La Quar: Monastery Complex, Churches and Hiking Trails
File:La Quar, 08606, Barcelona, Spain - panoramio.jpg
Photo: EliziR via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
The monastery church of Sant Pere de la Portella in La Quar was consecrated in 1035.
History and Churches
The preserved complex of the Monestir de la Portella includes the heavily altered monastery church and a two-storey cloister with large round arches.
The first church of Santa Maria de la Quar was consecrated in 900 by Nantigís, the Bishop of Urgell.
The church of Sant Maurici de la Quar is a 17th-century building that was extended in the 19th century.
The church of Sant Maurici de la Quar houses the Romanesque image of the Mare de Déu de la Quar.
A guide must be requested from the Ajuntament de la Quar for interior tours of the Monestir de la Portella.
Landscape and Elevations
The Riera de la Portella rises in the municipality of La Quar.
The headwaters of the Riera de la Portella are included in the designation of the “Reserves naturals fluvials de Catalunya” under the name “Capçalera de la riera de la Portella”.
At the Riera de la Portella, mixed forests of Scots pine and oak meet riparian forests dominated by ash and willow trees.
The small hermitage of Sant Isidre de la Quar lies near the summit of the 1,121 m-high Serrat de Sant Isidre, which separates the watersheds of the valleys of la Portella and la Riba from that of Sant Maurici.
Near les Heures in the southern part of the municipality of La Quar, the Riera de Merlès flows through a gorge and forms the Goles de les Heures.
The Santuari de Santa Maria de la Quar stands at an elevation of 1,069 m on a rocky spur above a sheer cliff more than 100 m high, offering views across the Merlès valley, Berguedà and the Pyrenees.
Hiking
The circular “Ruta la Quar, la Portella i Sant Maurici” route is 15.1 km long and leads to historic sites in the municipality of La Quar.
It begins and ends in the small village of Sant Maurici de la Quar and from there follows the GR-4 hiking trail to the Santuari de la Quar.
Festivals
For the festival of Sant Isidre on 15 May, Mass is celebrated and the Goigs are sung in the small chapel of Sant Isidre de la Quar.
The Festa Major de la Quar is celebrated on Easter Monday with an Aplec at the Santuari de la Quar.
The festival of the Monestir de la Portella takes place on the weekend closest to 29 June.
The Festa Major de Sant Maurici de la Quar is celebrated on 8 September.
On Site
In Sant Maurici de la Quar, parking is available directly on the road opposite the town hall and the Hostal Sant Maurici.
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