Granollers is a city of 14.89 square kilometres with over 50.000 inhabitants. It is one of the medium sized cities comprising the second metropolitan crown and is located approximately 30 kilometres from Barcelona surrounded by an extensive road communications network.
The capital of the Vallès Oriental region is an economically equilibrated city whose economic activities are evenly divided between diverse industries and a service sector which has one of its principal expressions in quality commerce. The weekly market on Thursdays, the first reference to which dates back to 1040 and one of the oldest in Catalonia, continues to be an pole of attraction. The multi-sectorial Ascension Fair held in the month of May since 1943 has become an annual forum for exhibiting the latest industrial and commercial innovations wgile maintaining its agricultural and farming roots from which the fair originated. Following the predomination of textile companies in the sixties, Granollers has witnessed the growth of a diversified industrial sector composed of small and medium sized businesses in the chemical, mechanical, food products and garment sectors which are primarily located in industrial parks situated closed to highway accesses.
The most emblematic monument in Granollers is the Porxada, a stone gateway project entrusted by the local government and completed in 1587. The monument, located in the heart of the city's old quarter in front of City Hall, is the principal meeting point and the scene of many cultural and civic activities. One can also visit the heart of city's antique quarter bound by medieval walls. Granollers strategic location allows for access in just a few minutes to a variety of areas and services such as Montsey Park, the spas of La Garriga and Caldes de Montbui and the beaches of the Maresme.
The city offers a very wide spectrum of services ranging from complete health care to education at numerous primary and secondary schools. The municipal music school reaffirms Granollers tradition in the musical field. Granollers also has two public museums:the Granollers Museum devoted to artistic exhibits and the hosting of diverse cultural events; and the Natural Science Museum. Visitors to Granollers may choose from some 300 hotel rooms distributed throughout five hotels and excellent cuisine at the city's numerous restaurants. The Festa major celebrated during the last week of August is an example of widespread popular participation based on a formula which harks back to a historic event: the face-off between two tilelayers. Granollers residents choose between the white or the blue collared tile-layer. The white and the blue collared tile-layers prepare the festival activities and compete for the honour of choosing the announcer for the next year. Other notable annual cultural activities include the International Music Festival and the International Troubadour and Jugglers Festival. Over seventy entities contribute to this culturally diverse offering.
Sporting activity on weekends is concentrated in the more than 50 sports clubs, noteworthy among which are the Granollers Handball Club, the Granollers Basketball Club and the Granollers Sports Club. Granollers was designated a sub-site of the Barcelona Olympics'92. Proximity to the Catalonia race car circuit constitutes a new point of interests for racing fans.