The best walks and hikes around Sant Joan De Vilatorrada

The Cave of Saint Ignatius is one of Manresa's most emblematic sites, a sanctuary commemorating Ignatius of Loyola's stay during his spiritual retreat. The grotto, now a chapel, is notable for its alabaster reliefs and the traditional markings attributed to the saint, while the complex includes a Baroque church and a Neoclassical convent that enhance the visit. It is the final destination for those following the Ignatian Way.

The Old Bridge of Manresa (Pont Vell) is one of the city's most emblematic monuments and forms part of its most distinctive skyline, along with the Basilica of La Seu and the Cave of Saint Ignatius. Of Roman origin, the current structure is a faithful reconstruction of a 12th-century medieval bridge. It was destroyed in 1939 during the Civil War and rebuilt between 1960 and 1962 by architect J. Pons Sorolla.

Pont Vell de Manresa, crosses the Cardener river and connects the old Abrera road and Rodalies station with the Santuari de Sant Ignasi and the Old quarter.

Easy, short and very quiet route

Collbaix is a 543 meter peak, located in Sant Joan de Vilatorrada. It is the highest in the district of Manresa, to the west of Pla de Bages, which has an excellent observation point. It is listed as a large park by the Planning Plan of Manresa. The mountain is located between the streams of Rajadell and Fonollosa. The south side belongs to Manresa, the east to Sant Joan de Vilatorrada, where the town's expansion area is located. Rajadell has the area of Punta Sabata and Fonollosa with most of the summit, the west and the obac slope. Collbaix originated from the erosion of the surrounding land. A resistant layer of conglomerates protects the flat top from erosion, forming a plateau. The summit is made up of large blocks of stone separated from each other. At the top we can find a geodesic vertex (reference 280109001) A metal table with an engraved map of the region. This peak is included in the list of the 100 peaks of the FEEC.

The tubs are constructions that have very similar characteristics. Its exterior plan can be quadrangular or circular, but the interior structure is basically the same. The lower part of it is made with stone and mortar. The interior is usually circular, and is covered with varnished ceramic pieces. Then, as an extension of the tub, some dry stone walls were built that gave its square or circular outer structure, where an opening was built. The roof is usually formed by a conical vault of dry stone covered with earth to make it waterproof. The vat usually has an upper access from where the must was poured once pressed, and at the bottom were the spouts through which it was emptied. Sometimes they have an attached hut that closes the access to the tub from the bottom and can also be used to store tools. In the area of Sant Joan de Vilatorrada and Sant Martí de Torruella some tubs are preserved as isolated architectural elements, in some cases it is simply the tub without any other element in the middle of a field. On other occasions it is a group of tubs (three or four) to which a hut has been added at the foot of each tub.

Medieval bridge to cross the Cardener river in Manresa, capital of Bages. It is the access point to the Seu and old town, and also the departure point to the old Rajadell path. A very nice way to get to the city.

Pont Nou de Manresa is one of the best-preserved medieval bridges in Catalonia, built at the beginning of the 14th century under the direction of the Barcelona architect Berenguer de Montagut, who also designed La Seu and Carme churches. It is a Gothic structure bridge that has a structure of eight semi-circular arches made of stone ashlars and with a completely flat track. Until the construction of the Pont Nou, there was only one bridge over the Cardener river on the edge of the city of Manresa, which became known as Pont Vell. Due to the growing economic and commercial weight of the city, and its situation as a communications node within the road network of Central Catalonia, the construction of a new bridge must have been considered important. In this way, Lleida's rural road would be provided with a stable crossing over the river. On March 1312, King James the Fair granted the city of Manresa the construction of a new bridge. In 1939 the retreating republican army blew up three of its arches, which were redone in 1940. During 2015, rehabilitation and structural reinforcement works were carried out on part of the bridge, and in 2022 they finished the restoration work on the other side.