Maçanet De La Selva combines a protected hilly landscape with cultural sites from different eras. An Iberian settlement, a Romanesque church, monastic and fortified buildings, and trails through woodland and fields offer different ways to plan your stay. You can explore the area through its landscape, its architectural history, or a specific route.
Protected hills and damp oak forests
The Turons de Maçanet natural area was included in the PEIN by Decree 328/1992. It consists of isolated, densely wooded hills amid extensive agricultural land. Among its distinctive features are damp oak forests: Catalonia has only a few such forest communities, which are of exceptional natural value. The volcanic hilltops also tell the story of how the landscape formed. They were left behind after a lake dried up.
From the Iberian settlement to historic buildings
The Poblat Ibèric de Montbarbat dates from the 4th to the 2nd century BC and covers 5,700 square metres. The Romanesque parish church of Sant Llorenç, built in Maçanet around 1050, represents a different era. Valldemaria was the first Cistercian nunnery in the Països Catalans.
On the Turó de Sant Jordi, the monument complex includes the 15th-century chapel of Sant Jordi. It was fortified in the 19th century and converted into an optical telegraph tower; the remains of the medieval castle of Torcafelló are also part of the complex. The Torre de Cartellà consists of a defensive tower and a courtyard with the chapel of Sant Jaume, whose façade is in the Renaissance style. The Pou de glaç de Buscastell is a remarkable example of 17th-century civil architecture and is considered the largest covered ice well in the country.
Bridges and communal buildings also tell of specific functions. El Pont Vell, also known as Pont del Dimoni, was built in the 18th century to cross a drainage channel created to drain the lake. The Safareig de la Font del Llop de Can Bosch washhouse dates from 1902. The Taller d'Història de Maçanet de la Selva restored it; it was inaugurated on 6 August 2016. Access restrictions are important at the Torre de Marata: the manor house is on the road from Maçanet towards Residencial Park, a five-minute drive from the town centre. Its interior is not open to visitors because it is privately owned.
Routes, park, and activities
Two routes differ considerably in their layout. The linear route to the Pou de glaç de Buscastell starts in the town centre and leads through holm oak forests, across fields, and through further woodland to the ice well. The circular Ruta dels turons passes over the Turó de Sant Jordi, where Castell de Torcafelló stands, then through fields and past farmhouses and small hills to the Turó de Puig Marí. There stands a recently restored 19th-century civilian optical telegraph tower. The Torre de Puigmarí is at an altitude of 236 metres and bore number 212 on the line. Thus, a linear route to a named destination contrasts with a circular route featuring several landscape and cultural points of interest.
Parc i Font d'El Molí is 1.5 kilometres from the town centre. In summer, poplar trees provide shade. The site includes a children's play area with a zip line, slide, and swings, as well as picnic tables. The park therefore offers different ways to enjoy the area than the historic buildings and routes.
The Festa Major programme includes concerts, Sardana dancing, exhibitions, and other summer activities; the programme varies from one edition to the next. The display windows of the Taller d'Història de Maçanet de la Selva feature descriptions and QR codes for virtual tours of heritage sites, including Castell de Torcafelló, Torre Telegràfica de Puigmarí, and Pou de Glaç. Paintball Costa Brava offers three scenarios: an assault on the fortress, the trench, and the rugged forest. The provider's details may change.
Discover more destinations: Mont Barbat, Mas Altaba, Santa Coloma De Farnés, Cruïlles, Argelaguer, Parlavà, Pau, Viladamat.
For the broader travel overview: Girona.
