A Gaudí garden at the bottom of the valley, above the Llobregat
The Jardins Artigas are a small garden tucked into the bottom of the Llobregat valley at the northern edge of La Pobla de Lillet. You can walk round them in under an hour, and they make much more sense if you arrive knowing what to look for.
A great deal has been written about Gaudí and about these gardens. What is rarely explained is what matters on the day: where you go in, where you leave the car, whether the Tren del Ciment is worth it, how children and older visitors get on inside, and what to combine it with so that you do not make the trip just for a forty-minute stroll. That comes first. The history, short and with its sources, is at the end.
- Where: in La Pobla de Lillet, a little over a kilometre in a straight line north of the old town, beside the river. Coordinates 42.253352, 1.975907, at 888 m above sea level.
- Getting there: by car from the centre, following the road without crossing the last bridge towards the Ripoll road, or on the Tren del Ciment, which drops visitors at the gardens themselves.
- Parking: the gardens have their own car park, according to the local tourist office.
- Time: about 40 minutes to see them calmly, which is the length of visit the tourist office recommends.
- Mobility: the entrance has steps and the paths inside deal with changes in level by means of steps. It is not adapted for people with reduced mobility or for wheelchairs.
- Opening times and tickets: they vary with the season; check them on the La Pobla de Lillet tourism website before you go.
Visited and photographed by Josep Heras Gomis, who has a house at the masia del Pati in Borredà and explores the Lillet valley and the Catllaràs range every season. The gardens are part of his off-road and walking route through La Pobla de Lillet, the Fonts del Llobregat and the Catllaràs range, published on Wikiloc. The historical data come from the sources listed at the end of the page. Last revised: September 2026.
Car or Tren del Ciment: planning how you arrive
There are two sensible ways to get there, and the choice shapes the rest of the day.
By car. From the centre of La Pobla follow the road that runs through the village, passing the Pont de la Petita. When you reach the last bridge, the one that crosses towards the Ripoll road, do not cross it: carry straight on northwards until you see the signs for the gardens. It is a short, easy drive. Given the distance, anyone staying in the village can also consider walking it.
On the Tren del Ciment. The tourist train leaves from the Tren del Ciment museum at the entrance to La Pobla and runs straight to the gardens and to the Asland Cement Museum. In our experience you should allow about three hours for the return journey and the two visits. It is the best option with children or if you want to do both without moving the car. Timetables and fares are on the train's official website.
If time is short, the most practical plan is to drive, see the gardens and continue by road to the Clot del Moro and Castellar de n'Hug.
The gardens and what lies around them
| Point | What it is | Link with the gardens | Coordinates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jardins Artigas | Garden designed by Gaudí for the Artigas family | The subject of this page | 42.253352, 1.975907 |
| Pont de la Petita | Medieval bridge in the village | You drive past it on the way | 42.244159, 1.975424 |
| Museu del Tren del Ciment | Station and museum of the tourist train | Departure point of the train that stops at the gardens | 42.241366, 1.964446 |
| Museu del Ciment | Former Asland factory at the Clot del Moro | The train's second stop; same industrial story | 42.260416, 1.977999 |
Coordinates taken by GPS on the ground. The gardens and the train museum are in the municipality of La Pobla de Lillet; the Museu del Ciment is in Castellar de n'Hug.
Jardins Artigas
The river runs through the garden, between large rocks and native vegetation, and the whole design is arranged around the water. The first thing you see from above is the bridge of arches: a walkway over the riverbed topped by a row of rough stone arches, with a staircase going down one side. It is the best-known image of the garden, and the best overall view is from the upper path, before you go down.
The route links another bridge with a staircase, a raised gazebo that serves as a lookout, a grotto with arches, a waterfall and several fountains. Scattered around the garden are symbolic figures: the four evangelists, an eagle, a lion and snakes. The Ruta del Modernisme guides give these elements their names, such as the Pont dels Arcs, the Pont d'Escala, the Font del Bou or the Font del Lleó; it is worth reading the panels at each point.
Look closely at the details: railings, benches and posts imitate trunks and cut branches, and at first glance it is hard to tell what has grown and what has been built. That confusion is exactly the idea behind the garden.
Getting there: from the centre of La Pobla, along the road through the village without taking the last bridge towards Ripoll, straight on northwards to the signs. With the Tren del Ciment, the stop is at the gardens themselves.
Coordinates: 42.253352, 1.975907 · 888 m above sea level · open in map
What surprises, what disappoints and when to take photos
What surprises is how well everything blends with the river and the hillside. Rather than flowers, what you find is rock, water, shade and corners to sit in. The fountain in the photo, with water trickling down a wall of porous stone into a pebble-lined pool, is a good example of that mix.
It may disappoint anyone expecting a miniature Park Güell. It is a short garden for a quiet stroll, and much of what you see is the result of the restoration of the 1990s: the current sculptures, for instance, are by Ramon Millet i Domènech, not original pieces.
