Get on your bike and enjoy the moment!
Let's face it, all year long our brains and bodies suffer the disastrous effects of stress. We quickly become overheated, despite all the balancing activities we fit into our schedules. Vacations are often a unique opportunity to clear our heads of worries, to fill ourselves with new and inspiring emotions, to go to new places, to do little things that break our routine, our certainties, our reflexes. What if you took advantage of your cycling vacation in the Vallès Oriental to integrate the practice of mindfulness into your daily routine? The bicycle is a perfect ally for the growing number of people who have taken up mindfulness. This discipline, aimed at reducing stress and anxiety, is used in medicine to treat depression, and in particular to avoid relapses. As a preventive measure against major ailments, it helps us to regain serenity in a daily life easily invaded by all kinds of pressures that nibble away at our equilibrium. This gentle therapy, which begins with meditation for a few minutes a day, aims to focus totally on the present moment, on what we're doing right now. Don't think about what came before or what's going to come after, about what could be, but just about your breathing, about what's around you. On a bike, pedaling, it's easier to achieve this full awareness, this pleasure of the present moment, by concentrating on the road and admiring, on your vacation, the magnificent landscapes of the Vallès Oriental. Breathing in the scent of pine trees, listening to birdsong, filling your lungs with pure, fresh air... In short, taking time, contemplating, opening up to your emotions, eliminating the bad thoughts that flood into your brain when you're saturated with information, injunctions and competition... Being fully aware of what you're doing, paying attention only to the present moment, accepting things as they come : all this has genuinely positive consequences for our lives, the main ones being an enhanced ability to concentrate and increased creativity, in all areas of life. Mindfulness enables us to learn a beneficial technique through meditation: whenever our mind wanders and drifts, we need to become aware of it, stop it and bring it back to the present moment. It's easier to do this on a bike, which is an activity that engages both body and mind, and makes it easier to control the influx of parasitic, anxiety-provoking thoughts. It's now a well-known fact that many physical pains, especially neck and back contractures, are caused and amplified by stored negative emotions.
So, if cycling is good for the mind, it's also good for the body, at every age, with regular, gentle maintenance of muscle mass, lung and heart capacity, not to mention weight and blood pressure control. And of course, cycling in the open air allows you to enjoy all the benefits of exposure to natural light and to breathe in pure, invigorating air. Even moderate daily physical activity lowers cortisol levels, the notorious stress hormone that ruins our lives, and helps release endorphins and dopamine, more commonly known as the happy hormones. Yes, it's proven: cycling every day makes you more resilient to life's ups and downs and emotional shocks! So get on your two-wheeler and visit the beautiful villages of the Vallès Oriental!
An exceptional nature and a heritage to discover
The Montseny Natural Park is one of them, with its spectacular mountain ranges, oak, pine and beech forests, unspoilt trails and breathtakingly beautiful vistas. The Montnegre and Corredor Natural Park is an equally superb setting for lovers of the great outdoors. A number of cycling itineraries have been laid out in the area, offering rides in the best conditions of comfort and safety, such as the Ruta Bici Blanca, which winds its way around the magnificent town of Santa Maria de Palautordera.
The pleasure of this marvellous group activity is increased tenfold by the feeling of freedom of being able to stop wherever you like and discover the region's small built heritage such as bridges, mills and towers, or take a lunch break to discover a traditional restaurant or, on the contrary, the cuisine of an innovative chef. What a pleasure it is to visit villages at your own pace, and to cycle to different places of activity to visit a farm, an olive oil factory or a microbrewery, or to go for a massage, or to go to a market to stock up on delicious produce..
For a tourism of the future
What's more, if you choose to cycle in Vallès Oriental, in addition to the health and morale benefits, you'll be joining the growing cycling movement in this beautiful region of Catalonia. In fact, the number of inhabitants who choose this soft mobility mode for their daily lives is constantly increasing. Whether they live in towns or small villages, from the youngest to the oldest, in this case often with electric bikes that are becoming more democratic by the day, these committed citizens are fighting for more cycling facilities and for the bicycle to replace the car for short distances. More and more parents are picking up their children from school by bike, sharing the thrill of the ride home. This growing trend began when the route of EuroVélo 8, the 6,000-kilometer long cycle route along the Mediterranean coast from Cadiz to Athens, had to be mapped out. At the time, the European Cyclists' Federation mentioned the possibility of passing through Vallès Oriental. In the end, this option was not taken up, but the mobilization to make the Vallès Oriental a land of cycling continued unabated. Numerous associations were set up to obtain better cycling facilities and to extend the network of cycle paths, making their voices heard by public authorities. The idea is to give priority to a low-cost means of daily transport that's good for health and the planet, while avoiding the stress of traffic jams and the search for a parking space, and also to connect the forty or so communes that make up the Vallès Oriental region. The aim of this popular movement is to establish a new way of life, a real and realistic alternative to transport, a real change in mentality. It also promotes a new idea of calm, well-being tourism, sustainable and respectful tourism - in short, tourism for the future. A tourism where you take your time, where you reconnect with yourself, discovering nature and heritage, promoting cultural exchange, where meeting others is at the heart of your trip. The aim is no longer simply to satisfy the traveler, but also to enrich the host, so that hosts and guests alike can enjoy the experience. Quiet, unobtrusive tourism, constant throughout the year, allowing visitors to be spread out and avoiding seasonal crowds and mass tourism... Le Vallès Oriental has understood these challenges of profound change in our world and is at the forefront of this more virtuous tourism, close to the aspirations of a responsible society.
