Working with Eurocities
Terrassa values its Eurocities membership as a way to connect with cities across Europe, exchange knowledge and build partnerships around shared challenges. Through its active participation in forums and working groups, the city has shared and learned good practices on topics including culture, innovation, talent attraction, inclusion and sustainable urban development.
Being part of the network has also helped Terrassa strengthen its role in European cooperation. Eurocities has supported the city in developing partnerships, taking part in EU-funded projects and contributing to discussions that shape European urban policies. At the same time, Terrassa has showcased its own experience in areas such as industrial transformation, social inclusion and culture.
For Terrassa, Eurocities is more than a network. It is a community of cities that support one another, turning shared ideas into practical action. The platform has helped raise the city’s European profile, amplifying initiatives such as its work on gender equality and inclusion, while creating opportunities to learn, collaborate and make a stronger collective impact.
What to know about the city
Terrassa is Catalonia’s third city. Located in north-eastern Spain, it is part of the second metropolitan crown of Barcelona. The city has a rich cultural and artistic heritage and is dominated by the Sant Llorenç del Munt Natural Park.
Terrassa has among its most unique attractions the Seu d’Ègara, a monumental architectural ensemble that is in consideration to be named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Considered by experts a unique element in the history of European art and also in the world, this architectural ensemble stands out for the monumental singularity and for the mural paintings in its three churches – dating from the 5th to the 8th century.
Terrassa proudly wears the signs of industrialisation, Catalan Modernism and Art Nouveau: the Aymerich, Amat and Jover Mill – now the mNACTEC-Science and Technics of Catalonia Museum – the Masia Freixa and the Alegre de Sagrera House, are all part of the city’s textile industry heritage.
Terrassa has also transformed its textile past and has turned towards innovation, investing in projects that provide transformation even beyond the local level. Recently invited by UNESCO to join the Creative City of Film Network, Terrassa boasts one of the most prominent industrial audiovisual production complexes of southern Europe, Parc Audiovisual of Catalunya, offering facilities, sets and a centre of media production – the Audiovisual Living Lab and the Terrassa Film Office.
Terrassa is Catalonia’s second university city, with a rich offer of 176 official qualifications including aeronautics, cinema and audiovisual, telecommunications, sound, image, photography and multimedia.
Creative industries and culture are a main commitment of Terrassa and its wider urban fabric focusing on opportunities for small and medium enterprises. Visitors can therefore enjoy a broad range of activities in this dynamic city, for example the Jazz Festival, the Modernism Fair, hockey games, golf, dance, music, theatre seasons and Castellers – the human towers recognised as human heritage by UNESCO in 2010.
Terrassa won the European Commission’s Gold Award for the 2023 European Capitals of Inclusion and Diversity and received the 2024 Europe Prize from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Europe’s highest distinction for a city’s commitment to European values and cooperation.
This promotional video invites viewers to discover Terrassa, a city where a remarkable industrial heritage meets a forward-looking spirit. It showcases the city’s iconic modernist architecture, unique cultural and historical landmarks, vibrant public spaces, and rich natural surroundings, while highlighting its dynamic cultural scene, sporting tradition, and quality of life. The video captures Terrassa’s distinctive identity as a city that proudly preserves its past while embracing innovation, creativity, and new opportunities for the future.
