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.

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.

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.