Montseny Natural Park Autumn Hiking wonderland

Description of the Montseny Natural Park

Montseny Natural Park is a Catalan pre-coastal mountain range located about 1 hour from Barcelona in the direction of Girona with an area of 31,063.94 hectares or forested and mountainous terrain.

The Montseny natural park is a protected area in Catalonia of outstanding natural beauty. In 1978, UNESCO included it in the MAB (Man and Biosphere) World Network of Biosphere Reserves.

Monseny is a combination of mountain summits, cliffs, rivers, waterfalls, plains and woodland areas visible from many parts of Catalunya known for the beauty of its scenery.

Montseny has a broad amount of bio-diversity due to the varying conditions with dark green Mediterranean trees of holm and cork oaks and Atlantic climate trees of clearer green such as beech, maples and white beams which become yellow, red and ochre in autumn.

Climate of the Montseny Natural Park

The differences in humidity and temperature permit vegetation such as ferns that that thrives in the shade of the forests. Montseny has different zones according to altitude. Typical Mediterranean plants are found in the lower parts (Holm oak, pine and cork oak). Middle mountain types that thrive in rain are higher up (Oak, holm oak, chestnut). At altitudes over 1,000 metres, there are Beech, silver fir trees. Near to rivers and waterfalls are White willow, Hazel and Common alder.

In winter, sometimes snow covers the highest parts of the Montseny summits. The best season for a visit to Montseny is Autumn and early winter. October, November and December are the best months.

Getting to Montseny Natural Park

Montseny is reachable by train using the R2 Rodalies line to Sant Celoni or Riells i Viabrea-Breda then using a bus to the interior of the park.

The Rodalies R3 line also serves Montseny via towns like La Garriga, El Figaro, Sant Marti de Centelles and Balenya-Tona-Seva. Bus routes link some of these stations to the interior of the park. Each hiking route blog contains detailed public transport options including bus and train route maps and timetables.

Click on any of the images below to see that walking route and find all the relevant information such as bus timetables, restaurants and weather to complete the trail.

Happy Exploring!

Map of the Montseny Natural Park