Carrilet I Greenway
Until the sixties, the Girona-Olot railway was the main transport artery for the rural districts of La Garrotxa, La Selva, and El Gironés. A modest narrow gauge railway (of the type known as "carrilet" in Cataluña) just 54 Kms long, it ran along the banks of the rivers Ter, Bruguent, and Fluvià in the shadow of the menacing La Garrotxa volcanoes.
In the not to distant future, this Greenway is to be linked by a track to the Camí de Ferro Greenway de (12 Kms between Ripoll and Sant Joan de les Abadesses). Add on the existing Girona-Costa Brava Greenway between Girona and San Feliú de Guíxols (39 Kms) and we can travel by Greenway from the upper Pyrenees to the Mediterranean, a distance of nearly 135 Km.
TECHNICAL DATA
CONDITIONED GREENWAY
A refreshing itinerary through the shades of the old volcanoes of Garrotxa.
LOCATION
Between Olot and Girona GIRONA
Length: 54 km
Users: * * Amer-El Pastoral: Part with steep slopes (there is alternative that runs through the road, 2Km)
Type of surface: Conditioned earth
Natural landscape: Garrotxa Volcanic park. Banks of rivers Ter and Fluviá
Cultural Heritage: Urban centres of Angles, Sant Feliú and Girona. Romanic chapels. D´Hostoles Castle
Infrastructure: Greenway. 12 bridges
How to get there: Girona: Medium and long distance Renfe lines (*) Please ask the conditions of bike admittance in Renfe trains Olot: Teisa Bus company
Connections: Barcelona: 130 Kms. to Girona.
Maps: Military map os spain. 1:50.000 scale 256, 257, 294, 295, 333 y 334sheets
Official road map of the Ministry of Public Works (Ministerio de Fomento)
More information on Spanish Greenways Travel Guides, Volume 1
From Girona also departs the Carrilet II Greenway
DESCRIPTION
Km. 0 / Km. 7 / Km. 14 / Km. 22 / Km. 34 / Km. 52
Km 0
From Olot (at 440m above sea level) the Carrilet Greenway is markedly downhill to Girona (at 70m), although there is a short climb near Olot to Coll d’en Bas at 600m above sea level. We therefore suggest you make the trip from Olot to Girona so as to be able to enjoy the 54 km long route through the verdant countryside with very little effort.
The route starts at Olot station where the old station building is in a perfect state of repair. The track leaves Olot alongside the river Fluvià and the Font de Sant Roc park before entering a tunnel under the Sant Roc hermitage.
At Km 2.5 we arrive at the Apeadero Sant Privat which still preserves its modest platform. From here a long straight track takes us through the dense cornfields that carpet these volcanic foothills. At Les Preses (Km 4), the trail becomes just another street in the village, but it is still easy to follow. Just outside the village, we find the station, now converted into an Environmental Information Centre, which is an obligatory stop- off for anyone wishing to find out more about the natural environment of the region.
Km 7
AShortly after leaving the station the original railway route has been swallowed up by crop fields. But, never fear; the Greenway is well signposted and it is easy to follow a series of paths that, 500m later, take us across a road. From here we head for Sant Esteve d'en Bas (Km 7) beyond which we are forced to abandon the old railway route which the new road has cut into in a number of places. We now gradually start to gain height until, after crossing the new C-152 road with due caution, we find ourselves on the other side of the old road. On its weathered and almost forgotten tarmac we climb some gentle slopes before arriving at Coll d'en Bas, at Km 11.
In this section the railway lines used to run through a tunnel, but that tunnel has been since been widened and pressed into service for the new road. Meanwhile the old road climbs for about 1.5 Kms, providing some picturesque views of the Val d'en Bas, locally known as "La Suiza de Cataluña" (the Switzerland of Cataluña). After reaching the top of the pass we have an easy downhill stretch until we arrive back at the modern road on the other side of the tunnel. Here we rejoin the old railway route on the right hand side of the road, now separate from the new road and perfectly practicable (Km 12).
