Alternative routes in Bages

EXCURSIONS TO VISIT THE ROMANESQUE ART IN THE COUNTY OF BAGES

There are a total of 13 signposted routes through the points of Romanesque interest in the county.

1- In the medieval part of Manresa
Inside the medieval part of the town of Manresa you can visit the County Museum and the church la seu de Manresa. Going along the river Cardener you come to the noteworthy constructions: Matadars, Sant Pere de Vallhonesta, els Comdals and Castellet.

2- Near Montserrat
On the way from Manresa a Montserrat passing through Bruc pass you can visit the splendid, small Romanesque churches of Sant Pere del Brunet, Mare de Déu de Gràcia chapel and the Sant Jaume de Marganell church.

3- Montserrat
In addition to the attraction of the monastery and the beauty of the landscape of the Parc Natural of Montserrat mountain, the massif is home to the old monastery of Santa Cecília de Montserrat and the old hermitage of Sant Iscle and Victòria.

4- Sant Benet de Bages
Sant Benet de Bages is a jewel; an example of Romanesque architecture in Catalunya. It has preserved the cloister and the sculptured columns. The rooms and spaces still conserve features from the Roman, pre-roman, gothic and even earlier epochs.

5- From Pla de Bages to Castellnou
On this excursion you will visit Sant Andreu de Castellnou de Bages (a basilica style Romanesque church and the best preserved example in Bages), the small chapels of Santa Maria de Claret, Sant Iscle and Santa Victòria de Bages, and the portal of the Romanesque church in Sant Pere d’Or.

6- From Navàs to Sallent passing through les carenes
This is a varied excursion which enables you to visit the round church of Sant Esteve del Castell de Sallent and Santa Maria de Cornet, one of the most beautiful Romanesque constructions in the county.

7- The Montcau valleys
The church of Sant Martí de Mura gives us the opportunity to see how Romanesque buildings evolved. The churches of Santa Maria de Talamanca, Sta. Maria de Rocafort, St. Esteve de Vila-rasa, and Santa Creu de Palou complete this interesting excursion that runs through the Bages side of the Parc Natural de St. Llorenç del Munt and the serra de l’Obac (Obac mountain range).

 

8- On the way to the Catalunya Nova (new Catalonia)
The torres de Fals (towers) have kept the medieval aspect that will doubtlessly captivate the visitor. Around, among woods and hills, Sant Amanç de Viladés and Santa Maria del Grau still preserve some remains of the pre-Romanesque style. Standing atop a hill is the gothic castle of Castellar.

9- Castellfollit del Boix
The Romanesque church of Sant Pere de Castellfollit is the fundamental reason for this excursion. The remains of the small priory of Sant Pere del Mont and Sant Miquel de Grevalosa round off the visit.

10-  El Cardener
Going along the Cardener we come to Santa Maria de Cererols, the old village of Súria, the tower used in defence of the village and the church of Sant Salvador del Quer.

11- Between Balsareny and Gaià
Santa Maria de Ferrans with its two naves is exceptional even in the context of the county’s Romanesque architecture. Balsareny castle and the little chapel of Sant Iscle and Santa Victòria, both of them on this route, are worthy of admiration. They are near to where the magnificent work of medieval engineering, the Sequia canal of Manresa, begins.

12- Sant Cugat del Racó
On this excursion the undisputed Romanesque jewel which stands out in the county of Bages is the church of Sant Cugat del Racó, the unique Greek Cross style church in Catalonia preserved intact. Lombard decoration proliferates and its circular dome, above the square ground floor, is daring architecture.

13- Sant Mateu de Bages
Passing through the grounds of old castles this route runs through the largest municipality of Bages, and one of the biggest in Catalonia. It contains the largest concentration of Romanesque churches in one municipality.

14- Around els senyors de Cardona
Sant Vicenç de Cardona is the undisputed landmark on this excursion. It was the first church with its own college consecrated in Catalonia by the abbot Oliba. You can also visit the exceptional tower and church of Sant Julià de Coaner.

For more information, and to find out about the guided tours, please contact:
Oficina de Turisme de Manresa / Tourist Office of Manresa
Via de Sant Ignasi, 40 baixos
08241 Manresa
Tel. 93 878 40 90
turisme@ajmanresa.org
www.manresaturisme.cat

r1

Sèquia Canal (Manresa)

r2

Cave of St Ignasi (Manresa)

r3

Montserrat

Routes through the town of Manresa

MEDIEVAL ROUTE

Head into the old part of the town following in the footsteps of the medieval townsfolk. Discover the medieval town, an example of the layout of the walled cities; visit the Seu de Manresa (a church), one of the finest examples of Catalan Gothic architecture, carrer del Balç, a semi-underground street with porches conserving all their medieval feel.

GUIED VISITS

Medieval Manresa: a city of churches and artisans
Meander through the old part of the town following in the footsteps of the medieval townsfolk. Head into the medieval town, an example of the layout of the walled cities.
Visit the Seu de Manresa, one of the finest examples of Catalan Gothic architecture, and the Sobrerroca tower, the unique watchout tower at the entrances to the town which has survived over the centuries..

Aimed at the general public.
Duration: one hour thirty minutes

PARC DE LA SÈQUIA. The magic of a medieval canal

The Sèquia de Manresa is a canal constructed in the fourteenth century. It takes water from the Llobregat river, from Balsareny, right to the capital of Bages county. All along its course the Sèquia canal crosses the Bages plain, through forests, across land without irrigation, irrigated meadows, open nature and sites of great historical interest. The Parc de la Sèquia (literally the dryness park) came into existence with the aim of converting this natural heritage into an extensive area for leisure, culture and tourism. It is designed to be a different way of discovering an area with a rich heritage and legendary traditions related to this medieval waterway. Therefore along the canal there are a series of services to help the visitor, and to enable them to learn about the most interesting places. Also, a range of leisure activities are being made available around la Sèquia.
Along the Sèquia there is a path running by the canal. This is ideal for walking, especially along those stretches through the more stunning landscape, such as Sant Iscle de Bages, the woods of la Sala de Sant Ponç or the forest in the area of the Resclosa dels manresans (Manresa dyke). The Parc de l’Agulla is one of the most visited sites in Bages. It is a wonderful spot for spending a day in tranquil surroundings, with views over Montserrat, next to the pond into which the Sèquia runs. Also near the Sèquia you can visit Balsareny castle, the Iberian town of Cogulló and a series of churches and buildings with architectural features going back one thousand years. To round off the day there are different recreational activities, such as one of the best go kart circuits in Catalonia, in la Sala area.

Get more information and see the map of the excursion at: www.parcdelasequia.cat

X