Guardiola De Berguedà: Monasteries, Trails and Festivals

In Guardiola de Berguedà, a large part of the Parc Natural del Cadí-Moixeró lies within the municipality.

Other destinations: Molins De Rei, Sant Pere Sallavinera, Sant Martí Sesgueioles, Gallifa, Castellet i la Gornal, Cabrils, Puig-Reig and Bagá.

Nature and Trails

Cavalls del Vent is a marked route of approximately 97 kilometres crossing between eight staffed mountain refuges in the Parc Natural del Cadí-Moixeró. The Cavalls del Vent office is located in Guardiola de Berguedà. The Ruta de la Marmota begins at the Xalet de Coll de Pal. The Dues visions de Guardiola route begins and ends at the Plaça de l'Ajuntament de Guardiola de Berguedà.

The Guardiola – Brocà – Sant Marc – Guardiola route begins near the town hall of Guardiola de Berguedà and leads via Terradellas and Plans de Rotllan towards Brocà. The Via del Nicolau dates back to a railway line for transporting timber between Guardiola and Gisclareny, construction of which began on 20 April 1914. The Camí de Picasso begins at the Guardiola de Berguedà railway station and passes the Monestir de Sant Llorenç prop Bagà.

The Guardiola a la Mina de Petroli de Riutort route begins at the church square in Guardiola de Berguedà and follows the GR 4 and PR-C 158 markings. The fourth stage of the Camí dels Bons Homes passes through Gréixer and Escriu and by the Refugi de Sant Jordi; all three places lie within the municipality of Guardiola de Berguedà. The Cop d'ull als cingles de Vallcebre route begins at El Jou, a former farmhouse on a plateau above the Llobregat, directly below the cingles de Vallcebre.

The Els Empedrats i el refugi de Sant Jordi route begins in the hamlet of l'Hostalet. The Els Empedrats route leads to the Bullidor de la Llet, an impressive spring emerging from cracks in the limestone wall.

Culture and History

The Mina de Petroli de Riutort is a special place in the Parc Natural del Cadí-Moixeró, combining natural heritage, mining history and impressive scenery. The Monestir de Sant Llorenç has been documented since the year 898. Archaeological excavations at the Monestir de Sant Llorenç have uncovered parts of the cloister, the guesthouse and the mill basin.

Visits to the Monestir de Sant Llorenç were scheduled for Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays at 10, 11 and 12 o'clock. For more than 60 years, Nits Musicals has continuously organised a music series at the Monestir de Sant Llorenç in Guardiola de Berguedà. The church of Sant Andreu de Gréixer was consecrated in 871 by Bishop Guisad of Urgell.

Sant Climent de Vallcebre, also known as Torre de Foix, was consecrated in 1042 by Bishop Eribau of Urgell; the single-nave Romanesque church has a partially collapsed barrel vault and a semicircular apse. In the Middle Ages, the old royal road ran past Castell de Guardiola, linking the County of Cerdanya with the County of Barcelona along the Llobregat River.

The present structure of the Pont de Guardiola is Gothic in style and was remodelled in the 18th century. Sant Martí de Brocà is an example of Romanesque architecture with Lombard influences. The restored entrance and sections of the 340-metre-long tunnels of the Mina de Petroli dels "Francesos" de Riutort allow visitors to see marl and limestone strata, as well as seeping crude oil, and to perceive the characteristic hydrocarbon smell.

Festivals and Cuisine

The Festa del bolet takes place in October and begins with the Correbolet, a tour of the municipality's bars and restaurants to sample mushroom tapas, followed by a concert. The Festa del bolet includes a mushroom cooking competition on Sunday morning and the tasting of mushroom dishes.

La Truitada takes place on the first Sunday in May at the Font de l'Avellaner and offers participants large omelettes. The Mercat de Nadal i Fira de l'escudella takes place on 8 December and includes Christmas stalls, the preparation of Escudella on site, and the serving of Escudella, sausages and desserts.

The Aplec de Gavarrós takes place on 25 August at the church of Sant Genís de Gavarrós and includes a mass, the blessing of the municipality, the distribution of bread, accordion music and a communal lunch. The Aplec de Sant Climent de la Torre de Foix takes place on the Sunday closest to 23 November and includes a mass, an aperitif with vermouth, live music and a historical talk.

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