Are you planning a trip to Catalonia and looking for a charming town to explore? Look no further than Vilafranca del Penedès. This historic town, founded in the 12th century, sits at the heart of the Penedès wine region, and between its relaxed village feel, its Modernista architecture and its serious wine credentials, it rewards travellers who like to dig a little deeper than the average day-tripper.
The town dates back to the 12th century. During the Middle Ages, Vilafranca del Penedès played an important role as a border town between the Christian and Moorish lands, and the Count of Barcelona granted it special privileges that helped it become the most populous town in the Penedès region.
In the 19th century, Vilafranca del Penedès became known for its wine production. The town’s location and climate were perfect for growing grapes, and its wines quickly gained a reputation for quality. Today, Vilafranca del Penedès is still considered the wine capital of the region.
Best Wine Experiences in Vilafranca del Penedès
If you only have time for a handful of things, make it these:
- Cava at sunset from the top of the Santa Maria bell tower
- Wine tasting at Taverna de Vinseum, with 200+ Catalan wines by the glass
- The Bar a Vins trail — 18 wine bars and a stamped passport to work through
- A Torres winery tour, complete with a small train ride through the vineyards
- Freixenet’s cava cellars in nearby Sant Sadurní d’Anoia
- Lunch at El Celleret, the Torres estate restaurant, with Montserrat on the horizon
Things to Do in Vilafranca del Penedès
1. See the Basilica of Santa Maria
One of the most impressive landmarks in Vilafranca del Penedes is the Basilica of Santa Maria. This stunning Romanesque church dates back to the 13th century and is known for its beautiful gargoyles and intricate carvings. Inside, you’ll find a variety of religious art and artifacts, including a 15th-century altarpiece by artist Jaume Huguet. The door on the side wall is actually original.
Opening hours vary throughout the week and by season, so check the current schedule before visiting — either on the Basilica’s own website or at the Vilafranca tourism office on arrival.
2. Drink Cava at the Top of the Santa Maria Bell Tower
One of the most impressive elements of the Basilica Santa Maria church is its 60-meter-tall bell tower, the Campanario de Santa Maria. And I can’t think of a better way to experience this tower than to climb it at sunset and have a glass of wine at the top!
Walking up the bell tower requires the navigation of a rather small spiral staircase. The first stop is a small interior room with a beautiful weather vane represented as an angel. You’ll also see the cells where the monks slept. The monks could ring more than 27 different sounds, announcing religious and social events.
The top terrace is 52 meters up and has fantastic views over Penedès. This is where you can enjoy a glass of wine and watch the sunset.
The sunset visits to the bell tower are still going strong, run by the local tourism board every Saturday through the summer. The bell tower building is independent of the church and located right next to it — book through the tourism office, as spots are limited.
3. Walk the Art Nouveau Trail
In Catalonia, Art Nouveau is known as Modernisme. This style erupted in Penedès after the phylloxera disaster wiped out many of the region’s grapes towards the end of the 19th century, and the wine fortunes that followed converted Vilafranca from a rural town into a small city.
Today there are still many beautiful examples of Modernisme in Vilafranca del Penedes, and the town has put together an art nouveau route. The tour starts at the Basilica of Santa Maria and has 20 stops in the town’s historic center. Be sure to keep an eye out for the Casa Miró, considered one of the best examples of Art Nouveau in the region.
4. Learn About Human Towers
One of the most unique and exciting cultural experiences in Vilafranca del Penedès is witnessing the Catalan tradition of Castellers. These human towers are a symbol of unity and teamwork, and they are truly a sight to behold. The Plaça de la Vila is where human towers are created on key festivals and holidays, and the public can watch both the main performance and the rehearsals.
Vilafranca del Penedes has three casteller teams with over 1,500 members between them. If you’re visiting town outside of a festival or holiday, you can still learn more about the town’s human towers at the Castellers Exhibition.
5. Learn About the History of Wine at Vinseum
The Vinseum is dedicated to the vineyard and wine. It was the first wine museum in Spain when it was established in the 1930s. The museum has just come through a complete transformation — eight years of building work culminated in a grand reopening in November 2024 — and honestly, the new museum is well worth the wait.
The expansion added a whole new building alongside the historic Royal Palace, with permanent exhibitions spread across six floors: a ground-floor “wine square” that’s free to enter, a basement exhibit on the museum’s origins and the roots of Penedès itself, and several floors tracing the full culture of Catalan wine, from vine to glass. Give yourself at least a couple of hours to do it justice, and don’t skip the museum shop for local wines you won’t find elsewhere.
Vinseum also runs regular wine-tasting events, an international wine festival in the summer, a wine cinema festival competition in November, site visits and concerts.
But best of all, Vinseum has a brilliant on-site wine bar called Taverna de Vinseum. They serve a huge range of wines by the glass (200 from Catalonia alone) as well as some fantastic local meats and cheeses. I loved my visit to Taverna de Vinseum and the delightful sommelier Enric. Don’t miss it when in Vilafranca Del Penedes — it’s the perfect way to cap off a museum visit.
