The best MTB trails around Fogars De La Selva

Dates from the 18th century.... Built in honor of the only person who did not get sick during the smallpox outbreak that made everyone else sick. Erola, the name of the girl who did not get sick, and dedicated herself to healing all the sick. Believing that what this girl did was a miracle, they built this Hermitage for her.... Mara de Déu de la Erola. To this day, perfectly cared for and clean. The name Erola.... means..... Small esplanade at the top of the Mountain ⛰️😃

Right on the border between the river and human settlement: it wasn't placed randomly, but on a high, safe point when the Tordera River frequently overflowed. From here, fields and roads could be watched, and that's why the surroundings feel open and strategic. A good place to slow down: the terrain is more inviting for observing the valley than for pedaling hard.

A Mediterranean river, riparian forests, gravel, orchards, and wetlands that change with the seasons. This stretch showcases how nature and human activity have coexisted for centuries. A good place to stop for a moment and take in the landscape before continuing your leisurely ride, because here the river always takes precedence over the road.

The river here isn't channeled: it expands, dries up, or overflows depending on the season, creating a changing landscape of riparian forest and gravel. It's a great place to understand how a real Mediterranean river works and to ride at a leisurely pace, letting the terrain and surroundings set the rhythm.

This section of the Tordera River Walk was designed following the river's "living" course, not to control it, but to adapt to its floods. That's why the landscape is constantly changing and never the same two days in a row. The picnic area is at a transition point between riverside woodland and open terrain, ideal for stopping and observing the river before continuing to cycle: here it's best to slow down, because the Tordera sets the pace.

Restoration needed after many years of going unnoticed. It's hard to believe, but the bathroom of my grandparents, Maria and Miquel, was right in the center of the cloister. A few meters above, but in the center.

Not only did it serve as a watchtower, but it also served as a rapid transmission point between castles and fortified farmhouses in the area, before regular messengers existed. It also acted as a retreat point during episodes of the French War, taking advantage of its elevated and discreet access. The base and part of the walls remain of the construction, enough to understand its strategic function in such a busy historical corridor. The place is quiet and easy to identify on route.

Fortress never taken by assault, only by blockade, with a system of mine tunnels more extensive than it seems and 18th century bastions hiding under a medieval appearance. The covered path that surrounds it is one of the best preserved in Catalonia and recalls its key role in the wars, when Hostalric was considered the “key to the north” of the country. A short point to see but with a lot of hidden history.