Castelladral: Castle Ruins, Trails and Local Festivals
Accommodation in Castelladral
The remains of Castelladral Castle lie on a hill in the centre of the Serra de Castelladral. At present, only a section of wall is visible on the southwest side of Castell de Castelladral; a few courses of stone have survived there. The castle has BCIN protected status. The site's historical classification is thus combined with a clearly limited built structure that remains visible today.
File:445 Colònia Agafallops, rda. Castelladral - c. Josep M. Pericas (Ripoll), naus de la fàbrica.jpg
Photo: Enric via Source, CC BY-SA 4.0
Culture and History
The church of Sant Miquel de Castelladral has Romanesque origins. The Festa Major of Castelladral is held on the first weekend of May in honour of Sant Miquel. The traditional celebrations of Caramelles and Ball de Cascavells include events on the afternoon of Holy Saturday and on Easter Sunday. The Centre d’Interpretació del Cicle Lunar is housed in the former barn of Castelladral. Castelladral therefore brings together different historical traces: the protected castle ruins on the hill, the church's Romanesque origins, festival traditions and a building once used as an exhibition venue.
Hiking and Historic Paths
Ruta 1: Balma de Comaposada begins at the La Pallissa de Castelladral car park. The route leads to Balma de Comaposada, where there is a signpost, and continues uphill back to Castelladral along the GR-176. The Camí ral and the GR-176 represent two different traces in the local landscape: here, cart tracks have been preserved in natural rock, while there the route description indicates the uphill return route to Castelladral at the respective locations mentioned. Their course therefore connects the starting point at the car park, the rocky destination and the return route into the village. Another section of path lies about 250 metres northeast of the village centre, near the base of the Creu de la Santa Missió. A short section of the historic Camí ral de Castelladral is well preserved there. The cart tracks are clearly visible on the natural rock surface.
The Alzina de Castelladral
About 200 metres southeast of the village centre, the distinctive holm oak Alzina de Castelladral stands at the edge of a path leading to several houses. Its species is Quercus ilex. The tree consists of three main trunks, which probably grew from regrowth of the original rootstock. Each trunk has a circumference of more than 1.5 metres. Together, the three trunks form a broad, spreading crown. Its approximate location southeast of the village centre and its striking growth form are just as much part of the described natural monument as its connection to a path on the edge of the village.
Festivals and Communal Dining
The Arrossada popular de Castelladral has been held on the second Sunday in March since 1984. It includes a communal rice meal on the esplanade and in the holm oak grove at the Bassa del Castell. The Bassa del Castell is located on the edge of the village near the Creu de la Santa Missió. The festival thus combines a recurring date with a specific open-air setting and the local holm oak.
For the broader travel overview: Navàs.
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