Located in the heart of Catalonia, halfway between the Mediterranean and the Pyrenees, the destination Paisatges Barcelona brings together the regions of Bages, Anoia, Osona and Moianès. It is here, in the centre of the province of Barcelona, that nature is full of surprises. Several protected natural areas await walkers to hike in mountain landscapes with breathtaking views, but also in the middle of agricultural lands where vines, cereals, fruits, vegetables and olive trees are cultivated. The rich history of these regions has also seen the construction of exceptional buildings, monasteries, ramparts and castles. Lovers of beautiful stones also stop off in medium-sized towns and villages of character where architecture, culture and gastronomy invite you to enjoy sweet experiences. Welcome to Paisatges Barcelona, a place where you can open your eyes, breathe deeply and learn.
Nature in Paisatges Barcelona, a call to wonder and outdoor activities
Paisatges Barcelona is a perfect destination to reconnect with nature. In the Bages region, the most emblematic landscape is the mountain of Montserrat. This relief with its impressive peaks and crests can be seen for miles around, and you will want to get close to it to marvel at it. The Sant Llorenç del Munt i Serra de l'Obac Natural Park is also in Bages. The mountain is resplendent and has many caves. How can we mention Bages without mentioning the Salt Mountain, a unique natural phenomenon in the world located in the Cardona Salt Valley? You can go down to a depth of 86 m to enjoy the incredible shapes of the salt massif. Visiting this area also means treading on the soil of an inland sea that existed more than 40 million years ago and disappeared when the Pyrenees rose. Declared a UNESCO Geopark of Central Catalonia since 2012, this ancient sea has left us with a rich natural and geological heritage that has forged the history, gastronomy and welcoming nature of its inhabitants.
The region ofAnoia is also rich in hilly spaces where it is good to trek. The Puig Castillar, the highest peak in the area, the Puig Aguilera, the Salt de la Donzella and the summit of Agulla Grossa, are all lookouts offering superb views. Nature walks also reveal gorges and waterfalls here and there. The Gorg de Nafre and Santa Càndia are places where waterfalls offer a little coolness and a soothing setting.
Osona. Behind this name lies another area of incredible natural beauty. First of all, we cross the Monsteny Natural Park, which, with its relief and large wooded areas, is a delight for walkers and mountain bikers. Still in the area, the Guilleries massif, the Savassona mountains and part of the Collsacabra sierra are the three landscape areas that make up the Guilleries-Savassona natural area. The Guilleries massif is particularly outstanding with its rounded shapes, hills, depressions and ridges. There is also the artificial lake of Sau, which is open to the practice of water sports with an incredible view of the rocky walls and the surrounding vegetation. There are many other natural areas in theOsona region that are not to be missed, such as the Vic plain, dominated by the yellow of the cereals in summer and the ochre of the tree leaves in autumn. We can also mention the rivers and lakes that characterise the Lluçanès area, a land of legends. ULM flights, hot air ballooning, climbing, tyrolean traverse, the possibilities to let off steam and have fun seem endless in the Osona.
The gentle hilly landscapes of the Moianès region invite you to go hiking, cycling and horse riding. The rural routes lead from village to village, and also allow you to stop in places that seem to belong to another world, such as the coves del Toll de Moià. The discovery of these prehistoric caves is a special moment, as they were the dwelling place of the first men 100,000 years before our era.
Stroll through the villages and discover a rich heritage
A trip to Paisatges Barcelona is an opportunity to discover a beautiful heritage. On the one hand, there are impressive monasteries, such as the one in Montserrat, located on a mountainside in the Bages region. Still in Bages, the monumental complex of Coaner, the churches of Sant Pere de Vallhonesta, Sant Cugat del Racó and Sant Andreu de Castellnou, in the Romanesque style, are a delight for lovers of religious architecture. They are located in small villages of character or live in harmony with the surrounding nature. The medieval monastery of Sant Benet de Bages is one of the Romanesque monastic jewels of Catalonia that offers many tourist attractions for all publics. A visit to the town of Cardona is another must, a marvellous city with its medieval streets and its castle located on the heights.
Anoia is the land of castles. The castles of Montbui, Claramunt, Vilademàger and Òdena can be visited alone or with a guide. In any case, they allow you to dive into the history of the region. There are also the charming villages where you can discover the shops and the local life. Copons, La Llacuna and Pujalt are all small towns to visit, where you can wander through the narrow streets and escape into the surrounding nature in no time. L'Anoia is also a region strongly marked by industrial activity. This can be seen on the route leading to the production sites and buildings of the town of Igualada and to the leather production sites, as well as on the Paper and Mill Route of the Capellades coast.
Osona is not lacking in architectural interest either. You can enjoy a walk in Alpens to see the wrought iron elements that adorn the balconies and doors and in Rupit for the beauty of its Romanesque monuments and stone houses from the 16th and 17th centuries. Vic, capital of the county, is a city that allows you to cross the ages, between its Roman temple from the 2nd century, its cathedral with its multiple styles and its baroque and art nouveau buildings. On Saturdays, a visit can be coupled with a visit to the market. Not forgetting the Episcopal museum, a superb place for highlighting medieval art. To return to Romanesque art, the monastery of Sant Perer de Casseres offers the feeling of being alone in the world, due to its remarkable location in the inner part of a meander of the Ter. And to discover the essence of Catalan Romanesque art, there is nothing like taking the Oliba Trail, either on foot or by bicycle.
In the Moianès region, the towns of Castellterçol, Moià and Santa Maria d'Oló all have something to offer: shops, the warmth of the inhabitants, winding streets and Romanesque treasures. The most beautiful of these treasures is in L'Estany and is called the Santa Maria des l'Estany monastery. The dolmen del pla de Trullàs, located in the vicinity of Monistrol de Calders, is a splendid example of a dolmen from a different era, and offers a beautiful panoramic view of the region.
Culture, wine and gastronomy
Paisatges Barcelona is a region whose history and specificities you want to understand. You can learn more about the area by visiting museums. Thus, you can visit the Maquis museum in Castellnou de Bages to dive into the heart of the resistance under Franco's regime; the Muleteer's museum in Igualada to understand how the exchange of goods took place centuries ago; the Ter Museum in Manlleu, dedicated to the industrialisation and transformations that resulted from the exploitation of the Ter's energy resources from the mid-19th century onwards, and the Moianès Ecomuseum, a troglodytic farmhouse built under a balsam, which shows the self-sufficiency of a place of this type through the exploitation of the natural resources of the forest by man.
The territory is mostly rural and has a variety of crops to enjoy afterwards. Travelling through the Paisatges Barcelona destination means strolling through the vineyards of Bages, which have the Pla de Bages designation of origin. Here you can taste wines made from the Picapoll, a white grape variety exclusive to the region, which produces fresh and fruity white wines. The DO Pla de Bages wine route is the first cultural wine tourism route in Catalonia, offering a wide range of quality cultural, active, gastronomic and wine tourism proposals designed to discover the territory, culture and wine heritage of Pla de Bages. In Anoia, chickpeas stand out and are used in many dishes with sauce, while in Moianès, the cheeses of Moià and Oló are not to be missed. In the Osona region, a multitude of restaurants feature cured meats, pork, game, truffles, Collsacabra beans, truffles and pomme del bufet, to name but a few. Paisatges Barcelona is a territory that emphasizes gastronomy and wine tourism, and there is always a producer, a market, a hostel, a restaurant, where you can satisfy your taste buds.
More information on the website of the Diputació de Barcelona and on the Facebook and Instagram pages.