Km 14
A fairly steep downhill section brings us to the Apeadero Sant Miquel de Pineda, at Km 14. Here, next to the station platform, is the Roman hermitage of Sant Miguel, and beyond the trail the descent steepens as we drop down towards Sant Feliu de Pallerols. After crossing the river Bruguent, the old railway line runs close to the road above a narrow valley before reaching Sant Feliu de Pallerols. (Km 17), where the station still stands, although in a very poor state of repair.
The next stop along the way is Les Planes, after first passing below the thousand year old Castillo d'Hostoles, built on a commanding position high above the railway line. At Km 22 we arrive at Les Planes, where the railway describes a wide arc as it gradually loses height.
Km 22
After Les Planes we move on to one of the most attractive stretches of the railway. The trail drops steadily down through woods alongside the river, far from any roads or villages. We pass over bridges and through spectacular cuttings before arriving at the Apeadero de Font Picant, at Km 28. From the station a broad stairway leads down to where was a once a delightful hotel. Very close to here, thousands of litres of spring water is bottled every day to be drunk at tables all over Spain.
The trail, now narrower, heads towards Amer (Km 30), the logistical centre of the railway. The former workshops are
now home to the local fire brigade, while the main station building, the platform, and its peculiar station bar are all in a relatively good state of repair. Scarcely a kilometre further on the railway is once again swallowed up by the road, but our Greenway avoids the traffic by using the old Camino Real (this track contains a number of steep inclines with a cement surface which may prove tricky for less skilled cyclists).
Once we reach the road again we need to continue alongside it until we reach the nearby bridge over the river Ter (300m .)
Km 34
On the other side of the river the El Pasteral railway station, at Km 34, marks the beginning of another, very different section. The trail now runs in a straight line through crop fields before reaching the town of La Cellera de Ter, 2 Km down the line. Just a kilometre later the old railway line crosses the Riera de Osor stream and enters the town of Anglès (Km 37). This town, with its medieval air, still has a station but has lost most of its railway lines to the new ring road. Our Greenway runs alongside this new road, but it is worth making a detour into its cobbled streets, redolent of their medieval past.
From Anglés to Girona the railway line used to run alongside the road with the river Ter on the left hand side, passing through a series of stations - Bonmatí, Bescanó, Salt – before finally arriving at Girona. Our Greenway follows much of this route, making its way between leafy poplar trees and such spectacular landscapes as the Paso de la Pilastra, at Km 49.
Km 52
From this point, just before arriving at Salt, our Greenway takes its leave of the old railway line in order to avoid the complicated urban routes through Salt and Girona. Instead we take a well signposted route along the banks of the Ter making use of rural tracks lined with poplars. We skirt around the town centre of Salt and, at km 54, enter Girona via the Parque de la Devesa where we need to take care when crossing the avenues at the entrance to the park. We suggest that you take a tour around Girona’s picturesque old quarter which will exercise your physical and, more especially, your cultural muscles. For those of you still wanting more, try continuing down to the shores of the Mediterranean at Sant Feliu de Guíxols along the Girona-Costa Brava Greenway.
MAPS
PROFILE
RAILWAY HISTORY
Although the first plans to build a railway to Olot date back to the 19th century (even before the Barcelona-Mataró line was built), the Girona-Olot railway was finally opened in 1911, after a lengthy construction process. Early plans called for linking Olot, the capital of the district of La Garrotxa, with Sant Joan de les Abadesses and its rich coal mines (at Ogassa), and the port of Roses. Later, the idea was to link Olot with Sant Joan after a rail link had been established between the latter town and Barcelona. Other yet later plans talked of the line going to Torelló where it would link up with the broad gauge line already built. Eventually they opted for the route along the Ter valley, to link up with the rest of the national rail network at Girona.
