If you’re a keen walker and have visited Spain or Catalunya before you’ll probably already know al about the Vias Verdes. Literally translated to mean ‘green ways’ these walking and cycling tracks were once railway lines which fell into disrepair before someone had the bright idea of ripping up the tracks to allow people to explore some of the beautiful countryside they pass through. The fastest mode of transport allowed is the bicycle and routes vary in length and difficulty but for the longer routes there are often converted stations and other lodgings along the way that now offer an excellent place to rest on route. ‘Spanish’ Catalunya has a total of seven Vias Verdes covering 165km through a huge variety of landscape.
Besides the Vias Verdes there are long distance walking routes called GR routes (Gran Recorrido or senderismo in Spanish and Grande Randonnée in French). Many of these walking routes cover huge distances and cross several European countries so we’ve highlighted just a few within Catalunya.
Vias Verdes
| Vía Verde del Llobregat (Barcelona province) |
| access |
walking (limited wheelchair accessibility) & cycling |
| location |
between Colonia Rosal and La Baells |
| how to get there |
by bus with Autobús Empresa ATSA or by train (102km) from Barcelona on the Barcelona-Manresa-Berga line to Berga |
along the route
|
Gargantas del Llobregat |
| length |
6km |
| Vía Verde del Carrilet I (Girona province) |
| access |
walking (limited wheelchair accessibility) & cycling |
| location |
between Olot y Girona |
| how to get there |
by train to Girona or by bus to Olot with Autobús Empresa Teisa |
along the route
|
Zona volcànica de la Garrotxa and the towns of Anglès, Sant Feliu and Girona |
| length |
54km |
| Vía Verde del Carrilet II (Girona province) |
access
|
walking (limited wheelchair accessibility) & cycling |
location
|
between Girona and Sant Feliu de Guíxols (Costa Brava)
|
| how to get there |
by train to Girona or by bus to Olot with Autobús Empresa Teisa to Sant Feliu de Guíxols
|
along the route
|
to edit |
length
|
39km |
| Vía Verde del Ferro i del Carbó (Girona province) |
access
|
walking (limited wheelchair accessibility) & cycling
|
| location |
between Ripoll and el Cargadero de Toralles |
| how to get there |
by train to Ripoll on the Barcelona-Puigcerdá line
|
along the route
|
to edit
|
length
|
12km |
| Vía Verde de la Vall Fosca (Lleida province) |
| access |
walking |
| location |
between Gento and Espui |
| how to get there |
by bus to Sallente with Autobús Empresa Alsina Graells - to edit
|
| along the route |
Glaciated valley and mountain lakes within the Parc Nacional d’Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici |
| length |
5km |
| Vía Verde de la Terra Alta (Tarragona province) |
| access |
walking (limited wheelchair accessibility), cycling, horseriding |
| location |
between the stations of Arnes-Lledó and El Pinell de Brai |
| how to get there |
by bus with Autobús Empresa HIFE to El Pinell de Brai from Tarragona |
| along the route |
to edit |
| length |
23 km |
| Vía Verde del Baix Ebre (Tarragona province) |
| access |
walking (limited wheelchair accessibility) & cycling |
location
|
between El Pinell de Brai and Roquetes stations |
| how to get there |
by train from Tortosa (90km) |
| along the route |
to edit |
| length |
26km
|
