biking and hiking around perpignan and outside barcelona?
Sep 30th, 2010, 05:04 AM
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biking and hiking around perpignan and outside barcelona?
mountain biking and hiking are 2 things we'd love to do on our trip! anyone have any advice on where to ride and hike? or good stories?
Sep 30th, 2010, 06:24 AM
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Sorry.. this will be a bit long..
In Barcelona you'll have the mountains (or rather hills) of the Serra de Collserola as a backdrop with numerous trails.
One easy hike (well, for hikers it's more a one-hour stroll) would be to take any S1, S2, S5 or S55 FGC train from Pl.Catalunya to "Peu de Funicular".
Change to the cable car uphill one stop to "Carretera de los Aigües". Both, the train and the cable car, are part of the Barcelona public transport system. You can buy the so called T-10 ticket for 10 rides in the city region of BCN for €7.95 (yes, one ride costs barely 80 cents) with any city bus (except the tourist bus), metro, tram, train.
The carretera follows the old water distribution canals, so it has no incline worth mentioning. You walk on the carretera (which is banned for motor vehicles) with mostly stunning vistas over Barcelona until you see the lower station of the Tibidabo cable car.
You head for the place in front of the cable car station, and find one (rather pricey) restaurant and two cafe-bars. Especially the "Mirablau" bar offers great views over the city.
Take the old blue tram (for an additional 2.50), or the 196 bus (with the regular ticket) to Pl.Kennedy where you catch the L7 train to downtown Barcelona/Pl. Catalunya again.
A bit further away you will have Montserrat.
While the monastary is worth a visit on its own, it's also a great starting point for dozens of hikes of different levels. Due to the much higher elevation of the Montserrat range you'll have panoramic views of a hundred miles (weather/haze permitting). You get there with S4 FGC trains leaving from Pl. Espanya in appr. 1hr. Plus another 15/30min uphill by either cable car or cogwheel train. You get combo tickets already at the vending machines at Pl.Espanya (but you have to decide upon purchase if you want to take the cable car OR the cogwheel train).
From Montserrat monastery you can use the Sant Joan cable car to gain more elevation without climbing if you want.
Hiking guides for the Serra de Collserola are available at the bookstores in BCN, e.g. FNAC on Pl. Catalunya or at one of the Casa de Llibres branches (but to just walk the Carretera de los Aigües you don't need one).
The Montserrat hiking guide/map is also available at the souvenir shops around the monastery if you don't find it in BCN.
In Barcelona you'll have the mountains (or rather hills) of the Serra de Collserola as a backdrop with numerous trails.
One easy hike (well, for hikers it's more a one-hour stroll) would be to take any S1, S2, S5 or S55 FGC train from Pl.Catalunya to "Peu de Funicular".
Change to the cable car uphill one stop to "Carretera de los Aigües". Both, the train and the cable car, are part of the Barcelona public transport system. You can buy the so called T-10 ticket for 10 rides in the city region of BCN for €7.95 (yes, one ride costs barely 80 cents) with any city bus (except the tourist bus), metro, tram, train.
The carretera follows the old water distribution canals, so it has no incline worth mentioning. You walk on the carretera (which is banned for motor vehicles) with mostly stunning vistas over Barcelona until you see the lower station of the Tibidabo cable car.
You head for the place in front of the cable car station, and find one (rather pricey) restaurant and two cafe-bars. Especially the "Mirablau" bar offers great views over the city.
Take the old blue tram (for an additional 2.50), or the 196 bus (with the regular ticket) to Pl.Kennedy where you catch the L7 train to downtown Barcelona/Pl. Catalunya again.
A bit further away you will have Montserrat.
While the monastary is worth a visit on its own, it's also a great starting point for dozens of hikes of different levels. Due to the much higher elevation of the Montserrat range you'll have panoramic views of a hundred miles (weather/haze permitting). You get there with S4 FGC trains leaving from Pl. Espanya in appr. 1hr. Plus another 15/30min uphill by either cable car or cogwheel train. You get combo tickets already at the vending machines at Pl.Espanya (but you have to decide upon purchase if you want to take the cable car OR the cogwheel train).
From Montserrat monastery you can use the Sant Joan cable car to gain more elevation without climbing if you want.
Hiking guides for the Serra de Collserola are available at the bookstores in BCN, e.g. FNAC on Pl. Catalunya or at one of the Casa de Llibres branches (but to just walk the Carretera de los Aigües you don't need one).
The Montserrat hiking guide/map is also available at the souvenir shops around the monastery if you don't find it in BCN.
Sep 30th, 2010, 08:39 AM
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Oct 2nd, 2010, 08:01 AM
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If you like mountain hiking your best base would be in Cerdagne (the area around Font-Romeu) or the coast between Collioure and the Spanish border.
If you read French, you'll find a little book in local book stores called "Les sentiers d'Emilie" with a large variety of hikes. The Font Romeu OT also sells a booklet with about 30 different hikes in the Pyrenees area.
If you read French, you'll find a little book in local book stores called "Les sentiers d'Emilie" with a large variety of hikes. The Font Romeu OT also sells a booklet with about 30 different hikes in the Pyrenees area.