After a number of years of economic success during which ambitious plans were made to extend the line both inland and to Barcelona, the Civil War intervened and the narrow gauge railway suffered financial and physical losses. Republican troops blew up many of the bridges as they retreated and a large number of locomotives and rolling stock were lost. The floods of 1940 also caused further damage to the tracks, making the task of rebuilding the railway even more daunting.
Gradually steam locomotives were replaced by railcars, making the railway easier to manage. However, the railway continued to struggle economically and in 1963 it was taken over by the FEVE (Spanish Narrow-Gauge Railways). But the FEVE was unable to turn the railway around and, in spite of serving a large number of passengers and some promising plans to link prolong the line beyond Girona to Sant Feliu de Guixols, the line was eventually closed in July, 1969.
INTERESTING DATA
1. Festivals and holidays 2. Accommodation 3. Eco-tourism 4. Managing Authority 5. Town Councils 6. Emergencies 7. Coaches & buses 8. Railway
Festivals and holidays
Girona July 25 Fiesta de Sant Jaume
October 29 Fiesta de San Narciso
Salt March 1 Fiesta del árbol
April 23 Fiesta de Sant Jordi
July 25 Fiesta Mayor, Sant Jaume
Bescanó April 23 Fiestas de Sant Jordi
1st Sunday in May Marcha popular
June 29 Fiesta Mayor de Montfullà
August 10 Fiesta Mayor de Bescanó, Sant Llorenç
21 de septiembre Fiesta Mayor Vilanna
Fiesta de todos los Santos Castañada
30 noviembre Fiesta Mayor del Estanyol
Anglés Sábado anterior o posterior al 17 de enero Fiestas de Sant Antoni
2º domingo de abril Caminadad de Can Serra
2º domingo de mayo Romería de Santa Bárbara
3er domingo de junio Congregación de la Sardana
2º domingo de octubre Fiesta Pequeña o Fiesta del Remei
La Cellera de Ter 2º domingo de marzo La Matanza del Cerdo
Lunes de Pascua Congregación de Sant Just y Pastor
4º domingo de abril Fiesta del Roser
1 de mayo Congregación de Puigdefrou
2º domingo de mayo Fiesta del Rosario de El Pasteral
23 de junio Hogueras de Sant Joan
15 de agosto Fiesta Mayor
Noviembre Castañada Popular
Amer Primer domingo de febrero Romería de Santa Brígida.
Primer domingo de mayo Fiesta del Roser del 14 al 17 de agosto Fiesta Mayor
Septiembre Fiesta del Pedreguet. Romeria de Sant Climent y Sant Corneli
Mes de noviembre Fiestas de Aniversario y castañada popular Ruta de las ermitas
Les planes d'Hostoles 25 de julio Fiesta Mayor Sant Jaume
2º domingo de septiembre Fiesta de las Encies
4º domingo de septiembre Fiesta de la Santa Espina
2º domingo de octubre Congregación de San Grau
25 de septiembre Feria del Bastó i La Fusta
Sant Feliu de Pallerols Pascua de Pentecostés Fiesta Mayor, Pascua
3er domingo de septiembre Fiesta de Sant Insle de Colltort
21 de septiembre o domingo siguiente Congregación del Santuario de La Salut
22 de noviembre o domingo siguiente Congregación de Santa Cecilia
13 de diciembre o domingo siguiente Feria de Santa Llucia Carrera BTT
La Vall d'en Bas 17 de enero Fiesta de Sant Antoni
