Penedès

The Romanesque monastery of Sant Sebastià dels Gorgs in Avinyonet del Penedès is the starting point for this excursion to the Alt Penedès. It is a good place to start because it presides over a small town that is surrounded by vines as far as the eye can see, a prelude to the landscape throughout the excursion. Sant Sebastià dels Gorgs, which dates from the 11th century, is the district’s most iconic medieval building. It has a very interesting Romanesque bell tower and the northern wing of the cloister, with beautifully carved capitals, has survived.

VILAFRANCA DEL PENEDÈS AND PACS DEL PENEDÈS

The route continues to Vilafranca del Penedès where you can visit the Vinseum and find out more about wine culture thanks to their collection of 17,000 pieces of archaeological and ethnological items, art and ceramics. A wine event awaits you at the Família Torres wine cellar in Pacs del Penedès, which offers a number of visits and you can taste the wines and choose the ones you like.

OLÈRDOLA

The visit continues to Olèrdola with its ensemble of fascinating features where you can trace the tracks of humanity from the bronze age until well into the 20th century. This site is Museu d’Arqueologia de Catalunya (MAC) site and it forms part of the Iberian Route. It occupies a privileged position that commands impressive views over the Penedès district. There are the remains of a walled Iberian settlement, those of a Roman fortification and a medieval town with pre-Romanesque and Romanesque churches.

SANTA MARGARIDA I ELS MONJOS

The excursion ends in Santa Margarida i els Monjos with a visit to the Republican Aviation and Aerial Warfare Interpretation Centre (CIARGA). It is devoted to aspects of aviation during the Spanish Civil War. It is highly educational and combines original pieces in their setting alongside powerful multimedia resources.

The roar of water, the smells, the noise made by horses and carts, and the sounds of workers coming and going, that was the backdrop to be heard continuously from the end of the 18th century along the water canal in Igualada when the new tanneries were being built.

Pay a visit to the town's industrial past, associated with the production of hides and wool, with a visit to the Igualada and Anoia district's Museu de la Pell (hide museum). Established in 1954, it is one of the first museums devoted entirely to tanning in Europe. The museum is spread over two buildings: Cal Boyer, its main premises, and Cal Granotes.
 
CAL BOYER

Cal Boyer is a former textile factory and is where the museum now has its main facilities. Here you will see many items made from leather as well as the tools and machines used for treating hides in Igualada. Be sure not to miss the 'People and Water' section, which gives a overview of the qualities of water and its uses. There is also an experimental water canal that shows the ways in which water can be harnessed to produce energy for industrial purposes.
 
CAL GRANOTES

Cal Granotes is a 17th-century tannery right in the heart of the Rec district and here you can witness all the crafts associated with the treatment of hides. It still has the two floors that characterise pre-industrial tanneries. The first, the lower floor, where all the procedures were carried out to prepare and treat the skins, and the second, where the hides were hung to dry from bars.
 
THE TANNING DISTRICT OF THE REC

After visiting the museum, why not take a tour around the tanning district of the Rec with its water canal? The tannery facade still has its characteristic buttresses, and the its stepping stones, tanks, sinks and sluices can still be seen.


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The mountain of Olèrdola, between the Penedès plain and Garraf, has been a strategic site settled by humans from the Bronze Age until well into the 20th century. At the present time Olèrdola is one of the sites of the Museu d’Arqueologia de Catalunya, and forms part of the Iberian Route. The group of historic remains and buildings here, as well as the surroundings area with, for example, the church of Sant Miquel d’Olèrdola, is well worth the walk.
 
THE HISTORIC REMAINS AND BUILDINGS
 
Since pre-historic times the people who settled here have left their mark: an Iberian settlement; an impressive Roman fort; a medieval town; pre-Romanesque and Romanesque churches; and medieval tombs carved into the rock. Start your visit to the sites at the church of Sant Miquel and continue around the side of the cistern, the anthropomorphic tombs, and finally, the Iberian settlement.
 
THE TRAIL ON FOOT
 
After your visit you could follow the foot trail around the Parc d’Olèrdola suggested by Barcelona Provincial Council's Natural Parks network. It will lead you to the centre of Sant Miquel d’Olèrdola. The path, signposted to La Font de l’Alba, starts at the entrance to the site and in five minutes you will be at the Pla dels Albats, where there is an interesting medieval necropolis with tombs carved into the rock. Along the way, surrounded by a landscape with a typicaly Mediterranean character, you will come across a number of springs.
 
