Sant Quirze Safaja combines architectural history with a landscape in which rock and water play a special role. When choosing where to stay, you can first consider whether you are more interested in churches and historic buildings, marked trails, or natural rock formations and waterways.

Historic Centre and Architectural History

The old town sits on a long, rocky outcrop called la Molla. The parish church of Sant Quirze i Santa Julita preserves an apse from a church built around the turn of the 11th and 12th centuries. Its exterior Lombard decoration is one of its visible architectural features. The bell tower was built later: master builder Joan Bonafacia erected it between 1670 and 1672.

South of Sant Quirze Safaja, on the right bank of the Riera de Tenes, stands the Molí de Llobateres. The building, which dates from the medieval period, was remodelled and extended in modern times. It is listed as a Bé Cultural d’Interès Nacional and is also known as Molí de Centelles, molí de la Torre and molí de Fontubal.

Another historic structure is the Poua de les Torras, a large, circular underground icehouse. Its vaulted stone roof has three rectangular openings through which ice was brought in and removed. Some icehouses in Sant Quirze Safaja remained in use until the first quarter of the 20th century.

Rocks, Water and Protected Landscapes

Gorg Negre is an approximately circular pool in the Riu Tenes, where the Torrent de la Font Via flows into it. Large rock formations surround the water; during rainy periods, a large waterfall forms here. Another rock formation is the Bauma de l’Espluga: this natural rock shelter closes off a small valley and was partly shaped by calcareous sinter deposits from the water cascading down from the Torrent de l’Espluga above.

The Bauma del Molí, also known as dels Horts, can also be included in your plans. A marked footpath leads there upstream from the village entrance; the walk takes about ten minutes.

The municipal area is crossed by the Riu Tenes and several streams and brooks. Sant Miquel del Fai includes a 70.5-hectare natural area within the municipalities of Bigues i Riells and Sant Quirze Safaja. The site is part of the Cingles de Bertí Area of Natural Interest and belongs to the Natura 2000 network. The landscape around Sant Miquel del Fai features caves, shafts, cliffs and pools along the gorge.

Trails and Different Views

There are various paths and tracks for walks and routes in the Cingles de Bertí. Stage 4 of the GR 177 passes through paths, forests and hills around the Riera de Safaja, offering a chance to discover Sant Quirze Safaja and Castellcir. The Cingles are part of the Natura 2000 network, which includes Special Areas of Conservation and Special Protection Areas for Birds.

The Màrius Torres Route is a signposted out-and-back trail between Puigdolena and the town centre, with far-reaching views across the Vallès plain. By contrast, a circular route around Sant Quirze Safaja focuses on the valley of the Riu Tenes. The Torrents cap al riu Tenes route also starts in Parc de l’Aigua. The public park has trees, a fountain, benches and a children’s playground; information boards and an interpretive QR code are available at the start of the route.

Heritage in Sant Pere de Bertí and Puigdolena

Sant Pere de Bertí is a rural heritage complex comprising a church with Romanesque elements, a rectory, a cemetery and a comunidor. The church stands in the Cingles de Bertí at an altitude of 825 metres and is the focal point of a hamlet of scattered farmhouses.

Puigdolena was a private sanatorium established in 1933 in Sant Quirze Safaja, at an altitude of 800 metres. Màrius Torres was admitted there in December and matured as a poet. The site thus connects the history of a sanatorium with a chapter in literary history.

Getting There and Finding Accommodation

Sant Quirze Safaja can be reached via a road junction that runs below the historic town centre. It connects the roads from Centelles to Sant Feliu de Codines and from Mollet to Moià.

When looking for a hotel or other accommodation, you can decide what to prioritise: local history and buildings, scenic trails, or rocky and watery landscapes. This lets you shape your plans around the things you are most interested in during your stay.

Discover more destinations: Guardiola De Berguedà, Torrelavit, Calella, Sant Quirze De Besora, Sant Llorenç Savall, Montseny, Castellar del Vallès, Santa Eulàlia De Ronçana.

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