Exploring Medieval Castles – Montsoriu Castle and Montseny Archaeology Tour
Highlights
- Travel into the beautiful Montseny Natural Park for a private tour of the archaeology of the medieval Montsoriu Castle on a high hilltop, with breathtaking views of Catalonia, the Pyrenees, and the Mediterranean
- Visit the charming Ethnological Museum Montseny in Arbúcies, to see the archaeology and history of Montsoriu Castle and the Montseny region
- Experience the tranquil, stunning countryside of Catalonia “away from the madding crowd”
- Immerse yourself in the charms of this Mediterranean region’s culture and heritage in an expert-led tour
- Have a traditional Catalan lunch in a local restaurant or have a gourmet Catalan picnic
Duration: Approximately 8 hours
Activity level: Moderate
Itinerary
Morning
Tour leader Killian Driscoll and your chauffeur will pick you up from your chosen location, and you’ll start your tour driving out of the city with Killian introducing the day ahead, and answering any questions you may have.
Throughout the day, Killian will share with you his knowledge of the history and archaeology of the region, and the places you visit. You will be given an insight into the lives of the people that inhabited the area in the medieval period and earlier, looking at the medieval castles and villages and their prehistoric roots.
Catalonia is a land of medieval castles, and one of the finest examples is the gothic castle of Montsoriu sitting on a high hilltop in Montseny Natural Park, 75 minutes northeast of Barcelona. This remarkable gothic castle will be your first stop.
Built on a high hilltop in Montseny with impressive views over Catalonia, the Pyrenees, and the Mediterranean, at Montsoriu Castle you'll have a private tour of the castle. The castle is an active excavation and long-term restoration project of an important gothic, Spanish castle.
During the tour you'll learn about the development of the castles in Spain and Europe over the centuries, along with discovering what medieval daily life was like within and without the castle for the people of Catalonia.
Lunch
From there you'll continue through Montseny to have your leisurely lunch in a local restaurant of your choice or your specially prepared, gourmet Catalan picnic.
Afternoon
After lunch, you'll visit the medieval town of Arbúcies to visit the charming Ethnological Museum of Montseny, la Gabella built in a wonderfully converted ancient Catalan farmhouse.
The ethnological museum holds the exhibition of Montsoriu Castle and its rich archaeological finds from the ongoing excavations. The museum also exhibits a wide range of materials, telling the story of daily life in the region from prehistoric times, the Iberian Iron Age, the Roman Empire, the medieval period, to modern day.
After the museum, you can have a relaxed coffee in a local cafe in the town's plaza, followed by a wander through the town, before heading back to Barcelona.
