Valls del Montcau - Consorci per a la promoció turística

You are at the Valls del Montcau, a place where deep valleys follow gentle rolling hills and high plateaus make excellent viewpoints. These are lands with a wealth of vegetation and fauna. This rough landscape, consisting of arrogant cliffs and unique monoliths, is reminiscent of that in Montserrat, on the other basin of the Llobregat River.
In this natural setting, Montcau Valleys include the towns of Mura, Navarcles, Pont de Vilorama i Rocafort, Sant Fruitós de Bages and Talamanca.
Those are towns that live together in perfect harmony with the surrounding environment.

So, Mura is a quaint village, documented in the year 959, that still maintains all his medieval charm with streets and squares that developed around the Romanesque church of St. Martin.
At 454m of altitude, in the middle of the St. Llorenç del Munt i l’Obac Natural Reserve, Mura is surrounded by mountains' crests, torrents, deep pools, caves and springs that you will discover following some of the many tracks and paths. Between squares and small streets with traditional stone houses, very picturesque and well preserved, you can find Camil Antonietti street, the Church of Sant Martí, a flour windmill, or the chapel of St. Antoni. Inside its district you can enjoy de view of old restored Catalan farmhouses in harmony with the natural environment, some of them built in the rock as the Puig de la Balma, and dry stone constructions as the vineyards shacks or the curious vats in the middle of the vineyard.

Navarcles is placed in a corner of the Pla de Bages, at the confluence of the Llobregat River with Calders brook, and it's constituted by fertile lands already occupied in Roman times. It enjoys a rich natural environment and it is the threshold of the Sant Llorenç del Munt i l’Obac Natural Reserve, which makes it specially charming and cozy. Water is a main element. You can discover several springs in the little corners of the town, where you can realize its excellent quality and quantity. This water comes from the Calda spring, located 5 km outside the town.
Water, nature and
architectural heritage mix in this place.

Unlike others el Pont de Vilomara i Rocafort is made up of two different entities, one old, Rocafort, and one new, the Pont de Vilomara, which is the main town placed on the lower part between Mura’s brook and river Llobregat, its name comes from the impressive medieval bridge: a gothic construction of 9 arches and 130 meters long. Its industrial tradition, that began with textile factories on the shore of the river Llobregat and still alive, has made this town one of the pioneers in the innovative recycling industry. Rocafort, placed in a hill on the high portion of the district at 421m of altitude overlooks the valley of Nespres. In the old days it had been the center of the town and it still maintains the particular and simple looks of their stone houses. Of all the buildings, it stands out the Stanta Maria church parish, late gothic period; and the house museum: a traditional house restored and prepared to the general public. In the surroundings you can see emblematic Catalan farmhouses and the peculiar vats in the middle of the vineyard, that bear direct witness of wine industry on centuries 17th and 19th.

In the middle of Catalunya Central, to the right of river Llobregat, you can find Sant Fruitós de Bages, documented in the early X century and with an area of 22,14 km2. As a result of the union of several parish churches -Olzinelles, Vall dels Horts, Sant Iscle, Sant Fruitós de Bages and Santa Maria de Claret–. A walk through the town will show us the historical center that maintains a medieval spirit, where it stands out the parish church of St. Fruitós de Bages, and also a modern and industrial landscape. Mixed with green spaces you will be surprised by infinity of churches scattered all around the territory, being St. Benet de Bages the most emblematic monument.

Last but not least, Talamanca made up of a small center of little paved streets, it stretches along the hills of Rossinyol above the road from Navarcles to Terrassa. Thanks to its location at 552m of altitude it has special little places and nice views everywhere. At the town center, stands the Castle of Talamanca, documented since year 965 and the Church of Santa Maria, from the 12th century. Taking a walk you can see the arched stone portals of the houses that surround it, dated between the years 1621 to 1861, all of them made out of stone and covered with tiles. Beyond the town center, traditional Catalan farmhouses speak of the human presence, some of them already documented in the 10th century, and the impressive collection of vats dubbed The seven vats from the 19th century, which stand out thanks to its singularity and good preservation; and also a watermill near the shore of the Talamanca brook and near the windmill called Molí del Menut.

As we have seen, the Valls del Montcau have been populated since ancient times, even though permanent settlements consolidated through the middle ages. From then, humans have lived in harmony with the natural environment and have changed it to a landscape of unparalleled personality.

Mura

Talamanca's Castle

Pont de Vilomara i Rocafort

Navarcles

Sant Fruitós de Bages