Can Bruguera

Can Bruguera is a historic country estate in Vilassar de Dalt, a small town in the Maresme region, a short drive north of Barcelona. It's the kind of property that wears centuries of Catalan rural history openly — from a medieval farmstead to a 19th-century manor set in a romantic garden.

What is the history behind Can Bruguera?

The estate's roots go back to the Middle Ages: on this site once stood an old mas (a traditional Catalan farmhouse) known as Delmer, first documented in the mid-14th century. In 1508, the marriage of Bartomeu Colomer de Munt to Margarida Delmer merged the two family estates, Colomer de Munt and Delmer, into a single property.

The name we know today only appeared later, in the second half of the 18th century. At that point the owner was Jaume Ubach, whose relative Ignasi de Bruguera inherited the estate — it's his surname that stuck and gave the house its current name. The building visitors see today dates from the 19th century, raised on the site of the earlier medieval structure.

What can you see at Can Bruguera?

The house follows a rectangular floor plan with a symmetrical 19th-century façade, typical of wealthy country residences of the period. It has a ground floor, a first floor, and an attic. The first floor still holds interiors in a modernist style, including the kitchen, alongside a library housing manuscripts from the early modern era.

One of the estate's most distinctive features is its cellar: carved into the slope of the land it sits on and remarkably well preserved, with an entrance opening onto the Riera de Targa, one of the seasonal streambeds typical of this part of the Maresme.

Around the house spreads a romantic-style garden laid out in the 19th century, characteristic of the grand country estates of the late 1800s and early 1900s. Its symmetrically planted linden trees are significant enough to be listed separately as a natural heritage asset in their own right. Tucked into the garden is a small family chapel holding a relic connected to Saint Josep Oriol, a Catalan saint particularly venerated around Barcelona.

The whole property is registered as a local cultural heritage asset (Bé Cultural d'Interès Local).

How do you get to Can Bruguera?

Vilassar de Dalt sits in the Maresme, between Barcelona and the Costa del Maresme coastline. Driving is the easiest option — the town has a direct exit off the C-32 motorway, and there's a municipal car park right by the estate (Aparcament de Can Bruguera) used by locals and visitors to the town centre alike. Alternatively, take a Rodalies regional train to nearby Vilassar de Mar, then continue to Vilassar de Dalt by bus or taxi.

When is the best time to visit?

The house and garden are privately owned and aren't open to the public year-round — the family occasionally opens the doors for heritage open days or cultural events, and the gardens have also hosted local concerts from time to time. It's worth checking Vilassar de Dalt's municipal events calendar before planning a visit around this. Outside of those occasions, you can still admire the façade and garden from the street while wandering the town — spring and autumn are especially pleasant, once the summer heat has eased or before it sets in.

Frequently asked questions

Is Can Bruguera open to visitors year-round? No. It's a private estate that the owning family opens only occasionally, for example during local heritage days or cultural events.

Where does the name Can Bruguera come from? From Ignasi de Bruguera, who inherited the estate in the second half of the 18th century from his relative Jaume Ubach. Before that, the property was known as Delmer.

What's the most interesting part of Can Bruguera? The mix of medieval origins and 19th-century architecture, a well-preserved cellar built into the natural slope, and the romantic garden with its heritage-listed linden trees and family chapel.

How do you get to Vilassar de Dalt? The easiest way is by car via the C-32 motorway, or by Rodalies train to neighbouring Vilassar de Mar, followed by local transport into town.