Alt Penedès

Alt Penedès

Country: Spain
Autonomous community: Catalonia
Province: Tarragona
Capital: Valls
Municipalities:
Aiguamúrcia, Alcover, Alió, Bràfim, Cabra del Camp, Figuerola del Camp, Els Garidells, La Masó, El Milà, Mont-ral, Montferri, Nulles, El Pla de Santa Maria, El Pont d'Armentera, Puigpelat, Querol, La Riba, Rodonyà, El Rourell, Vallmoll, Valls, Vila-rodona, Vilabella
Area:
Total 544.7 km2 (210.3 sq mi)
Population: Total: 35,635
Density: 65.4/km2 (169.4/sq mi)
Time zone: CET (UTC+1)

Largest municipality: Valls

Alt Camp is a comarca (county) in Catalonia, Spain. It is one of the three comarques into which Camp de Tarragona was divided in the comarcal division of 1936.

Municipalities:
Aiguamúrcia - population: 648
Alcover - population: 3966
Alió - population: 375
Bràfim - population: 581
Cabra del Camp - population: 682
Figuerola del Camp - population: 287
Els Garidells - population: 175
La Masó - population: 280
El Milà - population: 162
Mont-ral - population: 154
Montferri - population: 159
Nulles - population: 359
El Pla de Santa Maria - population: 1669
El Pont d'Armentera - population: 527
Puigpelat - population: 634
Querol - population: 320
La Riba - population: 681
Rodonyà - population: 443
El Rourell - population: 256
Vallmoll - population: 1292
Valls - population: 20,232
Vila-rodona - population: 1001
Vilabella - population: 787

With Garraf and Baix Penedès, Alt Penedès, in the hinterland, forms the natural region of Penedès, known particularly for its wine. It is a vast plain, watered by the Foix (S) and Anoia (N) rivers, ringed by the mountains of precoastal —Plana d'Ancosa, Puigfred, Mediona— and coastal —Garraf massif and Ordal sierras— ranges, crossed by all the great highways since Roman times. The population is mostly scattered around small villages and large farmhouses, and Vilafranca del Penedès and Sant Sadurní d'Anoia are the main towns. The gentle, smiling countryside is almost entirely covered by vineyards. In the Middle Ages, the territory was part of the county of Barcelona. Olèrdola fortress was the first capital; nowadays it is Vilafranca, which was the centre of an important magistrature. The agrarian economy is almost entirely devoted to a single crop, the vine, and the wines (with guarantee of origin) and cellars enjoy a renown which goes way beyond the borders. Vilafranca and the surroundings have a well diversified industry. There is little tourist development, but visitors come in large numbers drawn by the sparkling wine (cava) cellars, the gastronomy and the architectural heritage.