STAGE 16

LLADÓ - SANT LLORENÇ DE LA MUGA


Stage 16: LLADÓ - SANT LLORENÇ DE LA MUGA

We will leave from in front of the church of Santa Maria along the street of the square and we will turn left into the street Conxita Aiguaviva and at the end of the climb we will see the other church of the village (church of Sant Feliu).

Then we will go down Serra street and at the end of it, next to a bus stop, take the dirt track (GR-2) that you will see on your left, marked with red and white paint.

Ignoring any turning we see on the left, we will follow it for about 2 kilometres until we reach a crossroads, in a wide open space, where we will turn left.

We will continue along the GR for another 2 kilometres until we reach the Sanctuary of Nuestra Señora de Vida, whose original chapel was dedicated to San Miguel and was built by the inhabitants of Cistella in 1429. 

In the second half of the 17th century it was rebuilt and the dedication to the Mother of God of Life was probably established. 

Today, the adjacent farmhouse houses a wine cellar.

We will continue along the back of the farmhouse and then go down to the right, where you will have a nice view of Cistella. At the end of the descent, where there is a cross, we will turn left and enter the village along a cemented path.

After passing through the village square and seeing the church of Santa Maria, we will leave along Carrer de la Estela, at the end of which we will continue along the path that we will see in front of us (again the GR-2). We can identify the correct path by following the signs that announce Mas Campmol, where we will arrive in 2.6 kilometres.

After that, we will only have 1 kilometer left to reach Vilarig, currently an aggregate of the Cistella municipality. 

The place has been documented since 978 and was called Villa Redi which suggested the ancient presence of a castle. 

The building we can now see was erected in the 14th century and modified in the 16th century. It has a rectangular floor plan, with a central courtyard, and was surrounded by moats and walls. 

In the inner courtyard, the remains of the medieval fortress are preserved, with some walls made with the technique of opus spicatum (denoting their age).

We will leave the village following the GR-2 again, and on the descent we must make a big turn to the left and follow the dirt track, until after 1.2 kilometres we will reach the GIP-5101 road where we will turn left. 

We will walk a few metres along it and at the sharp bend we will turn left again onto a dirt track until we reach the same road as before.

Now, with no alternative, we must continue for 1.3 kilometres along the GIP-5101 road, which fortunately is not very busy, until we reach Terrades.

We will leave the village along the main street and then we will continue straight on along Roc de la Penya street where there is a dirt track, which we will follow for 4.5 kilometres until we reach the Muntada farmhouse. 

Note: At the beginning, to guide us, we can follow the sign indicating Can Tomitxo and then always keep to the right at the turn-offs.

We will enter the pretty village of Sant Llorenç de la Muga along the so-called Camí de la Muntada, then passing by the cemetery we will cross the river La Muga over an old bridge and following the Carrer del Pont we will enter the old quarter, reaching the main square where you will find the church of Sant Llorenç de la Muga, the end of this stage.

accommodation and practical information stage 16

CISTELLA

It is a small village but it has several rural tourism establishments where you can stay, restaurants and other services. You can visit the municipality's website here:

http://www.cistella.cat/guia-del-poble/guia-comercial/

TERRADES

Hostel La Fornal (600 40 35 07) Carrer Major, 31. From 55€.

Restaurant Societat de Terrades (972 56 91 25) Carrer Major, 31 Menu 12€.

Restaurant La Fornal (600 40 35 07) Carrer Major, 31. Menu 18€.

SANT LLORENÇ DE LA MUGA

It is a small village but it has several places to stay, restaurants and other services. You can visit the municipality's website here:

https://www.santllorencdelamuga.cat/ca/turisme/