THE VILLAGE OF SANT MIQUEL D’OLÈRDOLA
 
The trail ends in the village of Sant Miquel d’Olèrdola. You can visit the church of the same name, built between 1885 and 1889. If you've worked up an appetite and fancy sampling the local cuisine have a look at the restaurants in the area.
 
For more information about this and other suggestions, check out the information provided by Olèrdola Town Council.
 
 
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Xarxa de Parcs Naturals de la Diputació de Barcelona

This Sacred Catalonia trail will take you to the mountainous hinterland of the diocese of Girona with its combination of large parishes, urban convents and extensive valleys with their little villages and disperse habitats.
 
MONASTERY OF SANT ESTEVE DE BANYOLES
 
The route starts at the Benedictine monastery of Sant Esteve de Banyoles which, founded in the 9th century, acquired great importance in the area, with other monasteries, such as that of Sant Pere de Rodes, becoming dependent on it. It still conserves authentic works of art.
 
SANTA MARIA DE PORQUERES
 
A ten-minute drive will take you to the church of Santa Maria de Porqueres, a fine example of Romanesque architecture. It is a very sober building but displays decorative sculptural motifs of great interest.

MONASTERY OF SANT PERE
 
Once in Besalú visit the Romanesque church of Sant Pere de Besalú, consecrated 1003. It is all that is left of a former monastery that achieved great importance in the 12th and 13th centuries.

SANT VICENÇ DE BESALÚ

Located in the historic centre of Besalú, the church of Sant Vicenç is one of the town's oldest and most important religious buildings. It contains a fragment of the True Cross.
 
SANT SEPULCRE DE PALERA
 
Another ten-minute drive will lead you to the route's last location: Sant Sepulcre de Palera, one of the finest examples of the Romanesque in the county of Besalú, and a major centre of pilgrimage during the 11th and 12th centuries.


The Sacred Catalonia trail is intended for groups and takes 6 hours. For more information please ring 693 720 202 or send an email to: reserves@cataloniasacra.cat.


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Pau Casals was born in El Vendrell in 1876. After the age of 23 he travelled around the world playing his music in the best auditoria, but he never forgot his home town. “Fortunately, during my journeys to so many foreign countries, I have never left the child from Vendrell behind", he said. Would you like to follow in his footsteps around this town?
 
PAU CASALS MUSEUM
 
The Pau Casals Museum, opened in 2001 after a refurbishment, is his former summer residence. It looks out over the sea and the Sant Salvador beach. The museum holds a wealth of artistic and documentary material that shows why he had such universal appeal. Pau Casals lived here until 1939, when he had to go into exile, never to return.
 
A ROUTE ON FOOT, OR BY BICYCLE
 
After visiting the museum you could go for a walk along the Sant Salvador beach before heading off towards the old town centre of Vendrell, following the signposts. (A little over an hour on foot, 20 minutes by bicycle or 10 minutes by car.)
 
THE OLD CENTRE OF VENDRELL
 
In the old centre of the town you can visit the house where Pau Casals was born and discover more about the life of the Casals family. Also in the centre is Vendrell church, where Pau Casals started playing the Barroque organ at the age of 9.
 
FAMILY WINE CELLARS
 
The following day you could visit the vineyards in the area, where there are a number of family wine cellars, to taste some of the Penedès DO wines and enjoy the surrounding countryside.
 
 
For more information: The Genius Trail
 
 
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From Fat Thursday to Ash Wednesday anything goes! Merrymaking and debauchery are the order of the day during Carnival, a festival in which fancy dress and popular culture come to the fore. Have you ever taken part in one of Catalonia's most iconic Carnival festivals? We would like to mention some of them, where you could enjoy some of these celebrations.

TORELLÓ

Known as the Carnaval de Terra Endins, or inland Carnival, The Torelló Carnival attracts some 60,000 people every year. When king Rei Carnestoltes attacks the council and takes power, the mayor and the town councillors are stripped of their powers and the great party starts. One of the days most looked forward to is the Friday with its Senyoretes i Homenots ritual in which the men dress up as women and women dress up as men.
 
