If you don’t know what to do in Caldes de Montbui, and you want to discover this town, from COOLTUR Cultural Tourism we recommend you to visit Can Rius!
Caldes de Montbui is a municipality located in the west of the Vallès Oriental region, a few kilometres from the city of Barcelona.
At present, this municipality is made up of the villages of Caldes de Montbui, Can Valls and Torre Negrell, Lledoners and Saulons and Finca Ribó.
One of the characteristics of Caldes de Montbui is that it is a municipality of spas! In this municipality, thermal waters spring up naturally. In fact, the Lleó Spring is one of the hottest thermal springs in Europe and the water comes out at 74°C!
These waters have been used since ancient times. In Roman times, for example, medicinal thermal baths were built in the centre of the municipality, of which you can still see one of the ancient pools!
But apart from these remains, in Caldes de Montbui you can discover many other heritage gems, such as the old town walls, the public washing places, the Romanesque bridge, …
Can Rius
Can Rius is an old spa that is located in the centre of Caldes de Montbui, specifically next to Pont Street, next to the Font del Lleó Square.
Can Rius was an old 16th century bathhouse. It should be said, therefore, that the current building is the result of various alterations carried out during the 19th century. In fact, in 1853, Garriga i Roca was commissioned to design the new spa. This project, therefore, was not carried out.
In 1864 and 1868, the spa was enlarged. During these reforms, the rooms that Can Rius had were enlarged.
In 1870, the owners of Can Rius bought some vineyards on the other side of the river. These vineyards were transformed into a private garden for the people who stayed at Can Rius. These former gardens are now the Can Rius Public Park.
One of the most characteristic elements of Can Rius is the old dining room, now the assembly hall of the Caldes de Montbui Town Hall. This dining room, in the modernist style, was built in 1893. The architect in charge of designing this element was Enric Sagnier.
Can Rius, the largest spa in Caldes de Montbui
During the 19th century, Can Rius became one of the most important spas in Caldes de Montbui. In fact, this spa had more than 2,000 square metres.
Many people from the bourgeoisie and aristocracy came to stay at the Can Rius spa. Among the most illustrious clients was Queen Isabella II and her mother, Queen Regent Maria Cristina, in 1840.
Can Rius During the Spanish Civil War (1936-39)
During the Spanish Civil War, the activity of Can Rius was interrupted. During the war, this spa was used to house refugees arriving from the Madrid front, as well as from other parts of Spain.
Once Caldes de Montbui was occupied by Franco’s troops, members of the Condor Legion stayed at the Can Rius spa for a few days. These were members of the German Air Force who fought alongside Franco’s troops.
Can Rius after the Civil War
When the war ended, the owners of Can Rius reopened the spa. Due to the political and economic situation, the spa went into crisis. For this reason, between 1940 and 1950, a religious community bought the Can Rius spa.
Since 2003, the Can Rius spa has been owned by Caldes de Montbui town council.
(Cover image: Can Rius de Caldes de Montbui Photo: COOLTUR Cultural Tourism)
How to get to Caldes de Montbui
Caldes de Montbui is a municipality located in the west of the Vallès Oriental region. To reach this municipality you can use the C-59, BV-1423, C-1415b and C-1413a roads.
You can also reach this municipality by public transport. In this case, we recommend that you check the bus timetables before setting off on your journey!