Can Munt

Can Munt is an abandoned 19th-century estate in Teià, a small town in the Maresme comarca of Barcelona province, Catalonia, Spain. Listed in Catalonia's inventory of architectural heritage, the house now stands amid an overgrown park and has become one of the more intriguing stops on the hiking trails that wind through the hills above Teià.

How do you get to Can Munt?

Teià sits on the Maresme coast between Barcelona and Mataró. Driving is the easiest option, either via the C-32 motorway or the coastal road through Alella and Vilassar de Dalt — the trip from central Barcelona takes roughly half an hour. Alternatively, take a Rodalies R1 train to Masnou-Alella or Vilassar de Mar and continue by taxi or on foot into the comarca. Can Munt itself lies outside the town centre, among fields and hills, reached by rural paths and hiking routes, including a circuit popular with locals that links Teià with the Refugi de la Fereria and the Sant Mateu hermitage. The coordinates 41.50781, 2.31786 make it easy to locate with GPS for walkers and cyclists.

What will you see at Can Munt?

The building

The house has a rectangular floor plan with a ground floor and an upper storey, topped by a four-sloped roof edged with a neoclassical balustrade. A central portico rests on cast-iron columns, framed by giant pilasters with Corinthian capitals and crowned by a semicircular pediment. A private chapel adjoins the main house, identifiable from outside by its two pointed-arch windows with stained glass.

Gardens and grounds

A large neoclassical garden once surrounded the estate, laid out with balustrades, pergolas, rotundas, terraces, ornamental vases, fountains and artificial ponds. A kidney-shaped swimming pool was added in the 20th century, alongside stable buildings. Traces of this earlier grandeur remain today, though the grounds are now heavily overgrown.

History and current state

In 1956, Maria Sedó i Torres commissioned sculptor Claudi Rius to create a white marble Sacred Heart sculpture for the estate. By 1984 the house was on the market and partly stripped of its furnishings, and it has continued to deteriorate since. Can Munt is now uninhabited and in poor condition, with visible damage to the facade and interior, and there have been reports of illegal occupation. Since 8 October 2015 the building has held BCIL protected status — a local cultural asset, inventory number IPA-9107 — with Level B architectural protection under Catalan planning law. It remains private property and is not open for interior visits.

When should you visit?

Since Can Munt can only be admired from the outside, spring and autumn are the best seasons, when Maresme's mild climate makes for pleasant walks through the surrounding hills. Summer afternoons can get hot, so an early start is worthwhile. In winter, mist often settles around the estate, adding to its atmosphere, though the trails can be slippery.

Frequently asked questions

Can you go inside Can Munt? No. The building is private property, uninhabited and structurally unsafe, so entry to the interior is neither permitted nor advisable.

Why was Can Munt abandoned? The house began to decline after it went up for sale in the 1980s and was partly emptied of its furnishings. Since then nobody has lived there permanently, and the lack of ongoing maintenance has left both the building and its park in a state of progressive decay.

Is Can Munt legally protected? Yes. Since 2015 it has been listed as a local cultural asset (BCIL) in Catalonia's heritage catalogue, with Level B architectural protection.

What's the best way to reach Can Munt? Driving from Barcelona via the C-32 motorway or the road through Alella is the most convenient option. You can also take a Rodalies train to Masnou-Alella and continue on foot or by local transport into Teià.