Discover Tortellá: Culture and Trails

Tortellá lies on a plain in the Alta Garrotxa. Tortellá has been documented in records since the 10th century. The Església de Santa Maria is an 18th-century temple built above the original Romanesque church.

Culture and History

The Església de Santa Maria has a single-nave layout with two side aisles and an octagonal chapel topped by a high dome. The Monument a la Xiruca is a sculpture by Manuel Solà in honour of the footwear that has been developed and manufactured in Tortellá since the 1950s. Tortellá’s sardana music tradition comprised nine cobla orchestras, founded between 1875 and 1956. The spoons from Tortellá bear the “Ofici Singular” accreditation from the Generalitat de Catalunya. The Fanals de cullera comprise around twenty spoon-shaped light points on Plaça Mercat and along Carrer de França and Carrer de Besalú.

La Fàbrica Gran was built in 1784 and was used until 1852 to manufacture cotton stockings, textiles, indiennes and handkerchiefs. The remains of the former church of Bellpuig are apparently a chapel of Romanesque origin that belonged to the grounds of Bellpuig Castle. The remains are located in the municipality of Tortellá on private land and are not signposted.

Buildings and Archaeological Sites

The Pont medieval del riu Llierca was very probably built in the mid-14th century on the orders of the lords of Sales. The Pont del Llierca has a single round arch with a diameter of 19.10 metres and is located on the road to Sadernes. The Bauma del Serrat del Pont is an archaeological site on the Llierca River, about 50 metres from the Romanesque bridge. It can be reached from Montagut via the road to Sadernes, crossing the Llierca Bridge. A wooden fence protects the Bauma del Serrat del Pont; two information panels explain its archaeological significance to visitors.

Nature and Trails

A restored path leads in Tortellá from the Abeuradors via the Camí dels Horts to the washhouses. At the Pont del Llierca, you can descend to the river and bathe during the hottest summer months. The Ruta cicloturística de la Vall del Llierca is an approximately 29-kilometre circular cycle route through Castellfollit de la Roca, Sant Jaume de Llierca, Argelaguer, Tortellá, Sales de Llierca and Montagut i Oix. On the Vall del Llierca cycle route, cyclists must dismount to cross the Pont del Llierca. The Itinerari els Comuns leads to the dels Comuns quarry, a former stone-extraction area where extraction ceased in 2010 and which is currently being renaturalised.

Festivals

The Festa Major de Tortellá is a multi-day celebration from 1 to 16 August 2026, with activities combining tradition, culture, music and offerings for all age groups.

Other Destinations

More places to explore: Maiá de Montcal, Montagut, La Cellera De Ter, La Bisbal D'empordà, Vilafant, Caldes De Malavella, Vilabertran, Sant Joan Les Fonts

To the overarching travel overview: Girona.