24 de junio Fiesta de Sant Joan dels Balbs
Domingo antes del 22 de julio Santa Magdalena
1er domingo de septiembre Les Olletes Sant Simplici
4º domingo de septiembre Fiesta Sant Quintí
Domingo siguiente al 29 de septiembre San Miquel de Castelló
12 de octubre Sant Mateu Sant Grau
Les Preses Cuarto domingo de mayo Fiesta del Roser
26, 27 y 28 de Junio Fiesta del Bosc de Tosca
Tercer domingo de agosto Festival Internacional de Danza
Octubre Fiesta de San Miguel de Corb
Segundo fin de semana de octubre Gala de Les Preses
Olot Febrero Feria del embutido
1 de mayo Feria
2º domingo de Julio Congregación de la Sardana
8 de Septiembre Fiestas del Tura
Semana 18 de octubre Feria de Sant Lluc
Accommodation
Girona Hotel Carlemany ***** Telf. 973 221 12 12
Hotel Costabella *** Telf. 972 20 25 24
NovoHotel Girona Telf. 972 47 71 00
Hotel Europa ** Telf. 972 20 27 50
Hotel Inmortal Girona ** Telf. 972 20 79 00
Hotel Condal * Telf. 972 20 44 62
Hotel Peninsular * Telf. 972 20 38 00
Hotel Bellmirall ** Telf. 972 20 40 09
Salt El Bosc de La Massana (C.Colònies) Telf. 619 359 380
Anglès Fonda Comerç ** Telf. 972 42 00 07
Fonda Tarrés * Telf. 972 42 13 14
Pensión Massot ** Telf. 972 42 00 07
Casa Rural Can Pol de Dalt Telf. 972 42 00 52 www.llautsivelers.com/canpol/ [email protected]
La Cellera RCP Can Jepet Telf. 972 42 17 16
Amer Fonda Restaurant Giralt Telf. 972 43 00 45
Fonda Restaurant Sant Marçal Telf. 972 43 07 23 Les Planes d'Hostoles Fonda Arnau Telf. 972 44 80 12
Camping Molí de Vilamala Telf. 972 44 82 88
Camping L'Alguer Telf. 972 44 86 00
Sant Feliu de Pallerols RCP Ca l'Ecolà Telf. 972 44 43 97
RCP Mas La Carrera Telf. 636 47 60 87
RCP La Badia Telf. 972 44 43 35
RCP Mas El Contaller Telf. 972 44 44 32
Posada Fonda Finet Telf. 972 44 40 24
ARI Mas Franch Telf. 626 83 17 14
Pensió El Rec Telf. 972 44 40 35
ARI Can Ventura Telf. 669 96 39 66
Camping La Vall d'Hostoles Telf. 972 44 41 04
La Vall d'en Bas RCP Mas El Ferres Telf. 972 69 00 29
RCP Can Mestrehumà Telf. 649 20 69 53
Alojamientos Colomer Collell Telf. 972 69 02 67 Les Preses Hostal Vertisol Telf. 972 69 31 55
Apartaments Les Voltes Telf. 972 26 01 26 / 69 30 37
Casa de Colónies Les Preses Telf. 972 69 21 12
Apartamento Les Voltes Telf. 972 69 30 37
Camping Natura, 2ªC Telf. 972 69 20 93
Olot Hotel Riu *** Telf. 972 26 94 44
Hotel Borrell *** Telf. 972 27 61 61
Hotel La Perla *** Telf. 972 26 23 26
Pensió La Vila ** Telf. 972 26 98 07
Hostal Pujol * Telf. 972 26 23 71
Hostal Sant Bernat ** Telf. 972 26 19 19
Albergue de la Juventud Telf. 972 26 42 00
Camping La Fageda, 3ªC Telf. 972 27 12 39
Camping Les Tries, 3ªC Telf. 972 26 24 05
Mas Pujou (C. Colònies)
Telf. 972 19 50 76
La Canova (C. Colònies) Telf. 972 68 03 39
RCP Mas Masnou del Corb Telf. 972 69 30 10
RCP Can Mau Riudaura Telf. 972 26 72 84
El Roquer (ARI) Telf. 972 26 43 90
Apartamentos La Francesa 972 26 22 41
Eco-tourism
Salt ÇTrafach Bikesl. Tel. 972 23 49 43 Bici /oci. Tel. 972 24 11 01
Anglés Grupament Escolta Sant Miquel. Tel. 972 42 15 08 Associació Amics de Santa Bárbara. Tel. 972 42 18 79
