called the Daughters of Mary, Sisters of the Pious Schools.
- Fidel Fita i Colomer was a Jesuit priest who became the director of the Royal Academy of History of Spain.
- Salvador Espriu (1913–1985), a famous poet, is buried in the town.
- Cesc Fàbregas (born 1987) is a well-known footballer.
- Sergi Gomez (born 1992) is also a footballer.
Images for kids
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Calisay building in Arenys de Mar
See also
In Spanish: Arenys de Mar para niños
