Vilanant – La Garriga d’Empordà, Churches and Festivals

Vilanant combines the landscape of La Garriga d’Empordà, shaped by dry-stone structures, with prominent religious buildings, signposted mountain biking routes, and festivals that accompany the village throughout the year. The landscape includes dry-stone walls, stone heaps, paths, and huts. The stones used to build them were cleared from cultivated plots. As a result, not only individual structures but also the agricultural features that shape the landscape are among its defining elements.

The Mirador de La Garriga has two viewpoints. One is dedicated to birdwatching, while the other focuses on interpreting the landscape. The two focuses remain spatially separate: here, visitors can observe wildlife; there, the dry-stone structures and their integration into the landscape are at the centre of attention. The viewpoint thus complements the paths and huts of La Garriga with a fixed vantage point offering two different perspectives.

Culture and History

The chapel of Sant Jaume dels Verders, or dels Solers, dates as a building from the 18th century and also preserves older remains from the 11th century. The Castell dels Moros is located just a few metres away. This short distance links the two historical sites into a closely connected section of the visit, without equating their different periods of construction and use.

The parish church of Sant Martí de Taravaus is late Romanesque and dates from the 13th century. Its architecture includes a single-nave church and a semicircular apse. In Vilanant itself, the tall bell tower of Santa Maria creates a highly visible landmark: it can be seen from every part of Vilanant and from the neighbouring municipalities. Thus, the older chapel, the Romanesque parish church, and the tall tower represent different historical and architectural features.

Cycling

Mountain biking route 15 La Garriga d’Empordà leads to Vilanant and runs along the Rissec between woodland and meadows. Its route connects the cycling tour with specific landscape features. Mountain biking route 24 Vilanant, by contrast, covers a wider area and runs through the surroundings of Vilanant, Avinyonet de Puigventós, and Taravaus. The two routes therefore differ in their explicitly stated courses: one follows the Rissec, while the other includes several villages. When planning a cycling trip, current route conditions should be checked before departure.

Festivals and Cuisine

The Fira de la Flor i el Jardí takes place in May as Vilanant’s Sant Isidre festival. The programme includes Sardanes, the veneration of Saint Isidre, and a flower fair. The event therefore combines dance, religious tradition, and a focus on gardens and flowers in a local festival.

In the second week of August, Vilanant’s Mostra Gastronòmica takes place at venues in the village. The date is therefore clearly separate from the flower festival in May and establishes its own seasonal focus on gastronomy. For both events, it is advisable to check the current festival dates and event times before travelling.

Other destinations include Salionç, El Prat de Llobregat, Alp, Campelles, Ger, Les Preses, Santa Coloma De Farnés, and La Cometa.

For the higher-level travel overview: Girona.