Bescanó Taller de Bicicletas Motos Vilaplana. Tel. 972 44 00 82
Amer Asociación Agroturística Amernça. Tel. 972 43 03 29 Bicicarril.com. Tel 972 43 00 13
Sant Feliu de Pallerols Cicles Serra. Tel. 972 44 42 73
Girona Oficina de Información Turística. Tel. 972 22 65 75 / 21 16 78 Cicloturisme i Medi Ambient S.L.- (Girona) Tel. 972 22 10 47 ; www.cicloturisme.com
La Vall d'en Bas Oficina de Información Turística. Tel. 972 69 21 77
Les Preses ATMA - Centre Logístic del Bicicarril. Tel. 972 69 20 23
Guies de Natura i Muntanya. Tel. 972 69 20 20 Oficina de Información Turística. Tel. 972 69 20 20 Sant Feliu de Pallerols - Castillo d'Hostoles. Tel. 972 44 44 74 / 40 11 Zona Volcánica. Tel. 972 44 44 74 / 40 11 Ecomuseo de la Fauna Autóctona. Tel. 972 69 20 20 / 19 50 87 Mirador de la Zona Volcánica de La Garrotxa. Tel. 972 69 20 20
Olot Bicicletas Tarrés. Tel. 972 26 99 78 Inter Sport Balcells. Tel. 972 26 06 15
Managing Authority
Consorci Vies Verdes. Consorci Vies Verdes Girona Av. Ramón Folch, 13 - 2º 17001 – Girona Tlf: 972 48 69 50 www.viasverdesdegirona.org E-Mail: [email protected]
Town Councils
Girona. Telf. 972 41 90 00
Salt. Telf. 972 23 15 27
Bescanó. Telf. 972 44 00 05
Anglés. Telf. 972 42 00 58
La Cellera de Ter. Telf. 972 42 19 02
Amer. Telf. 972 43 11 12
Les Planes d'Hostoles Telf. 972 44 80 06
St. Feliú de Pallerols Telf. 972 44 40 11
La Vall d'en Bas. Telf. 972 69 02 25
Les Preses. Telf. 972 69 32 32
Olot. Telf. 972 27 91 00
Mossos d'Esquadra
La Garrotxa: Telf. 972 26 64 88 La Selva: Telf. 972 84 27 57 Gironés: Telf. 972 27 91 00
Coaches & buses
Empresa Teisa. Telf.: 972 26 64 88
Railway www.renfe.es Telf. 902 24 02 02
LINKS www.viasverdesdegirona.org Web page of Vías Verdes (Greenways) in the province of Girona www.costabrava.org Extensive information on the Pyrenees of Girona. Rural districts, gastronomy, history, natural areas, sports... all the information you need to explore the rural district of Ripolles and its surrounding area. Interesting links to other related web pages www.agtat.es/spa/index.asp Includes information on a great many activities offered by the rural district of La Garrotxa as well as accommodation, gastronomy, cultural events, markets, and bike rides around the district www.ddgi.es Web page of the Provincial Government of Girona . In Catalan
MULTIMEDIA
VÍDEO - Serie Vive la Vía
Tres refrescantes itinerarios en pleno corazón de la provincia de Girona, que guiarán nuestros pasos desde los Pirineos hasta el mar, en plena Costa Brava, siguiendo la huella de tres ferrocarriles abandonados. La Vía Verde del Camí de Ferro, entre algunas de las mejores joyas del románico; la Vía Verde del Carrilet, a la sombra de los volcanes de La Garrotxa, que despliega toda su frescura hasta alcanzar la capital de Girona; y la Vía Verde de Girona-Costa-Brava, que nos conduce al mar. En total más de 100 km para conocer a fondo la belleza de esta provincia catalana, en bicicleta y caminando.
Parte 1 de 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=bC98Gd3jcfA
Parte 2 de 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=pKrjPYaibRQ