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:. Alt berguedà
.:. trekking 1 day .:. Around
Vilada (PR C- 147)
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Introduction
This area is full of spots that, not too
far off, offer many surprises and curiosities. The northern section
of the route is one; over a backdrop of limestone mountains with
impressive shapes, this route reveals secrets of the recent and
distant past of these lands.
Description
From the Gronxadors de Vilada park, you
go towards the church and then go along a very steep concrete
road that leads to the cemetery and the water tank. From here
you follow the track going north. After crossing the GR 4 a little
further on, you see the remains of a pipe that tells us what the
path is for: to carry water from nearby springs to the village
of Vilada. Hidden in the woods, you also see walls and the terraces
of old fields. You have to remember that, not so very long ago,
this whole area looked quite different.
After crossing a track, the path
goes uphill until it reaches a tank with a fountain tap to fill
canteens. From here the path levels out while meandering along
slopes and rocks until it reaches the Aigua mine, a tunnel excavated
into the rock to avoid the rocky buttress. Before going in, have
a look at the rock above: a holm oak has managed to get its roots
inside the rock to extract food from where it seems impossible
to do so.
Soon after going past the tunnel
you come to the Arc spring, which feeds the tank you came to a
little while ago. The three mouths give you an idea of how abundant
it once was, but unless it has rained a lot, all the water is
now channelled downstream.
After a short climb up, the path
emerges onto a wide pass. To the right are the fields and the
house of the Roset castle, an 18th century farmhouse, today abandoned.
To the left you see a path that went up to the castle, and in
some spots you can still see the stones placed to keep the path
open. The path crosses a crevice in the rocks and then goes down
to a small esplanade where you can see the remains of the castle,
now cleared up and strengthened. On the south-eastern corner you
can see the remains of the original tower; the rest were added
in later periods. You can also see a water cistern. If you go
towards the southern point of the mountain, you can enjoy a splendid
panoramic view of almost 360º that encompasses the meadows below
and the wild Picancel ranges in front, Gotzera to the west, and
the slopes of the Sobrepuny behind. If you look towards Berga,
on the other side of the reservoir, you will see a mountain shaped
like a pyramid where there was once another castle, Pugi-Arbessós
castle, which was also visually connected with the Blancafort
castle between Berga and Cercs.
You now go back down to the castle
house to continue along the track until the point where it runs
between two rocks. A path emerges here to the right that crosses
the stream and becomes steeper until it goes through an interesting
passage, which is the purpose of this path, because if there were
no passage there would be no path. This old path once connected
Roset to the houses in the Clarà plain and, further along, to
the village of La Nou.
The path runs into an old track
and then links up with the GR 4 that goes up from the Viladomat
house. Turn right and take the Vilada path to La Nou, which was
opened in the 19th century to make your journey less steep, where
you can see walls to hold the path on the slopes and at other
points where it was necessary to excavate the rock to make room.
The old path went further up and then went down through Casadesús,
further north.
The path leads to a grassy track.
The GR turns right and continues to La Nou, but the PR turns left,
crosses the road after a steep drop and then takes the old path
from La Nou to Berga - a section of the original path was blocked
by a scree that you must now skirt - after crossing the scree
you reach a rock buttress that provides an interesting look-out
towards Baells and its surroundings. The path descends in S-bends
until it again reaches the road. From here you keep going along
the old road - today closed to traffic - and you finally go downhill
along the current road to the track of the Sala house, which you
reach after going quite a way along the track. This house is still
inhabited today and has centuries of history behind it - the eastern
wing is mediaeval in origin with 16th and 18th century additions.
The path goes behind the barn and then goes up and down, becoming
a mixture of path and track, and going above the Bertrana house,
and eventually leads to the Vilada road.
When you reach the road, keep on
it to the right and then go down towards the reservoir to link
up with the recreational areas of the Cavaller mill and the Vila-rasa
fields until you come out again to the road going into the village
where you come to the Clotassos spring, after going past the first
few houses.
You can shorten the route at two
points:
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From the house of the Roset castle you can follow the track to
the road and then turn left towards Vilada or on the GR you come
to just before reaching the road, from where you would emerge
at the PR right at the beginning of the Aigua path.
·
Once you have gone along the Grau path, you can turn left when
you link up with the GR, which takes you to the same track as
before.
Route recommended by
Cal Candi - Camps de Vilarrassa

Residència
- casa de Pagès Les Eres de Guardiolans

Technical data
Approximate distance: |
15 kilometres |
Approximate duration: |
5 hours |
Signposting: |
Yellow and white waymarks along the route |
Starting point: |
Swings of Vilada park |
finishing point: |
Swings of Vilada park |
Car park: |
In front of the Swings of Vilada square |
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Points of interest: |
Aigua path, views of the Picancel and Catllaràs ranges,
Roset house and castle, Grau path, Berga path, Baells
dam, and Cavaller mill
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Services:
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For services in Vilada, consult the section on tourist
services |
Bibliography: |
Catalunya Romànica, volume XII, El Berguedà, Castells
medievals del Berguedà, volume I, Amics del romànic
del Berguedà. |
Maps: |
El Berguedà 1:50.000. Institut Cartogràfic de Catalunya.
Montgrony - Fonts del Llobregat 1:25.000. Editorial
Alpina. |
Comments: |
Before reaching the tunnel, the Aigua path skirts
the rock in some spots with little space and at a considerable
height: be careful, especially if there are children
with you. You may come across swarms of bees in some
parts of the path: go past quickly and cautiously. |
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