Photos. The garden lies at the bottom of a narrow valley under tall trees. In strong sun there is a lot of contrast between the lit areas and the shade, as you can see in our pictures; the bridge of arches photographs well from the upper path when the light falls full on it. On overcast days the contrast drops and the green of the vegetation comes out more evenly.
With children. The route is short and full of bridges, steps and nooks, which is what children usually enjoy. The railings overlook the river in several places: better to hold hands on the bridges.
The garden and the Xalet del Catllaràs: two works from the same journey
The Jardins Artigas cannot be explained without the Xalet del Catllaràs, which stands up in the range, some three kilometres south in a straight line and a good deal more by forest track. Both came out of the same industrial project: Eusebi Güell had set up the Asland cement works at the Clot del Moro, fuelled by coal from the Catllaràs mines, and he commissioned Gaudí to design the building for the mines' engineers.
During his stays in the valley, Gaudí lodged with the Artigas family, who owned one of the most prosperous textile mills in the area. As a token of thanks, he gave them the design for a garden on the land the family owned right in front of their house and mill. That is how these gardens came about.
With a full day, the natural pairing is to see the gardens in the morning and go up to the Xalet in the afternoon, passing the Catllaràs coal mines that gave meaning to it all. Access to the Xalet is by forest track: it is explained on its own page.
A short history, with its sources
At the beginning of the twentieth century Eusebi Güell i Bacigalupi founded at the Clot del Moro the first Portland cement works in Catalonia, known as Asland. The distance between the Catllaràs coal mines and the village led him to commission Antoni Gaudí to design the Xalet del Catllaràs as housing for the mine workers and engineers (the author's book, 2018; La Pobla de Lillet tourism website).
While he was working in the valley, Gaudí stayed at the home of the textile industrialist Joan Artigas i Alart, and designed the garden as a token of thanks (Spanish and English Wikipedia). The sources do not agree on the exact date: some place the design in 1904 and others the construction between 1905 and 1906, the same years in which Gaudí was building Park Güell in Barcelona. That is why we leave it here as the first years of the twentieth century.
When the Artigas family left the village, the garden was abandoned for decades; here too the sources differ on when the neglect began. In the early 1970s an article revealed that it was Gaudí's work, and in the early 1990s it was restored under the supervision of the Càtedra Gaudí. Today it is owned by the municipality and open to visitors (Ruta del Modernisme de Barcelona; Wikipedia).
Sources consulted: Josep Heras Gomis, Ruta Tot Terreny i Senderisme per la Pobla de Lillet, Fonts Llobregat i Catllaràs (2018); Turisme La Pobla de Lillet; Ruta del Modernisme de Barcelona; Wikipedia.
How to organise it and where to stay
On their own, the gardens are a visit of less than an hour. It makes sense to fit them into a longer day in the valley. With the Tren del Ciment you do them together with the museum at the Clot del Moro. By car, you can link them with a walk round the old town of La Pobla de Lillet and its medieval bridges, which are on the way, and then carry on to the museum and the Fonts del Llobregat in Castellar de n'Hug.
Anyone wanting to complete the Gaudí side has the Xalet del Catllaràs up in the range, and for a quiet morning in nature, the Catllaràs range and the Falgars sanctuary.
Our three places to stay in La Pobla de Lillet are a few minutes from the gardens, are let whole and take pets at no extra cost:
- Tríplex Cadí: 150 m² on three floors, 5 bedrooms, a fireplace and a wood-fired range.
- Apartment Catllaràs: for 4 people, with 2 bedrooms.
- Adapted apartment: designed for people with reduced mobility.
Frequently asked questions about the Jardins Artigas
How much time do you need to see the Jardins Artigas?
About 40 minutes to walk round them calmly, according to the La Pobla de Lillet tourist office. If you go on the Tren del Ciment and also visit the Cement Museum, allow about three hours in total.
Where do you park to visit the gardens?
The gardens have their own car park. You drive there from the centre of La Pobla by following the road without crossing the last bridge towards Ripoll and carrying straight on northwards to the signs.
Are they accessible by wheelchair or pushchair?
No. The entrance has steps and the paths inside have changes in level with steps, so they are not accessible for people with reduced mobility. With small children a baby carrier is better than a pushchair.
Why is there a Gaudí garden in La Pobla de Lillet?
Gaudí was working on the Xalet del Catllaràs, commissioned by Eusebi Güell for the engineers of the coal mines, and he stayed at the home of the textile industrialist Joan Artigas i Alart. As a token of thanks he designed the garden in front of his house and mill.
Can you get there on the Tren del Ciment?
Yes. The tourist train leaves from the Tren del Ciment museum in La Pobla de Lillet and stops at the gardens and at the Cement Museum at the Clot del Moro. Timetables and fares are on the train's official website.
What can you combine with the visit?
The old town of La Pobla de Lillet and its medieval bridges, the Asland Cement Museum, the Fonts del Llobregat in Castellar de n'Hug and, to complete the Gaudí side, the Xalet del Catllaràs up in the range.