la Torre del Baró

La Torre del Baró rises on a ridge of the Collserola mountain range, overlooking northeastern Barcelona and its surrounding valleys. Its medieval-inspired form includes rounded windows, a pointed entrance arch, battlements, and an unfinished square tower without a roof. Designed around the early twentieth century by Josep Torres i Argullol, the building was intended as a hotel or sanatorium within a planned garden city.

Construction never reached completion, giving the masonry structure a ruin-like character from the beginning. During the Spanish Civil War, anti-aircraft batteries occupied the site, which later served briefly as a concentration camp. After abandonment and decay, the building became a meeting point for neighbourhood movements during the 1970s. Restoration completed in 2014 preserved the original walls and arches while adding black varnished iron railings, exhibition panels, and a new staircase.

The enclosed ground floor now contains an information centre for Collserola Natural Park, with ceramic tiles, a granite counter, and large photographic panels. Above it, open-air levels lead towards broad views across Barcelona and the metropolitan valleys. A large viewpoint at the base adds another place to take in the landscape. Around the structure, masonry, brick, concrete, and iron reveal the different periods that shaped this local heritage site.