The best gravel rides around Lliçà De Vall

A real discovery! Superb views, decent asphalt and virtually no cars.

Some of the best cycling in the region!

Beyond the green and open route that everyone knows, this space occupies old areas of cultivation and wet meadows that, until the 1970s, served as pasture for the livestock of several farmhouses in the area. Even today, under some unevenness in the terrain, you can sense the old layout of the fields and dry stone banks. During its construction, some traditional water channels were respected, which continue to drain part of the subsoil. Access is easy and the environment maintains that combination of plain and forest typical of the foot of Montseny. A place where the agricultural past still rears its head if you pay a little attention.

An old stone dam that diverted water to the fields and mills of the valley. Today, half-covered in moss and roots, it's a quiet corner where time seems to stand still. When the water flows gently, the trees are reflected as if the forest were folded in two. Some of the older residents say that, in dry summers, children used to come here to swim and used the weir as an improvised diving board.

It is said that during the Civil War, the locals hid the bells and some altar pieces in the sacristy to prevent them from being melted down. Years later, during restoration, they discovered a barely visible Latin inscription: “Lumen in tenebris lucet” — “The light shines in the darkness.” Since then, every time the sun shines through the rose window at sunset and illuminates the altar, many say the phrase takes on new meaning. A place with more history than its facade reveals.

Legend has it that in the 19th century, during a fierce storm, lightning struck the bell tower and the bells rang on their own as the villagers ran for shelter. No one was hurt, but ever since, it is said that when they ring with a long echo, "Sant Julià warns of rain." Beyond the legend, the truth is that the church has witnessed millennia—Visigothic remains still lie hidden beneath its foundations—and continues to set the rhythm of the village, amidst the ancient clang of the bronze bells and the scent of damp earth.

A small oasis nestled among fields and pines, where the still water reflects the sky like a mirror broken by frogs. This pond, once used for irrigation and livestock watering, has become a natural refuge for birds, dragonflies, and turtles. On calm days, only the buzzing of insects and the splashing of the occasional stray toad can be heard. A humble corner, yet teeming with life.

About 300 meters before reaching the hermitage along the track from Òrrius, on the left, dry stone walls are preserved, the remains of a shelter used by Republican militiamen during the Civil War. It's not signposted, but it's visible if you get off your bike and explore a bit. The surroundings are very peaceful and steeped in history: the hermitage was also used as a temporary shelter.