Rediscovering Girona, Cerdanya and Ripollès by bicycle
The landscape of Girona and its natural environment, as well as the Osona plain, seem designed to be enjoyed all year round, with a slow pace that invites you to savor each of its corners. The bicycle is, without a doubt, one of the best allies when it comes to discovering a territory that will excite you as you travel through it, whether with short reconnaissance runs or simple bike rides, or through long outings that will be appreciated, at the end of the road, the rest of good accommodation like those offered by Grans Hotels de Catalunya
The great flexibility of Greenways
From Girona the possibilities of discovering the area are multiple. You have a good stretch of the Greenway within your reach, which in a safe and lightly traveled way will direct you towards La Garrotxa, if you go north, or towards Sant Feliu de Guíxols if you take the slightly descending section to the Costa Brava. They are old railway routes, today converted into compacted dirt roads that will allow you to travel as many kilometers as you like, stopping in several municipalities and discovering traditions and cultural aspects of these small towns.
To stay, we recommend two hotels in the Girona capital itself, the Hotel Carlemany, located in the city's Eixample, or the Hotel Peninsular, in the heart of the old town of Girona.
The climb to Rocacorba or the Sanctuary of Mont
Both establishments have specific services for cyclists, and if you are more of a road bike fan, from here you can start two of the routes preferred by amateurs, and also by professional cyclists who have made Girona their training base for a good part of the year. . We talk to you about the ascent to Rocacorba and the climb to the Mont sanctuary. The first is a climb of 880 meters of altitude with almost 14 kilometers of ascent from Banyoles, with a second part of quite demanding ascent. Once you reach the top, the gift for your eyes is priceless.
And the Mont sanctuary is another challenge for cyclists, who must go to Banyoles and continue towards Crespià, from where the 19-kilometer climb and almost a thousand meters of elevation begins. The summit that awaits you is a spectacular natural balcony that will make you contemplate from the Mediterranean and the Medes Islands to the already slightly snowy peaks of the Pyrenees.
Discover Cerdanya and Ripollès by pedaling
Another very appropriate territory to discover by bicycle is Cerdanya, an area that you always want to visit. Make a stop at the Hotel del Prado in Puigcerdà, and enjoy a simple bike outing that will allow you to get to know the natural environment of the Cereta capital, on the back of the bicycle. It is a 17 kilometer route that can be done easily in a couple of hours, leaving from the Puigcerdà train station, and is suitable for everyone, even those who are new to cycling. We will follow the marked route of the GR 11 until it reaches Vilallobent, and from there take into account the vertical signs that will guide you the rest of the exit. You will pass through Fontanals de Cerdanya and Bolvir, before entering Puigcerdà again, enjoying a rural and surprisingly quiet environment.
We now go to Ripollès, from where we receive the proposal to discover the corners of this mountain region starting from the Remei route, departing from Ripoll. It is a short and easy itinerary, about 7 kilometers. We will leave Can Guetes, and a first part of a very gentle climb will take us to the Calatrava Bridge along the walk parallel to the Ter River, linking with the Agafallops path to reach a paved track that will take us to the Remei hermitage. And from there, the descent begins along a forest track to the center of Ripoll, where we will return to the same starting point. And while we're at it, we recommend a visit to the Monastery of Santa María de Ripoll, the Scriptorium and the Farga Palau, in an incomparable environment flanked by the Ter and Freser rivers.
To stay you have the comfort of the Hotel Calitxó, in Molló or the Hotel Grèvol in Llanars, and other good options to enjoy the charms of the region and visit places where you will also find multiple proposals to discover by bicycle are the Hotel la Coma in Setcases and the Hotel Els Caçadors in Ribes de Freser.
Fotos: Tristan Cardew, Jase Wilson, Maria Geli, Pilar Planagumà, Àlex Gosteli, Archivo de Imágenes PTCBG.
