In Santa Coloma De Farnés, culture, trails through the landscape and local specialties appeal to different travel interests. When choosing a destination, you can consider whether you are more interested in Romanesque buildings, hiking or regional products. Experiences range from views of the plain and mountains to literary walks and sweet treats.
Between the Plain and the Guilleries
The plain of La Selva begins east of the town center; to the west, the Guilleries stretch out with the foothills of l’Espinau, Santa Bàrbara and Serra del Corb. Parc de Sant Salvador is home to more than a thousand trees, mostly plane trees, and follows the course of the Riera de Santa Coloma. The signposted hiking trails around Santa Coloma de Farners also pass through a varied landscape: the surrounding area combines dense cork oak, holm oak and oak forests with granite formations and sandy soils.
Castell de Farners and Ermita de Farners
Castell de Farners is a Romanesque castle on a hill in the heart of the Guilleries. Visitors can walk along the ramparts and climb the tower. From there, views open up over Santa Coloma de Farners, the Guilleries and the plain of La Selva. Ermita de Farners offers a different architectural note: the Romanesque building dates from the 12th century and has a Baroque addition.
Routes by the water and through the landscape
The En companyia de les aigües route follows the Riera de Santa Coloma. It passes Parc de Sant Salvador, Termes Orion and Centre Lúdic Termal Magma; along the way, there are also views of Santuari d’Argimon in the mountains. The El camí dels Avellaners route leads from the center of Santa Coloma de Farners to Castell de Brunyola, passing Ermita de la Mare de Déu de Serrallonga. The estimated travel times are given for different modes of transport: about 2 hours and 30 minutes on foot, and around 40 minutes by bicycle.
Literary and town walks
The Joan Vinyoli walk begins at Casa de la Paraula and leads through Parc de Sant Salvador. Visitors can read the author’s poems during the walk. The route thus explicitly connects a walk through the park with literature. Another route starts at Plaça Farners and passes through notable places in town: Plaça del Firal, Carrer Verdaguer, Passatge Miró, Plaça de l’1 d’Octubre, Passeig de Sant Salvador, Passeig de la Nòria, Carrer Dalmau i Pare-Lluís Rodés and Carrer del Prat.
Sweet specialties and local history
Typical baked goods from Santa Coloma de Farners include Galetes, Teules, Neules, Torpedos, Virolets and Delícies. Galetes are made from four basic ingredients: almonds, sugar, eggs and flour; no artificial additives or preservatives are used. The guided Ruta més dolça de la Selva visits the Trias and Tuyarro pastry shops. There, the pastry chefs explain how their sweet specialties are made and offer a tasting. The guided tour at Museu Trias also has a culinary element: it includes a museum room, a film about Trias’s history and a cookie tasting.
Another story of a local product leads to Ratafia: La Ratafia 1842 was developed based on Catalonia’s oldest documented Ratafia recipes, written down by Francesc Rosquellas in Santa Coloma de Farners in 1842. The focus is therefore on both the ingredients and production of the sweets and the history behind a product.
Festa de la Ratafia and Revolta dels Segadors
The liturgical tradition of Festa de la Ratafia includes an opening procession, an investiture ceremony for new members of the brotherhood and a closing procession. The Revolta dels Segadors program includes talks, exhibitions, theatrical guided tours, folk culture performances, concerts and stalls selling traditional products. If you would like to include either event in your travel plans, check the dates and program in advance.
Discover more destinations: Planoles, Salitja, Isòvol, Gerona, Puigcerdá, Sant Feliu De Pallerols, Biure, Santa Llogaia D'àlguema.
Go to the main travel overview: Girona.
