With its infrastructures, mild climate, long beaches, wide range of cultural and leisure activities, its location half an hour from both Barcelona and Tarragona, and close to many first class tourist attractions… Vilanova i la Geltrú is an ideal destination for MICE tourism.
Vilanova i la Geltrú has a wide range of activities and spaces, from MICE spaces to restaurants and an infinite number of shops.
In this article we detail the range of venues in the city and explain why Vilanova i la Geltrú is the ideal location to organize your event, whether it is professional, sporting, recreational…
The strategic location of Vilanova i la Geltrú is one of the main assets of the capital of Garraf as a MICE tourism destination. Half an hour from both Barcelona and Tarragona, Vilanova i la Geltrú has an extensive communications network and is easily accessible by private car, train, bus and even by sea.
From Barcelona airport it takes only 35 minutes to get to Vilanova i la Geltrú. From Barcelona-Sants AVE station, in 45 minutes, and from Camp de Tarragona station, in 50 minutes.
A city open to the sea
Vilanova i la Geltrú is the Mediterranean at its best. Its character is that of a historic seafaring town, which today has one of the most important fishing ports in Catalonia. And this can be seen in the delicious local gastronomy on offer, with star products such as Vilanova prawns and dishes such as xató de or bull de tonyina.
For visitors, one of Vilanova i la Geltrú’s strong points is the combination of a mild climate all year round and more than six kilometers of wide beaches, with fine golden sand and calm, shallow waters. The town belongs to the Costa Barcelona tourist area, and can boast of being a paradise far from the tourist overcrowding of other towns along the coast.
In addition to the fishing port, Vilanova also has an important marina and a marina specializing in large boats.
An environment full of possibilities for all kinds of events.
If we look inland, Vilanova i la Geltrú is surrounded by a privileged natural environment. Here we find the natural parks of El Garraf, Olèrdola and El Foix, and the vineyards of the D.O. Penedès. Active and sustainable tourism activities, among others, are endless.
A little further on, in a diameter of a few kilometers around the city, there are tourist attractions of all kinds: charming towns such as Sitges, the Montserrat massif, the Cistercian monasteries, the Port Aventura theme park… A wealth of heritage, landscapes and leisure activities.
A great cultural and festive heritage
The urban layout of Vilanova i la Geltrú includes one of the longest promenades in Catalonia. The city treasures a great architectural heritage in the form of monuments, buildings, palaces, churches, squares full of history, and even the castle of La Geltrú, which offers its unique courtyard to host events of all kinds.
Up to seven museums make up an outstanding cultural offer. Some of them are available as venues for the organization of your event, such as the Railway Museum of Catalonia, the Can Papiol Romantic Museum or the Victor Balaguer Library-Museum.
There is a great cultural and leisure offer, with a festive heritage headed by one of the biggest carnivals in Catalonia.
MICE Spaces
Vilanova i la Geltrú has a wide and varied range of venues available for holding all kinds of MICE events. These are some of the most important spaces:
Railway Museum of Catalonia
It houses one of the best collections of steam locomotives in Europe, with more than fifty railway vehicles. It offers various spaces for organizing events, both indoors and outdoors.
Neàpolis
This Technology and Ideas Space is a meeting point for companies, professionals and entrepreneurs. It hosts innovation activities, technological dissemination, scientific congresses… It has an auditorium with a capacity for 200 people and other indoor and outdoor spaces.
Higher Polytechnic School of Engineering of Vilanova i la Geltrú
This is the university reference point in El Garraf. It offers various degrees in Engineering, Marine Sciences and Technologies and master’s degrees. It has classrooms, study rooms, meeting rooms and a large assembly hall with capacity for up to 190 people.
Can Papiol Romantic Museum
This house-museum is located right in the center of Vilanova i la Geltrú, and its rooms evoke the daily life of a wealthy family in the 19th century. Its most emblematic space for holding events is the large romantic garden. In addition, on the fourth floor there are three open-plan rooms that offer a wide range of possibilities.
Castell de La Geltrú
In the historic center of La Geltrú stands this castle built on the base of an old medieval fortress. It currently houses the Regional Historical Archive, and offers a very special setting for holding small-scale events in its stone courtyard. It can hold up to 100 people.
Víctor Balaguer Museum Library
It is located next to a large nineteenth-century garden, and was one of the first buildings in Catalonia to be built specifically for use as a museum. It is possible to organize events in the library, the noble house and the gardens.
Masia d’en Cabanyes
This neoclassical-style farmhouse was declared a Cultural Asset of National Interest by the Generalitat de Catalunya in 2014. The Romantic poet Manuel de Cabanyes lived here, and it currently houses the Romanticism Research Centre. Various spaces are rented out for private, social and business events: the Sala de las Bóvedas, the Sala Alexandre de Cabanyes, the porticoed gallery and the gardens.
Eduard Toldrà Auditorium
A modern auditorium (built in 2011) fully prepared for holding shows, conferences and congresses. It has a room for catering services and two halls with 409 and 150 seats.
La Daurada
A multi-purpose, Mediterranean multi-purpose space, completely overlooking the sea, capable of adapting to all needs. A space for large-scale events, unique in Catalonia, with a concert hall, restaurants, terraces, discotheque and private cove... It has a private car park.
Teatre Principal
It was built in 1835 in the Italian style of the time, and today it is the main theater of the city. It has a capacity for more than 300 people.
Other outstanding venues are the Club Nàutic Vilanova and the Xalet del Nin, among many others.
Other facilities
In addition to all these facilities, there are many sports facilities of all kinds, ranging from skateboarding to athletics, swimming, paddle tennis, basketball, handball, figure skating…
In short, Vilanova i la Geltrú is a quality MICE tourism destination that offers many possibilities for organizing your next event.
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