SITGES

The Carnival in Sitges is considered to be one of the best Carnivals on the Iberian Peninsula. The strong points of this great pit i cuixa i lluentons, or 'breast, thigh and sequins' festival are the 'rues', or parades: the one held on Sunday is known as the Rua de la Disbauxa, or Debauchery Parade, and the one held on Tuesday is known as the Rua de l’Extermini, or Extermination Parade. All the parades of floats are launched by king Carnestoltes and ended by the Queen of the Carnival, who is elected from all those who propose themselves for the crown by means of public acclamation.
 
SOLSONA

Another of the most outstanding Carnivals in Catalonia is the one held in Solsona, re-established in 1971. Here the popular disguises are replaced with robes and gowns of many colours and by the 'mad giants'. One of the most anticipated movements is on the Saturday night when the local inhabitants, who have been referred to as 'donkey killers' for many years on account of a legend, hang a cardboard donkey to the sound of the song, A Solsona bona gent (the Solsonese are good people).
 
VILANOVA I LA GELTRÚ

The Merengada (meringue fight), the Arrivo (arrival of king Carnival), the Ball de Mantons (shawls dance), the Comparses (huge collective dance), the Xatonada (traditional Vilanova i la Geltrú dish consisting of salt cod, tuna salad and Romesco sauce dressing), King Caramel (children's sweets king)... The Carnival in Vilanova i la Geltrú includes many events and everybody is invited to take part in them. The big, and much-anticipated event, known as the Comparses, is held on the Sunday. It is when thousands of couples with Manila shawls, barretina hats and carrying bags full of goodies, cover the streets of the town with sweets. In 2010 this satirical festival was declared Heritage Festival of National Interest by the Generalitat de Catalunya (Government of Catalonia).

 
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From July to September

Visit the archaeological sites of Darró, in Vilanova i la Geltrú, and Ciutadella, in Calafell, and enjoy a weekend full of seaside activities such as kayak and stand up paddle (SUP)!
 
THE DARRÓ ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE

Spend the first day in Vilanova i la Geltrú where, if you like, you won't need to take the car! In the morning visit the Darró archaeological site at the end of the promenade. It is a small, and little-known, settlement that was used between the fifth and first centuries BCE, you will think it's a great find.
 
KAYAK OR SCOOTER

After lunch you could take a kayak out (eight years of age and above) or a scooter (if you are with smaller children). After a couple of hours on the water you will have built up an appetite for lunch in one of the local restaurants.
 
STAND UP PADDLE (SUP) IN CALAFELL

On Sunday, after breakfast, go to Calafell where you can continue to enjoy seaside activities at the Calafell Sailing School. This time you can try the SUP, a new nautical sport which involves rowing on a board similar to a surf board.
 
CIUTADELLA DE CALAFELL

After lunch, visit Ciutadella, an incredible Iberian settlement that has been completely rebuilt so that everybody, old and young, can see what life was like for the inhabitants of this area. You can go into their houses and you can walk along their narrow streets, just like they used to do 2000 years ago!


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A weekend in which you will discover the coast of the Penedès region, far from the crowds and the heat of summer, during which you will have the opportunity to visit an Iberian settlement just as it was 2000 years ago.
 
CIUTADELLA DEL CALAFELL

You could start your weekend in Calafell visiting Ciutadella, an incredible Iberian settlement which has been completely rebuilt so that everyone, young and old, can experience at first hand what life was like for the inhabitants of this area. What do you think about being able to go into their homes and walking down their narrow streets, just as they did 2000 years ago? It's an incredible experience!
 
A BICYCLE TOUR

After your visit you could take a bicycle ride, one that is accessible for all the family, to Vendrell where you can take a stroll and explore its streets. Afterwards you can return to Calafell for lunch.
 
EXPLORING CALAFELL

In the evening you can explore the town, without the summer crowds, visiting the Museu Casa Barral, the Bot Salvavides, the church of Sant Miquel, the Confraria de Pescadors and the castle of the Santa Creu, all of which are part of the town's living history, a history that will guide you back to the present day with its music, sport, seaside and cuisine. You can have supper and spend the night in Calafell.
 
THE DARRÓ SETTLEMENT

On Sunday, after breakfast, take a bicycle ride to Vilanova i la Geltrú where you can visit the Darró settlement. It is a small and little-known Iberian settlement that was populated between the fifth and first centuries BCE and you will think it's a great find. After lunch you have the option of cycling back to Calafell, a journey that takes approximately an hour, or alternatively, the company that rented you the bicycles will pick you up and take you back to Calafell.


