Collserola Walk #1

Mundet to Sant Cugat

Time: 3 hours, 20 minutes

Level: Easy

This trail from Parc del Laberint (Mundet metro stop) to Sant Cugat is part of the GR 6 trail which crosses Collserola Park from south to north and, if you keep on walking, will take you all the way to Montserrat. It’s well signposted.

From the starting point in Mundet, the path abruptly rises through grassy meadows with low lying shrubs. As the trail begins to get steeper near the crests of Collserola, the vegetation starts to fill out into a forest of evergreen and deciduous trees, and the sounds of nature start to drown out the city’s traffic. This section of the trail provides spectacular panoramic views of Barcelona.

Upon reaching the crest, take a detour from the GR 6 along the GR 92 towards Torre Barro. After half a kilometer, you will be able to look down on an abandoned brick Modernista building, Can Masso. Set in the middle of the woods, the decrepit mansion looks like it comes straight out of a haunted house horror flick. Return to the GR 6, and as you walk in the direction of Sant Cugat, the vegetation changes into large oak trees and, eventually, mostly pine trees.

The trail also winds close to a couple of the park’s historical and architectural gems, Sant Adjutori and Sant Medir, both dating from the 12th century (to get to the Sant Medir shrine, follow the signs to a detour path and the church is only a couple hundred meters away). This Romanesque shrine has a simple single nave with a rectangular floor plan, a square apse, barrel vault and bell gables. Every year on March 3rd, according to a tradition dating back to the 16th century, people congregate at the shrine, take out the Sant Medir carved sculpture and bring it in a spectacular parade with decorated carriages, roses, horses, flags, sweets and costumes to Gràcia. Near to Sant Adjutori, you’ll also come across Can Borrell, a masía that serves hearty fare and great calçots. Don’t forget to book first if you plan to stop for lunch.

Upon approaching the two shrines on the trail, the park’s vegetation changes once again. On this shaded side of the mountain range, the slope flattens out and the vegetation gradually transforms into a woodland environment with species of elm, water willow, and white poplar trees. The trip down to Sant Cugat offers equally beautiful panoramic views of the other side of Collserola.

As the path nears Sant Cugat, the forest eventually disappears and is replaced by an agricultural landscape. After a few hours of hiking in the wilderness, the rural landscape and the suburban environs of Sant Cugat provide a pleasant stopping point before returning to Barcelona by train.