The best traffic-free bike rides around Castellbell I El Vilar

A carved fountain consisting of a semi-buried body framed by a large arch, which creates a small elliptical apse, at the midpoint of which is the fountain. The water falls, from a rectangular niche framed in another with a pointed arch, onto a circular sink with a base. On the side of the fountain there is a bench attached, running. The set is completed with a stone table in the center of the space. This is built with masonry and the ashlars are seen in its entire front part, and inside, up to half height, the curvilinear part of the chapel was plastered. There still remains, at the highest point of the arch, the part of a fastening element from which a chain hangs, and at an even higher point, crowning the set, there is a large piece of stone with the inscription "Girada 1923". Observations: The fountain is located in Monistrolet, in an artificial widening of the road and in a space formed from the fountain itself and small stone walls that follow the lateral profile of the work. It can be reached by the path that comes from Can Servitge passing through the deposits of Can Gallifa or Cisternes de Monistrolet (file 390) and the Font del Rector (file 391), crossing the Riera de Rajadell, or from Monistrolet, skirting Can Gallifa (file 98) along the path that surrounds it to the W., and passing through the Camp de la Girada, cross the Riera de Rajadell through a ford, and from there follow a path in a westerly direction. The fountain is located 700m. in a straight line to the SW of Can Gallifa. The name of the Girada is due to the curve that the Riera de Rajadell makes in this sector. Campaign masses have been celebrated at the site with the stone table as an altar. You can see that the beautiful vault of this fountain is in the shape of an ellipse. This design, apart from having an artistic motif, also gives it a surprising acoustic property. If we look for the two foci of this ellipse and place a person in the area near each of them, they will hear the other person's voice clearly amplified and with an enveloping effect. From an area close to the focus, such as the beginning of the stone benches, we can also hear the effect.

The Font de l’Arrel is located next to the torrent de l’Infern –or Vallformosa or Servitge-, very shortly before the confluence with the Rajadell stream, upstream of the Suanya. A path that leaves the asphalt road that goes to the Servitge urbanization, when it crosses the viaduct of the C-37 road above it, crosses the shady slope populated by oaks and black maples, visits the Font de l’Arrel, crosses the Torrent de l’Infern and continues along the right bank of the Rajadell stream towards the Gorg Blau. The itinerary “M2 – La riera de Rajadell” of the Anella Verda de Manresa passes by the Font de l’Arrel. The fountain is well maintained and has a space in front for rest or meeting, shaded by a large oak and some plane trees. The stream of water falls into a stone basin covered with hepatica thallus and capillaries that give it charm. The flow is rather scarce, but only very exceptionally does the spring dry up completely.

Spectacular views of the Montserrat Mountain Natural Park.

After a good climb, make sure to stay hydrated with this holy water (& good shade) 🤤

You'll have good luck if you see the Magical mountain, and the descent after is fantastic :-)

There are many cycling and "wilding" possibilities in the area.

The Benedictine abbey of Santa Maria de Montserrat [ˈsantə məˈɾi.a ðə munsəˈrat] is located at an altitude of 721 meters in the mountains of the same name, about 40 km northwest of Barcelona in the extreme south of the Bages region. Today, about 80 monks live there according to the Rule of Benedicti. In the monastery, the 12th century depiction of the Virgin Mary "Our Lady of Montserrat", popularly known as La Moreneta ("The Brown One"), is venerated by numerous pilgrims. As an important center of Catalan culture, Montserrat is of great symbolic importance beyond the Catholic Church. https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kloster_Montserrat

Beautiful village at the foot of Montserrat