TOURIST
AND NATURE
WALKS

Upon reaching the fountain, we will find picnic tables where we can rest or continue, now with old crop terraces on either side, until some 500 m later we find an old, restored lime kiln.

We head back along the main path of the valley which, beyond the ridge, passes through vineyards until we come in front of Cal Noi farmhouse. We continue towards the right along the asphalted way which will take us back to Penyafort Castle.

Beside it is the rectangular-shaped Santa Maria de la Sanabra hermitage, of Romanesque architecture. It has a semi-circular monumental portal and a semi-circular apse with loophole windows, and it is built with large cut stone ashlars that are very well preserved.

Located at Sant Llorenç valley, this fountain often flows, though we cannot guarantee how safe it is to drink the water. The vegetation of this coomb is notable, where the holm-oak predominates with shade-loving species such as laurustine (Viburnum tinus), boxwood (Buxus sempervirens), butcher’s broom (Ruscus aculeatus) and ivy (Hedera helix). The site is very beautiful, shady, a place to sit, eat, rest, listen to the birds…

A few metres up we find an old restored lime kiln that, like the numerous dry stone terraces around it, is evidence of the intense agricultural and forestry activity that had been carried out in these forests many years ago.

Check the weather forecast before setting off on the walk.

Wear footwear suitable for walking, take water, a hat and warm clothes depending on the time of year.

Keep an eye out and respect the signage in the event of boar beating.

In case of emergency, dial 112.

Throughout the walk there is vertical signage of the Foix Park.

It preserves wetlands of great natural and ecological value, especially in the area of the reservoir in Castellet. For this reason, in 1993 the Foix Park protected natural area came into being, currently protecting over 3,100 ha, seeking to preserve and enhance the area’s nature and heritage.

Along the way, we can admire mature riverside woodland, notable for its silver poplar (Populus alba). Poplar trees line the course of the river on the plains, where the groundwater level is always high enough. There are also elm trees (Ulmus minor), plane trees (Platanus x hispanica) and narrow-leaved ash (Fraxinus angustifolia). In the undergrowth we find other plants such as thornless blackberry (Rubus ulmifolius), the elder (Sambucus nigra) and the intermediate periwinkle (Vinca difformis), which flowers in spring leaving the undergrowth tinged blue.

Continuing along the right bank of the river, in the section beneath Penyafort Castle we can find a sizeable reed bed. The common reed (Phragmites australis) is a similar grass to the cane reed, but does not get so tall and has a much thinner stem.
Reed beds are very important for various animal species to breed and shelter, especially birds like the mallard duck, the moorhen, the kingfisher, as well as amphibians like the Iberian green frog and reptiles like the viperine water snake and the Spanish pond turtle.

It is vitally important to keep the riverside ecosystem in a good ecological state to preserve the flora and fauna and to ensure continuity of these habitats as green corridors to help preserve the region’s biodiversity.

Wear footwear suitable for walking, take water, a hat and warm clothes depending on the time of year.

Keep an eye out and respect the signage in the event of boar beating.

Respect nature; take your litter with you.

In case of emergency, dial 112.

We start the walk at the CIARGA, Interpretation Centre of Republican Aviation and Air Warfare, opposite the Serral farmhouse. We head south along the asphalt track. Along the way, we pass Mas Granell and a few metres after we turn right to take a path through vines leading us to Sardinyola. We cross the asphalt way, continue straight along carrer Xaloc and turn right onto carrer Lelebeig. We follow it as far as the start of a path among almond trees. We continue straight and after a few metres we can see that it forks; we take the path to the left, which will descend towards torrent de la Bruixa (Witch’s stream). Once by the edge of the stream, we look to the left for a good place to cross to the other side. Once across, we continue upstream in the midst of riverside woodland dominated by poplars, elms and plane trees. After about 150 m we can admire some magnificent specimens of nut pine. We continue along the path that borders the stream and turns left until we climb the asphalt path of Cal Bruna. We take it towards the right crossing the bridge over the stream, and after 250 m we again find the way to Sardinyola. We cross it and continue straight on until, on the right, we find the turning that will take us back to Serral, our starting point.

The Centre for Interpretation of Republican Aviation and Air Warfare is a museum related to aviation and the civil war that is located beside masia del Serral which had housed the republican airfield of els Monjos that was part of the Vesper de la Gloriosa (Hive of the Glorious).

Next to the centre there is the old air raid shelter, whose two entrances and three ventilation chimneys can be seen. The presence of this shelter is related to the existence of the airfield. It is about 10 m deep and has a capacity for about 120 peoples.

In the municipality of Santa Margarida i els Monjos, despite its rather intense industrial and commercial fabric, part of the traditional agricultural use of the land is preserved, being given over to vineyards. Around small villages, like Sardinyola, we can see large stretches of vineyards that provide us with a beautiful rural landscape.

Along torrent de la Bruixa (Witch’s stream), as it passes through Sardinyola, we can observe interesting riverside woodland with a great diversity of plant species. There are silver poplars (Populus alba), black poplars (Populus nigra), plane trees (Platanusxhispanica), elms (Ulmus minor) and holm-oaks (Quercus ilex) where the undergrowth has a predominance of climbers like ivy (Hedera helix), sarsaparilla (Smilax aspera) or thornless blackberry (Rubus ulmifolius).