Le Vallès Oriental does everything in its power to ensure that you can combine tourism and wellness activities in a relaxing setting, and that your whole being regains its harmony. And above all, if you're with family or friends, the most important thing is to discover things together, to marvel at them, and so to create shared memories. Beautiful landscapes, charming architecture, leisurely bike rides, restful nights and good meals without looking at the clock... what if this was the real change of scenery? You don't need to travel to the other side of the world: Vallès Oriental, like a jewel to be explored and savoured, is a true wellness destination just a stone's throw from home! So what are you waiting for?
To help you prepare for your stay, the Vallès Oriental tourist office website(https://www.turismevalles.com/fr/bureau-dinformation-touristique-virtuel/) is certainly one of the best sources of information. Remarkably well-designed and constantly updated, it also has a French version that allows you to select events by commune and theme, with a wide range of proposed activities to suit all generations, tastes and desires. Once you're there, don't hesitate to visit the various tourist offices, such as the tourist office in La Roca Village, if you're looking for an afternoon of shopping, or the one in Caldes de Montbui, for example, if you'd like to take advantage of spa treatments and visit the fascinating museum of thermalism. The Montseny Natural Park region also boasts an extensive network of tourist offices(https://parcs.diba.cat/web/montseny/centres-i-punts-d-informacio).
Gravel dans le Vallès Oriental
Avez-vous déjà entendu parler du gravel ? Mot anglais signifiant « gravier », il s'agit d'un type bicyclette hybride d'invention récente ayant la capacité de circuler sur des sentiers caillouteux. Véritable tendance dans le monde du vélo contemporain – il faut dire que ce type de chemins est très présent sous nos latitudes, en particulières dans les zones rurales –, le gravel combine les caractéristiques du VTT (vélo tout-terrain) et du vélo de route. D'ailleurs, les Français nomment ce type d'engin le vélo de route tout-terrain ! Terrains lisses, asphaltés, caillouteux ou accidentés, le gravel, plus léger et plus sportif que le vélo tout chemin, passe partout ! Et cette tendance n'a pas échappé au Vallès Oriental. Il faut dire que pour arpenter la variété des paysages de la région, il vous faudra emprunter des chemins de nature variée également. Pour tout dire, il existe même un itinéraire spécifique pensée pour le gravel : la Route des Gravels !
Il s'agit d'un itinéraire circulaire, donc idéal pour le cyclotourisme, d'une distance totale de 357 km et accusant un dénivelé total de 1 213 mètres. Recommandé pour les cyclistes en bonne condition physique (quelques passages techniques et/ou d'altitude), l'itinéraire peut se faire en 6 étapes (idéalement au départ de Granollers) de 3 à 4h. Bref, une expérience incontournable pour les cyclistes expérimentés !
Infos pratiques
Pour préparer au mieux votre séjour, le site Internet de l’office de tourisme du Vallès Oriental (https://www.turismevalles.com/fr/bureau-dinformation-touristique-virtuel/) est certainement une des meilleures sources d’informations. Remarquablement bien fait et mis à jour en permanence, il possède en outre une version française qui permet de sélectionner les événements selon les communes, les thématiques, avec de très nombreuses propositions d’activités pour satisfaire toutes les générations, tous les goûts et toutes les envies. Une fois sur place, n’hésitez pas à visiter les différents offices de tourisme comme le bureau du tourisme à La Roca Village, si vous vous offrez une après-midi shopping, ou celui de Caldes de Montbui, par exemple, si vous décidez de bénéficier de soins thermaux et de visiter le passionnant musée du thermalisme. Le réseau d'offices de tourisme de la région du Parc naturel du Montseny est également très riche (https://parcs.diba.cat/web/montseny/centres-i-punts-d-informacio).
