Day 326 - 03/08/2014 : Ripoll, St Maria monastery

Today I'm going to write about one of the most relevant heritage sites in Catalonia, St Maria Monastery in Ripoll.

It is a Benedictine monastery, built in the Romanesque style, becoming Ripoll and Ripollés symbol of history.  Although much of the present church in 19th century rebuilding, the sculptured portico is a renowned work of Romanesque art.

The Monastery was founded in 888 by Count Wilfred the Hairy (called Guifré el Pilós in Catalan) who used it as a centre to bring about the repopulation of the region after conquering it. The grave of Guifre el Pilós can be visited because it's located inside the building as well as those from counts of Besalú and of several counts of Barcelona as Ramon Berenguer IV.

You can't forgot to visit it !

Day 325 - 02/08/2014 : Campdevànol

Campdevànol is a village in the province of Girona located in Ripollés shire between Ripoll and Ribes de Freser, 4km on the North leaving from Ripoll.

It's a quiet place over the year but  plenty of activity and energetic people living. Nowadays the town is very known by being member of the “Ring of the European Cities of Iron Works” an European Organization whose aim is the recovery of metallurgy world.

There are beautiful trails on the surroundings, specifically one of the most interesting is the 'Torrent de la Cabana' trail, please find information about, you won't be disappointed.

Enjoy your visit !!!

Day 324 - 01/08/2014 : Besalú, reflections

The county town of Besalú conserves a unique set of Jewish heritage in Catalonia: a Mikveh from the 12th century and traces of a synagogue closed in the 13th century.

In 1966 Besalú was declared a national historic-artistic site. Since that time many finds have been made and amazing recovery of heritage has been developed. Its medieval, irregular laid out streets adapted to the city's orography, the arches, the steps, the stone houses, the shops that open all the year round to offer the traveller the craft products of the district, the superb Romanesque bridge providing access to the urban core, passing over the waters of the Fluvià giving us sometimes fantastic reflections pictures as today is shown.

Superb !!!

Day 323 - 31/07/2014 : Besalú, Romanesque bridge

Besalú is a beautiful town in the Garrotxa shire's.

The town's importance was greater in the early Middle Ages, as capital of the county of Besalú, whose territory was roughly the same size as the current  Garrotxa shire but sometime extended as far as Corbières, Aude, in France.

Wilfred the Hairy, credited with the unification of Catalonia, was Count of Besalú. The town was also the birthplace of Raimon Vidal, a medieval troubadour.

Besalú was designated as a historical national property ("conjunt històric-artístic") in 1966. The town's most significant feature is its 12th-century Romanesque bridge over the Fluvià river, which features a gateway at its midpoint

Really amazing !!!

Day 322 - 30/07/2014 : Banyoles, Medieval fight

The first October fortnight is possible moving to Medieval past of Banyoles, the capital city of Pla de l'Estany shire.

The town was built around an historical medieval town created on the Sant Esteve monastery shadows. During these days is possible to be involves in different activities organized with the aim to remind the Medieval life in the town, for example a fight.

Children and parent might enjoy having a walk on Catalan donkey or learning to cook as a the old-timers.

Enjoy the visit !!!

Day 321 - 29/07/2014 : Montseny, autum colors

Before leaves fall in autumn they treat peepers to riotous color displays—but most of them don’t “change” color. Natural pigments called carotenoids, which produce yellow, brown, and orange hues, are always present in leaves. During the growing (and photosynthesis) season they are masked by green chlorophyll.

The climate change causes some difficulty to see autumn color in Montseny massif, we have to wait until mid November to admire the phenomena, but finally autumn comes and the explosion of colors invade our view.

Enjoy the nature !

Day 320 - 28/07/2014 : Autum ground

The Montseny Natural Park was declared a biosphere reserve in 1978 by UNESCO MAB program. It doesn't needed explain with details the reason, it's a question to enter in autumn season and get lost inside the park, you will confirm how magnificent the nature is.

Starting in October the ground begin to change the color, becoming brown in a few days and giving a magical atmosphere on all the trails.

Next one, schedule in your agenda the visit !!!