Excursions to Montseny Natural Park | Granollers Tourism  

Montseny Natural Park

Montseny Natural Park

Nature lovers just have to make an excursion to the Montseny Natural Park. Enjoy the fresh air!

Nature lovers just have to make an excursion to the Montseny Natural Park. Enjoy the fresh air!

 

Just 18 kilometres from Granollers, this park is made up of a mosaic of Mediterranean and central European landscapes with incredible biodiversity. Its nature and the cultural traces left behind by man over the centuries have inspired both artists and intellectuals.

Montseny is visible from Granollers and is renowned in many places of Catalonia for the legends and stories immersed in its forests.

 

This is the only Natural Park in the whole of Catalonia classified as a Biosphere Reserve; an international network of protected areas that represent the world’s major ecosystems.

Parque Natural de El Montseny - Turismo Granollers

The plant and animal life

Walking through the park provides a journey from north to south of the flora and landscapes of the whole of Europe. The flora and fauna of Montseny are the perfect representation of the latitudinal variations found in Mediterranean regions and central European zones.

 

It has about 2,800 species of flora, of which a hundred are protected species such as the sundew, the royal fern, the Pyrenean violet, the yew and the yellow gentian.

It also has outstanding endemic species; i.e. which can only be found in this area, such as the Montseny violet and the “herba de Sant Segimon” (Saxifraga vayredana).

 

In terms of fauna, the highlands of the massif are home to species typical of central Europe while animals typical of more southern Mediterranean habitats can be found at lower altitudes.

Vegetación y Fauna El Montseny

Architectural heritage

Another of Montseny‘s great attractions is undoubtedly its historical constructions. The megaliths of the Serra de l’Arca and the remains of the Iberian town wall at Montgròs are two of its oldest sites which tourists should definitely visit.

 

The Middle Ages was when Montseny was most heavily population. The people fled from the plains and settled in the hills, far from the Saracen threat and under the protection of the castles. This is when the first hamlets were formed, made up of a few houses built close to a church or hermitage. Most of the constructions Romanesque in style; modest, in harmony with the mountains and of great historical value. Next to these we can find more imposing buildings from the time when the plain was recolonised. The Monastery of Sant Salvador de Breda is the best example of this time.

 

There are also several castles such as the Castle of Montclús and the Castle of Montsoriu, which is one of the most valuable medieval constructions in the country, both thanks to its current state of conservation and its strategic location.

 

Parque Natural de El Montseny

Routes and walks

In Montseny Natural Park there are many different routes and excursions that vary depending on the season. Spring is the most active time for the animal life and when the plants start to bloom, while autumn it the time to discover wild mushrooms. Walking along these routes, visitors to the park can fully enjoy all its castles and monasteries, trails lined by chestnut and other tall trees, plants and river courses.   Catalogued as a Biosphere Reserve and certified by the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism, Montseny Natural Park is one of the places near Granollers that you definitely should visit. Known everywhere for its scenery and beauty, it's just 20 minutes by car from Granollers and cannot be missed. What's more, the park is also the ideal place for a range of leisure activities such as zip lines, archery, routes, trails and much more.

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT…