Bergá
The capital of the Berguedà district, the town of Berga marks the beginning of the Pyrenees mountain range. The medieval centre of Berga is well preserved and the town has a ruined castle. Bergá is a growing town with a population of about 14,000 and rising. The development can be a distraction from the old town centre, once surrounded by a wall, with its pleasant streets and plazas.
In the mountains above Bergá, the Queralt monastery is Bergá’s most famous feature, known for its fantastic views of the area. The peaks beyond Queralt serve as Barcelona’s only ski resort. There is a horse-riding club just outside Bergá on the way to Queralt.
The Festa de la Patum takes place in Bergá at Corpus Christi, 40 days after Easter. Expect loud music, plenty of fireworks and a large, enthusiastic crowd.
On the 4th Sunday in July, the Festa de Elois takes place and donkeys run through the streets of the town. In August, there is a summer theatre festival in Bergá.
There are a number of bars in the town and also the only disco in the whole of Berguedà.
Bergá is 85km from Barcelona.

Popular with hikers, the Alt Berguedà is a wonderfully scenic and mountainous area. Reaching the villages can involve long, arduous drives round the twisting mountain roads that are rewarded with the sight of unique and unspoilt villages.

Vilada
Next to the Baells reservoir, north of Bergá, is the village of Vilada with a population of 550. It is somewhat of a self-styled centre for adventure sports: you can swim in the resevoir and there are rental shops where you can hire canoes and windsurfs. Other activities include bicycle rental, horse-riding, pot-holing, paint ball and off-road driving. Vilada is 8km from Bergá.
East of Vilada, Borreda is a village of similar size with a charming old town centre and an excellent restaurant.

Cercs
On the other side of the Baells reservoir to Vilada, Cercs is a small town of 1500 people with a unique mining museum. The museum has an underground train track that takes visitors on a ride showing the way that miners used to live and work. Cerc’s Fiesta Major takes place in the second week of May. Cercs is 8km from Berga on the main E-9 road.

La Pobla De Lillet
A charming village in a picturesque setting with a population of 1500, Lillet’s ancient stone bridge spans a shallow river and the peaks of the Pyrenees provide a stunning backdrop.
A couple of kilometres from Lillet is the Jardins Artigas, a park designed by Gaudi in a typical fairy fantasy theme. Just outside the village is an unusual modernist building that resembles a stack of caves. It is a disused cement factory built at the beginning of the 20th century. On the last Sunday in September, a fresh mushroom festival is held in Lillet.

Castellar de n’Hug
Built on the sides of a hill at the foot of the Pyrenees, the tiny village of Castellar (170 people) in the far north of Bergueda is beautifully situated and popular with tourists. The rare Edelweiss flower has been found in the surrounding area and it is sold in the village by licensed gatherers and sellers. El Museu de Transport de Catalunya, the transport museum, is located in Castellar and houses a variety of antique vehicles. The Fiesta Major is held on June 24th and on the last Sunday in August, the Concurs International de Gossos d'Atura (Contest of Sheepdogs), takes place.

Sant De Jaume De Frontanya
10km to the south west of La Pobla de Lillet, the 11th century Romanesque church at Sant Jaume is the finest in the region. The hamlet, whose inhabitants number about 30, consists of a few scattered stone houses and a couple of restaurants. It lies at the bottom of a cliff with natural terraces in breathtaking surroundings and is in a fairly isolated position.

In the northwest area of Berguedà, Guardiola De Bergueda (1000 inhabitants) is situated at the confluence of the rivers Llobregat and Bastareny. Near to the town is a 10th century Benedictine monastery. In August, classical music concerts take place at the monastery.
Guardiola is 21km north of Berga
Just north of Guardiola, Baga is a town of 2100 people. It has a well-preserved medieval centre with a town square surrounded by arcades and 13th century town walls. The campsite in Baga is open all year round. The Fiesta de Fia Faia is held here on Christmas Eve. Baga is 25km north of Berga

The tiny hamlet of Gisclareny with a population of 30 is popular with hikers and there are a couple of campsites nearby. Near to Gisclareny is the source of the Bastareny river, an amazing natural site. The Pedraforca mountain is also nearby. A well known landmark, whose name means “forked stone”, the mountain is part of a natural park that has many good hiking routes. Gisclareny is 12km west of Baga.
South of Gisclareny is the village of Saldes, a small village of 350 people with a shop and a couple of hostales. Saldes is 18km west of Guardiola.

Gosol
This high mountain village’s claim to fame is that Picasso stayed here for a summer and was inspired by the village and its natural surroundings in some of his work. There is a museum dedicated to Picasso in the village. There is a restaurant and a hostal in the village.
Gosol is reached by following the road from Saldes west.
South off the Saldes road is the village of Vallcebre with a population of 300. There are dinosaur footprints on the outside of the village.

Just south of Berga is the small town of Avia with a couple of Romanesque churches.
There is a hang gliding school in Avia.

Gironella
A small agricultural town of 5000 people, Gironella is situated next to the main C-7 road about 7km south of Berga. The old part of the town is partially walled and separate from the more modern area, which has a convenient shopping area with a supermarket, fruit and vegetable shops and bakeries. There are some good restaurants in the town as well as a few bars. The Llobregrat river passes through the town with a park running alongside it. There is a public swimming pool and sports centre in Gironella and also a horse-riding club.
The local market is held each Wednesday. On the 8th of December, a large agricultural fair takes place in the town. There are 5 buses daily from Gironella to Barcelona.
A couple of kilometres northeast of Gironella is Olvan with its 13th century church, Santa Maria de Valldaura, and a population of 950.
West of Olvan, Sagas (population 170) is home to the Romanesque church of Sant Andreu.
Near to Sagas is a new restaurant called Els Casals which has received good reviews in La Vanguardia (Barcelona’s daily newspaper) and serves quality variations on traditional Catalan meals.
Just south of Sagas, Santa Maria de Merles, with 180 inhabitants, has two pretty, old bridges and two 11th century Romanesque churches.

Puig Reig
7km south of Gironella on the main C-7 highway, Puig Reig is a similar town to Gironella with 4500 inhabitants. It has some convenient shops, including an organic fruit and vegetable store and a butchers that specialises in organic meats. The town is also home to one of the finest restaurants in the area with its own wine cellar and a la carte menu, as well as some other decent but less extravagant restaurants. The town’s church of Sant Marti has some interesting 13th century murals inside and just outside Puig Reig is the Museu de la Colonia Vidal. The museum is an old textile colony displaying the history of the textile industry in the early 20th century.
There are 5 buses daily from Puig Reig to Barcelona, 50km away. Puig Reig is 18km south of Bergá

Casserres
Situated a few kilometres west of Puig Reig on the main road, Casserres is a quiet town of 1600 people. Its main street and large church square are pleasant places to linger and the Romanesque church is worth a visit with its elaborate baroque altar and original frescoes on the walls. There is a popular local restaurant in the town as well as a decent bakery. The town market is held each Thursday. Just north of Casserres is the picturesque Sant Pau, surrounded by pine trees and rocky outcrops.

Montclar
A small hamlet of stone houses and a church gathered on a top of a hill, Montclar has about 130 inhabitants, most of the houses are owned by Barcelonans and foreign residents. There is a one restaurant in the village. Montclar is 8km west of Casseres.

Viver I Serrateix
This community of 190 people, just south of Montclar has a 10th century monastery built on top of a hill. In between Serrateix and Casserres you can find an enormous old oak tree with a circumference of nearly 40 metres that is considered a national monument.