El Berguedà
A territory full of opportunities
Why visit Berguedà
Berguedà is a county in Spain located in the pre-Pyrenees. It is only one hour by car from Barcelona and less than half an hour from France. This makes Berguedà green holiday a perfect choice.
Berguedà offers a wide network of paths for walking and mountain biking with plenty of protected natural parks to enjoy nature at its best.
An impressive range of protected mountains sit in the northern part of Berguedà and form part of the Cadí-Moixeró Natural Park. It further leads to the winding Llobregat river. The river travels through Berguedà, with small villages spread either side and its banks and close to Berga, the capital at the very centre of the region.
Landscapes, outdoor activities, industrial heritage, local cuisine and cultural heritage in the heart of Catalonia. Berguedà, the land of the futures.
Culture and Local Life
Berguedà has been able to maintain old traditions, recipes and unique culture. The region is well-known as a gastronomic destination in Catalonia. There are many restaurants that use local and organic products coming from local producers.
There are three museums which tell the story of Berguedà’s recent history to thousands of students each year. The collection includes and explains the history of coal mining, cement and textile factories which grew out of small hydropower and migration of colonies at the time.
There are also two famous traditional festivals: La Patum and La Fia-faia. They have been declared as World Heritage by UNESCO. Aside from that, plenty of Romanesque churches are also declared as World Heritage. These churches allow visitors to enjoy the magic of the ancient paintings and architecture.
Sustainability
Berguedà is working to become a sustainable territory in all areas, not just in tourism. It is the first region in Catalonia to implement a door-to-door collection of its solid waste. It has a 80% success rate for recycling, with the support of locals and visitors. In addition, over the past 10 years, Berguedà has been working on a slow mobility network. For its visitors and resident community, 2000 km of paths for walking and biking have already been built to encouraging green mobility. The tourism companies are committed to using local products. These are helping new small businesses in the area and working to improve their management in order to be more sustainable.
Getting there
To go on your Berguedà green holiday, there are several bus companies which mainly connect with Barcelona and Girona (where there are the main Catalan airports). By car (private or shared), the region is connected by expressways to Barcelona, Lleida, Girona and Toulouse (France). The region is one of the favourite destinations for campers who enjoy our campsites in the nature but well connected to the main roads of the country.
Getting around
Public bus service arrives in almost every town within the region and at a reasonable cost. Some of the smaller villages do not have a regular bus service but you can use the service called ‘Transport on demand’. It offers low-cost taxis from their villages to the main town bus stations. At the same time, the region enjoys a network of private transport for tourists. The region has a modern road network. Thanks to being a destination for cyclists, local drivers are respectful of cyclists and the region feels safe for both drivers and cyclists.
Nature and Wildlife
The county’s climate is a combination of mediterranean with an Atlantic influence coming from the north. Being in-between these two climates makes the flora and fauna of our area very rich in species. Just take the example of butterflies, for which Berguedà has over 100 species.
The Cadí Moixeró natural park is the second largest protected area in Catalonia with more than 40.000 hectares of wilderness. Some of our most beloved mountains are inside the park, such as the Pedraforca or the Cadí mountain (with peaks of up to 2600m). Within the park there are big mammals like the chamois, deer, including the roe deer. Beside that, there are also birds such as the common vulture, the bearded vulture, short-toed snake eagle, just to mention a few. High mountain forests transform into winding landscapes and meadows as you head south. It’s also worth mentioning the riparian forest which sits along the Llobregat river and its many tributaries. The forest has many waterfalls and natural pools where we find river fauna.
Travel Tips from our Editor
Enjoy long distance trails
Apart from the path network there are several long distance trails that cross the area. One of the most well know is Camí dels Bons Homes (meaning the path of the good men or Cathars). It follows the routes used by the Cathars in the Middle Ages to escape from South France to Catalonia by crossing the Pyrenees. This beautiful path enjoys changing landscapes for about 200 km. Another well known path is Cavalls del Vent (Wind horses). It is a circular mountain route that connects 8 different guarded mountain shelters into the Cadí-Moixeró Natural Park, a protected area located in the central area of the Catalan Pyrenees.
Visit astronomical center
Thanks to its unique location between mountains, valleys and far from big cities, Berguedà enjoys a spectacular and clean sky. That’s the reason why in the village of Saldes, at an altitude of 1,215 meters, visitors can discover the Pedraforca Astronomical Center. It is equipped with digital planetarium, astronomical and solar telescopes. It also offers different activities to learn about the cosmos for all types of public (families, schools, institutes). Find the best activity of your choice during your Berguedà green holiday!
Indulge yourself with good food
Berguedà is a county with impressive variety of local farmers and producers. From cheese to marmalades there is a wide range of delicious products. In Casserres, a small village in the south of Berguedà, there is a new shop-cafeteria, El Terròs. They sell offline and online, and helps clients to appreciate the value of tradition and good quality food.
Sustainability Recognitions
Berguedà has been well recognized as a sustainable destination by the Biosphere label since 2018. Fifty tourist enterprises are part of it.
Berguedà was selected to both the 2020 and 2021 Top 100 Destination Sustainability Stories.
On top of that, it also received the Green Destinations Gold Award in 2019.
What does it mean?
- They have shown at least 60% compliance with the Green Destinations Core Criteria.
- They have submitted a story that was selected to the list for its innovative, effective and / or transferable good management practice.
Berguedà Good Practice Story
Berguedà submitted a Good Practice Story. It was about Offering a good example of community driven projects to preserve cultural heritage the project itself offers no major innovations. Read the full story here.
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