Guided Hike – Olèrdola Penedès Vineyards Hike and Picnic

• Tour Duration: Approximately 8 hours
• Walking Duration: Approximately 1.75 hours
• Activity level: Moderate
• Price: From €200 per person

Itinerary

Morning

Tour leader Killian Driscoll and your chauffeur will pick you up for your hike in the Penedès wine country 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 region, and the places you visit.

You'll drive out of Barcelona and cross the rolling hills draped with vineyards to the abandoned hilltop village of Olèrdola. From there, with spectacular views of the Penedès wine country and Montserrat Mountain, you'll hike along the medieval paths on the hillside, working your way down the valley to the vineyards below. You'll visit the drystone huts in the fields where the farmers took shade and a siesta while tending the grape vines, and walk along the ancient drystone terraces.

Making your way back up the hill, you'll then visit the Olèrdola complex, a fascinating site and museum with over 3,000 years of history going back to the introduction of wine to Catalonia in the Iron Age. The abandoned medieval town was also a Roman settlement, and you'll explore the ruins and learn about the history of the area and its long tradition of wine making going back to the Iron Age some 2,7000 years ago. You'll see the remarkable wine presses cut into the stone, and see how this village became an important centre of wine production and distribution in the region. Looking down into the valley to the main town of Vilafranca del Penedès, you'll see where the old Roman road, the Via Augusta, ran connecting the empire's towns in southern Spain, up to Barcino - Roman Barcelona - and onward through France and onto Rome itself.

Lunch

After your guided hike you'll enjoy a specially prepared, gourmet picnic of typical Catalan food and local Penedès wine and Cava at a scenic picnic spot overlooking the vineyards. Alternatively, you can choose to have lunch at a restaurant of your choosing.

Afternoon

After lunch, you'll enjoy a drive through the Penedès wine country, and visit a winery where you can enjoy a wine tasting on a shaded terrace overlooking the vineyards on the rolling hills. The Penedès has many small, family-run wineries, some dating back many centuries. Today, many of them have returned to organic farming and wine production techniques, and they are very proud of their strong tradition of wine production. This wines and Cavas are truly a delight to savour, and a wine tasting at their wineries is a great treat and a wonderful way to spend a relaxed afternoon.

• Activity level: Easy-Medium
• Walking Duration: Approximately 1.75 hours
• Walking Length: 4.8 km (3 miles)

• Elevation max: 343 m (1125 ft)
• Elevation min: 216 m (709 ft)
• Total Uphill: 161 m (528 ft)