The best running trails around Premià De Dalt

For centuries it was the Sunday getaway of the surrounding villages, and it is said that, on foggy days, the bell tower served as a guide to orientate oneself among the paths of the mountain range. Old meetings and gatherings were held on the esplanade, and you can still see the space where people sat to have breakfast after the climb. The access is direct and sustained, and the arrival offers a clear view of the sea and mountains that explains why Sant Mateu has always been a point of passage and a mandatory stop.

In addition to the spout and the pond, it preserves the old paved landing where, according to the long-time residents, people who went up to the sanctuary stopped to have a drink and “gain strength”. For decades it was a meeting point for hikers and farmers, and it was said that if the spring flowed strongly, a good year of rain would come. The access is short and easy, and the clearing in the surrounding forest still maintains the cool and shady atmosphere of the routes of the past.

It is a very simple Romanesque-style hermitage, with a single nave covered with a barrel vault, with a semicircular apse, which has a double-flow window. The nave is very short, which suggests that it was shortened during the restoration, We must highlight the arrangement of the belfry bell tower, perpendicular to the façade, for its originality. Next to the chapel is the hermit's house. In the 15th century it was known as San Mateo del Bosque and was property of the Priory of Sant Miquel del Fai. The chapel has been documented since the year 993. In a pastoral visit from 1498 it is recorded that it is in a ruinous state but it had to be restored shortly after since in the 16th century it had worship again. In the 16th century restoration, the nave had to be cut off, now quite short in relation to the apse, and with a very simple façade. On Saint Matthew's Day, its traditional pilgrimage is celebrated. From the hermitage you can enjoy good views of the Maresme, an area frequented by several hiking and mountain biking routes.

You cannot stay overnight

The Refugi de la Ferrería del Vedat is a hotel-refugio located 299 meters above sea level, and located in the heart of the Serralada Litoral Park. The refuge is managed by the municipality and before its use you must contact the local Police of Teià. In general, it is in good condition and the views are beautiful.

Castelldaura (also known as Can Baltà) is an eclectic house built in the 19th century in Premià de Dalt. It is listed as a cultural property of local interest.

The hermitage of Sant Mateu del Bosc belongs to the municipality of Premià de Dalt, in the Maresme region. It crowns the highest point of the Sant Mateu mountain range. The chapel is located about 500 m from the farmhouse of Can Riera and, close by, there is the house where the hermits lived in the 16th and 17th centuries, and then a family of guardians. It is within the boundaries of the Serralada Litoral Park, protected as a cultural asset of local interest.

It gets its name from the nearby hermitage. Its water comes from a mine and is collected in a large pool (the Bassa de Sant Mateu) in front of the source. The spout is in a depressed niche, with an image of the saint in glazed ceramic above. Its water was considered very digestive and people often went up to stay for a while drinking it after a copious meal. At the moment it mines very little or not at all, although those in the know believe that with a cleaning of the mine it would mine again without problems. In fact, there is always water in the pond and it often shows signs of having spilled onto the ground, which shows that the aquifer is not yet depleted.[