6. Hit the Bar a Vins Trail
The Bar a Vins trail now runs through 18 wine bars and restaurants in the historic old town of Vilafranca Del Penedes, each pouring a glass of DO Penedès wine alongside its own tapa. Taverna de Vinseum is on the list, and I also visited L’Angelus, which has outdoor seating facing the Santa Maria church.
There’s a Bar a Vins passport, and if you get it stamped at every stop, the tourism office will give you a bottle of DO Penedès wine as a gift.
The Bar a Vins trail is one of my favorite ways to spend an afternoon in Vilafranca. Most of the wine bars open late morning and stay open through early evening, though a few close between lunch and dinner service. You don’t need to hit all 18 in one day — I’d pick four or five that appeal to you and take your time at each one. The passport is free from the tourism office, and getting it stamped is half the fun. Even if you don’t complete the whole trail, you’ll discover some excellent local wines and meet passionate bar owners who love talking about Penedès wine culture.
7. Visit the Saturday Market
The Saturday market is held in the old center of Vilafranca on Rambla de Sant Francesc between 8am and 2pm. There are generally over 200 stalls selling products from all over Catalonia.
8. Admire the Town’s Street Art
In addition to all the beautiful historic buildings in the historic part of Vilafranca Del Penedes there is also loads of modern street art in town. If you follow the art nouveau trail or the wine bar trail, you’ll walk past the majority of the street art in town.
Each piece of art has a QR code that provides more information on the piece as well as the artist.
9. Eat Black Rooster
The black rooster is the star of Penedès cuisine. Every year before Christmas a rooster fair is held in Vilafranca del Penedes, but if you are visiting at another time of year you can enjoy black rooster at many of the town’s restaurants.
I tried some very tasty black rooster cannelloni with a cream sauce at the outstanding Cal Blay Origens in nearby Sant Sadurni d’Anoia — still going strong and still doing that seasonal, market-driven menu Catalan food does so well. Find out more about it in the next section.
10. Take a Day Trip to Sant Sadurni d’Anoia
The lovely town of Sant Sadurni d’Anoia is a short drive or train ride from Vilafranca Del Penedes — check current Rodalies/Renfe timetables before you go, as schedules can shift. Sant Sadurni d’Anoia is the home town of cava, with numerous cava wineries in town running tastings and tours.
I highly recommend visiting Freixenet for a cava tour and tasting. If you take the train, Freixenet is located literally next to the train station, so it couldn’t be more convenient. The standard tour is very reasonably priced and includes two glasses of cava. Or do what I did and enjoy one of their tasting pairings — I can highly recommend the chocolate passion tasting.
Have lunch at the outstanding Cal Blay Origens. Their seasonal menu changes regularly. Cal Blay owns several highly-rated restaurants in Spain and also opened a stunning boutique hotel a few years back (more on that in the where to stay section of this article).
After a tasting and lunch, it’s time for chocolate. Head to Espai Xocolata, the Simon Coll chocolate factory in Sant Sadurni d’Anoia. Take a guided tour of the chocolate production process (which, of course, includes a chocolate tasting), or just head straight for the fantastic shop. I went home with quite a bit of chocolate.
If you want to learn more about cava, head to the Cava Center. There is an immersive exhibition, all the information you could need about tasting cava in Penedès, as well as a tasting space.
11. Visit a Winery – Torres
The Torres family has been making wine in Penedès for three centuries. The company was founded in 1870, and the fifth generation now runs the winery. Torres runs tours on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays in three different languages.
Take their small train across the vineyards, where you’ll see the sheep and roosters doing a job previously taken care of by tractors. The cava cellars are quite spectacular.
After the train tour it’s time for tasting. The tasting I experienced combined Torres wines with locally sourced, delicious tapas. I followed this with a fantastic lunch at the winery’s restaurant, El Celleret. If the weather permits, make sure to book a table outside so you can enjoy the views all the way to the Montserrat mountains.
Torres
Best Time to Visit Vilafranca del Penedes
Vilafranca de Penedes is a great place to visit all year round, but the best time to visit is between May and November. During these months, the weather is warm and sunny, making it perfect for outdoor activities such as wine tours and hiking. Keep in mind that these months are also peak tourist season, so expect larger crowds and higher prices.
Vinseum
If you prefer to avoid the crowds, consider visiting during the off-season months of December to April. The weather may be cooler, but you’ll have a more peaceful and authentic experience — and you may snag better deals on accommodation and activities.
Vilafranca Del Penedes
If you’d like to read more about Spain check out my articles on the best wineries in Rioja, things to do in San Sebastian, Barcelona landmarks, most beautiful cities in Spain and Spain’s most famous landmarks.
Festivals in Vilafranca del Penedes
Fiesta Mayor de Sant Fèlix runs from 29 August to 2 September every year in honour of the town’s patron saint, with the three central days (29–31 August) the ones to plan around. Expect parades, castellers, concerts and fireworks throughout, with the biggest casteller performance falling on Sant Fèlix’s own day, 30 August. One of the most memorable events is the Correfoc, where people dressed as devils run through the streets with fireworks.
