Discover Santa Coloma de Farnés: Castle, Trails and Galetes

Santa Coloma de Farners lies in a transitional landscape: the plain of La Selva begins east of the town centre, while the Guilleries, with the foothills of l’Espinau, Santa Bàrbara and the Serra del Corb, extend to the west. Castell de Farners is a Romanesque castle on a hill amid the Guilleries. At Castell de Farners, visitors can walk along the battlements and climb the tower. From there, they can enjoy views of Santa Coloma de Farners, the Guilleries and the plain of La Selva.

Nature

Parc de Sant Salvador contains more than a thousand trees, mainly plane trees, and follows the course of the Riera de Santa Coloma. The signposted hiking trails of Santa Coloma de Farners connect dense cork oak, holm oak and oak forests with granite formations and sandy soils. The En companyia de les aigües route follows the course of the Riera de Santa Coloma, passing Parc de Sant Salvador, the Termes Orion and the Magma thermal leisure centre, and offers views of the Santuari d’Argimon in the mountains.

Culture

Ermita de Farners is a Romanesque building from the 12th century with a Baroque extension. One route begins at Plaça Farners and passes through notable places in Santa Coloma de Farners, including Plaça del Firal, Carrer Verdaguer, Passatge Miró, Plaça de l’1 d’Octubre, Passeig de Sant Salvador, Passeig de la Nòria, Carrer Dalmau i Pare-Lluís Rodés and Carrer del Prat.

The Joan Vinyoli tour begins at Casa de la Paraula and leads through Parc de Sant Salvador; during the walk, visitors can read poems by the author.

The guided tour at Museu Trias includes a visit to a museum room, a film about the history of Trias and a biscuit tasting.

The liturgical tradition of the Festa de la Ratafia includes an opening procession, an investiture ceremony for new members of the brotherhood and a closing procession. The programme of the Revolta dels Segadors includes lectures, exhibitions, theatricalised tours, folk culture performances, concerts and stalls selling traditional products.

Routes

The section of El camí dels Avellaners runs from the centre of Santa Coloma de Farners to Castell de Brunyola, passing the Ermita de la Mare de Déu de Serrallonga, and takes approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes on foot or around 40 minutes by bicycle.

Other destinations: Serinyà, Isòvol, Susqueda, Ger, Flaçà, Llagostera, Olot and Bescanó.

Food and drink

The guided Ruta més dolça de la Selva visits the Trias and Tuyarro pastry shops. There, the pastry chefs explain how their sweet specialities are made and offer a tasting. The Galetes of Santa Coloma de Farners are made from four basic ingredients: almonds, sugar, eggs and flour; no artificial additives or preservatives are used.

Typical baked goods from Santa Coloma de Farners include Galetes, Teules, Neules, Torpedos, Virolets and Delícies. La Ratafia 1842 was developed based on Catalonia’s oldest documented Ratafia recipes, which Francesc Rosquellas wrote down in Santa Coloma de Farners in 1842.

To the higher-level travel overview: Girona.