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A weekend full of experiences in which you will have the opportunity to taste some cavas in the very cellars they come from, sleep amongst the vineyards and travel back to the time of the Iberians to see how they made wine.
 
CODORNIU WINE CELLARS
You could spend the morning exploring the Codorniu wine cellars in combination with the Simón Coll artisanal chocolatiers. A guided visit will reveal to you the secrets of the family business, the oldest established chocolatiers in Catalonia, and the reason why so many schoolchildren in Sant Sadurní d'Anoia went to school with a smile on their faces every morning.
 
FONT DE LA CANYA IBERIAN SETTLEMENT
After lunch in one of the numerous restaurants in the area, you could visit the Font de la Canya Iberian settlement which has a unique geocatching activity that lasts for about an hour. It starts at the Artcava car park. And, to stay the night, what do you think about sleeping in some incredible, fully-furnished, stone cabins right in the middle of the vineyards?
 
THE OLÈRDOLA GROUP OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES
After breakfast the following day, what about visiting Olèrdola. It is one of the most spectacular archaeological sites in Catalonia and tells the tale of our history from the time of the Iberian settlements up to the Middle Ages.
 
VILAFRANCA DEL PENEDÈS

When you finish your visit head on towards Vilafranca del Penedès where you can taste the wines at the wine museum tavern, or you could even head onwards towards one of the nearby towns where, at 12 noon, if you are in luck, you will probably be able to see a display of human tower building, or castells.


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This is a series of visit to the district of l’Anoia, where some of the most important historical figures in our history used to live, following the routes you will find in the app, “Anoia, Terra de Castells”.

When the territory no longer formed the border with Muslim-held lands, castles became the administrative centres for the new lords' feudal dominions. This tour guides you through the various settings where, in the 13th century, agreements were made, and internal struggles took place, amongst the Claramunt family, the Cardona family, king Jaume I and the church which, taken together, constituted a series of interconnected events that would have a determining influence on the castles of l'Anoia and its inhabitants.

At each castle you can learn about the history of each of the main characters, such as Guillem II de Claramunt, Gueraua de Jorba, Jaume I el Conqueridor, Guillem Sescorts and Berenguer Santa Oliva, the abbot of the monastery of Sant Cugat del Vallès.
 
CASTELLOLÍ CASTLE

This castle, the property of Guerau de Castellolí, was inherited by his granddaughter Gueraua de Jorba, together with Òdena castle. Gueraua married Guillem I de Cardona and this would open the doors to a source of power that would culminate under the rule of her son, Ramon Folc IV de Cardona. Would you like to know how this story ends and what happened in the following years? You can find out at Castellolí castle. Outside the castle you will be able to see some of the walls and the remains of barrel vaults, a four-sided tower and the remains of the former Romanesque church of Sant Vicenç.
 
CLARAMUNT CASTLE

Claramunt castle, an imposing structure located at an altitude of 461 metres on the top of the Guàrdia mountain range, was the residence of the Claramunt family for centuries. Between the end of the 10th century and the beginning of the 11th the counts of Barcelona entrusted the Claramunts with the defence of l'Anoia against Muslim incursions. Despite having always been on the side of the counts of Barcelona during the 12th and 13th centuries, the relationship took a turn for the worse when Guillem II de Claramunt took part in a rebellion against Jaume I and the Cardona family. If you would like to learn more about this, visit Claramunt castle where you can take a guided tour.
 
PIERA CASTLE

In 1265, Guillem Sescorts was appointed by king Jaume to be the administrator of Piera castle, also known as the castle of Jaume I or Fontanet castle. In return Jaume I expected the family to receive and provide hospitality for his court whenever necessary. Here you can also learn about the reign of Jaume I after his conquest of Mallorca, during which Guillem II de Montcada i Bearn and Guillem de Claramunt, who were accompanying him, lost their lives. Jaume I was then able to impose his leadership and reign in the powers of the Montcada, Cardona and Claramunt families. Guided tours are available.
 
If you can spend a longer time in the area surrounding Igualada you could also visit the castles in Òdena, Cabrera, Bedorç and Freixe.

For more information about all these histories use the “Anoia, Terra de Castells” app during your visits. You can download it for iOS and Android.


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