Vilafranca Del Penedes
In May, the town holds its Ferias de Mayo, a multi-sector fair that’s grown well beyond its wine-region roots — think everything from car dealerships to agricultural machinery — but the parts worth a visit are the Plaza del Vino, where you can taste DO Penedès wines and cavas alongside local cheeses and cured meats, and the food-truck strip. There’s usually a casteller display and live music thrown in too, over a long weekend in mid-May.
If you’re planning a trip to Vilafranca de Penedes in September, be sure to check out the town’s annual wine festival. The Harvest Festival is a celebration of the region’s wine-making heritage, and it’s a great opportunity to sample some of the area’s finest wines.
Getting from Barcelona to Vilafranca del Penedès
Getting to Vilafranca del Penedès from Barcelona is straightforward. Renfe trains leave from Barcelona Sants several times an hour and take around 45 minutes — buy your ticket at the station or on the Renfe app, as it’s usually cheaper than a last-minute purchase. If you’re driving, it’s just under an hour via the AP-7 toll highway, exiting at Vilafranca del Penedès; keep some change handy for the tolls.
I’d recommend the train if you’re planning to visit wineries, since you can drink without worrying about the drive back. The town itself sits about 60 kilometers southwest of Barcelona and 30 kilometers east of Tarragona.
Where to Stay in Vilafranca del Penedes
Hotel Mercer Casa Corner i Guell
Located in a Catalan Art Nouveau building that dates back to 1884, this branch of the stylish Mercer Hotels is the perfect place to stay while in Vilafranca del Penedes. It has a brilliant location on the old main square, just a few short steps from the pedestrianised old town center and the Plaza de la Vila.
The hotel has 14 rooms and 3 suites. The interiors are modern and stylish, with flashes of deep reds and browns. My room was on the top floor and had a lovely balcony with views over town.
The ground floor has a bar and a lovely glassed-in conservatory in the back where an excellent buffet breakfast full of locally sourced ingredients is served.
For such a stylish boutique hotel, it remains very reasonably priced compared with similar properties in town.
➡️ Check Availability and Rates for Hotel Mercer Casa Corner i Guell
Mastinell Cava & Boutique Hotel
If you’re after a more decadent stay whilst in Vilafranca del Penedes, check out Mastinell Cava and Boutique Hotel. Its location is not as central as Hotel Mercer Casa Corner i Guell, as it sits just outside town — but this is an award-winning design hotel built to resemble a stack of wine bottles, with a Gaudi-esque mosaic tiled roof.
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Hotel Boutique Font de la Canya
If you’re looking to stay somewhere special when visiting Penedès, I highly recommend the beautiful Hotel Boutique Font de la Canya. The hotel is owned by the Cal Blay Group (I mentioned their restaurant earlier in the article) and is one of the most delightful boutique hotels I have stayed in recently.
Hotel Font de la Canya
The hotel is a 20 minute drive from Vilafranca Del Penedes and sits in the countryside surrounded by olive trees, with amazing views of the Montserrat mountains.
Hotel Font de la Canya
Staying here is like staying at your most stylish friend’s country retreat. The grounds are stunning and beautifully landscaped, with palm trees, olive trees, an outdoor swimming pool and a small lake (there’s another stylish pool inside).
Hotel Font de la Canya
I lost track of how many photos I took of the interior, as it was so inspiring. The design aesthetic is simple, with soft furnishings in shades of stone and grey-green. This carries into the eight beautiful rooms: polished wood floorboards, white walls and ceilings, plants, and plenty of plush pillows and robes.
Hotel Font de la Canya
You will absolutely want to eat all of your meals here when you stay, as the food is amazing. There’s also an honesty bar stocked with local wines (and cava, of course) plus snacks. The ground floor is filled with comfortable shared areas, inside and out, that are perfect for wine tasting.
➡️ Check Availability and Rates for Hotel Font de la Canya
Conclusion
You’ve reached the end of your trip to Vilafranca de Penedes, and hopefully you’ve had a fantastic time exploring the town’s many attractions. From the historic town center to the wineries and vineyards, there’s something for everyone in Vilafranca de Penedes.
If you’re looking for a more rural atmosphere close to Barcelona, Vilafranca de Penedes is the perfect base. The town is surrounded by beautiful countryside, and there are plenty of opportunities to explore the great outdoors.
My trip to Vilafranca del Penedes was sponsored by the Catalan Tourism Board. However, as always, my opinions are my own.
This article contains affiliate links. That means if you click on some of the links in this article and end up making a purchase I may receive a small commission. This helps me to keep this website going.
Amanda O’Brien is the creator and editor of The Boutique Adventurer. She has visited 80 countries and is a member of the British Guild of Travel Writers as well as the IFTWTA. She is passionate about wine had has just completed Level 3 of the WSET. Born in Australia, she lives in London.