| Arenys de Mar | |||
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| — Municipality — | |||
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Arenys de Mar
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| Coordinates: | |||
| Country | Spain | ||
| Community | Catalonia | ||
| Province | Barcelona | ||
| Comarca | Maresme | ||
| Government | |||
| • Mayor | Estanislau Fors i Garcia | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 6.87 km2 (2.7 sq mi) | ||
| Elevation | 10 m (33 ft) | ||
| Population (2010) | |||
| • Total | 14,688 | ||
| • Density | 2,138/km2 (5,537.4/sq mi) | ||
| Demonym | Arenyenc, arenyenca | ||
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | ||
| Postal code | 08350 | ||
Arenys de Mar (Catalan pronunciation: [əˈɾɛɲz ðə ˈmar], arenys being Catalan for sands (of a seasonal creek), and de mar for by the sea as opposed to Arenys de Munt town inland) is one of the main municipalities of the comarca of Maresme, Barcelona Province, Catalonia, Spain. It is situated on the coast between Sant Vicenç de Montalt and Canet de Mar. As of 2010[update], it had a population of 14,688[1].
Arenys' harbour was for many years the only existing port on the north coast of Barcelona. The beaches, framed by hills which run right down to the sea, give a preview of the neighbouring Costa Brava.
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The beaches at Arenys are large, and are formed by the coarse grained sand (Platja del Cabaió).
Sights include the parish church of Santa Maria, with a Baroque reredo, built at the beginning of the 18th century by the sculptor Pau Costa. Along Church Street are the Marés Museum of Lace-making and the Mollfulleda Museum of Mineralogy. Some of the defense towers built to protect against pirates, are still conserved.
Arenys cemetery is an example of Mediterranean marine cemetery. It is oriented westward, on top of the Turó de la Pietat.
Arenys is the capital of the county district. Fishing and related industries are the principal economic activity of the town. Two industrial zones are being developed under public and private promotion. Agriculture has gone down in the last years, but the cultivation of fruits and vegetables is still thriving.
The fishing and the various related industries which have grown around the harbour move a considerable part of the economic activity of the town. The harbour is the most important one in the Maresme and has practically the whole fishing fleet of the region. A fish auction takes place every afternoon when the boats return. There is ample space in the port reserved for yachts. During the summer, many sailing boats anchor here on their Mediterranean journey. The shipyard is still an important local industry.
The Riera (the dry uncovered river bed) is the commercial centre and the hub of all local activities. The market, an Art Nouveau building, remains open every morning as well as Friday afternoons. Inside, it is bustling with people and constant activity. On Saturday mornings, the commercial hustle takes itself to the Riera in the form of a weekly street market. Two village festivals are held in honour of Saint Zeno (9 July) and Saint Roch (16 August), and a big fair is celebrated on Saint John's Day (24 June).
Arenys de Mar possesses a grammar school, an agricultural school for chicken farming, a school of music and various schools where the old craft of lace-making is taught.
Arenys is 40 km (25 mi) to Barcelona by the N-II road or the A-19 highway. The district train (C-1 line) covers the distance to Plaça de Catalunya, in the centre of Barcelona, in 50 minutes. The road B-511 communicates with the highway A-7 (exit Sant Celoni) through Collsacreu. The Montseny massif is quite close, while the Natural Parks of Montnegre and the Corredor are just round the corner. Girona is 60 km (37 mi) away, and for a trip to Montserrat you need little more than an hour. Barcelona International Airport is 56 km (35 mi) away, that of Girona-Costa Brava, 40 km (25 mi).