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The coastal city of Mataró, the county seat of Maresme, is located 20 miles north of Barcelona. The origins of the city go back some 2,000 years, originally being the site of the Roman village Iluro. When strolling its central streets today, you can manage a quick trip through Mataró’s history: from Roman times, to Baroque Mataró, through its colonial architectural influences, and finally its remarkable examples of the Modernist movement.
Mataró’s population is approximately 120,000 and for the most part bilingual (Catalan/Spanish). Its geographic location between the seaside and the Serralada Litoral mountain range make its climate near ideal, and it also allows easy and close access to Barcelona, the Costa Brava, the Pyrenees Mountains, and France.
The city center boasts top name shops, outdoor markets, cafés, quality restaurants and, on its outskirts, a large indoor mall and cinema complex. Its long and spacious beach has a dozen chiringitos (outdoor beach bar-café), numerous restaurants, a modern port, and 1,000-berth marina.
The city has two universities, dozens of secondary and primary schools (public and private), and a large and modern hospital. The pine-covered Parc Forestal abuts the northwest extremity of the city, and the expansive Parc Central is just a short five minute walk from the city centre.
Mataró offers its inhabitants and visitors a wide variety of activities and entertainment: aquatic sports, hiking, mountain-biking, tennis, football, beaches, shopping, cafés, restaurants, bars, museums, cinemas, popular festivals, and discotheques to name but a few. But its most popular attraction is the week-long Festa Major (town festival) celebrated at the end of July.
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