CASTLE TO CASTLE
PATH FROM REYNÉS TO MAÇANET DE CABRENYS
Description of the Route
The ‘Castle to Castle’ path from Reynés to Maçanet de Cabrenys (Camí de Reynés a Maçanet de Cabrenys ‘De Castell a Castell’) is a town twinning route that links the villages of Reynés (altitude 260 m) and Maçanet de Cabrenys (altitude 370 m) by means of a 19 km signposted path.
Beginning from Maçanet, the route crosses the Salines Massif to the Pous Pass (1,239 m) and Roc de Fraussa and ends in the village of Reynés. It is a way to discover the Salines Massif and its cultural and natural heritage and by doing the route on foot you can get to know the history of this region and its landscapes and natural wealth a little better.
We often think that mountains are impassable borders between towns, but routes crossing the mountains linking the inhabitants on either side have often existed. The idea behind this route is to rediscover the friendship tie that has always existed between the peoples of Maçanet de Cabrenys and Reynés, and by extension, Northern Catalonia and l’Empordà.
Along the route, you will discover both places of enormous cultural interest, such as Cabrera castle, Salines sanctuary, Sant Vicenç church and Reynés castle, and habitats of enormous natural interest on this biological ascent where you will see the widely varied vegetation adapted to each altitude and their characteristic, still wild fauna. Terraces and woodcutter’s huts can be found along the path, witness to the economic activities that took place all over the mountain.
Coming from Reynés the path begins in la Creueta, the pass at the foot of Reynés castle, with the town hall to the west and Sant Vicenç church to the east. The 100-year-old evergreen oak near a magnificent meadow provides shade and shelter and is perfect for a picnic. You then go past the rectory and some houses and up a track that takes you past Reynés spring. A little bridge allows you to cross from one riverbank of the Llabó to the other. If you carry on up you get to Creu where you meet the centuries-old Ceret path, the old stones of which you can admire as you head towards the Roc neighbourhood and on to Can Nie, from where you go down to cross the Llabó riverbank again. You then walk up to the land belonging to the mediaeval farmhouses Avellà and Escarrabill. After crossing the track that goes to Mas Patau and Muntanyola, you get to la Copa, a ruined mediaeval farmhouse. The path carries on up and you find another ruined mountain farmhouse, Mas Nou. You finally reach the crest of the mountain where you follow the path coming from Amélie-Les-Bains. You are now at Pera Bassa at an altitude of 1,000 m and you stay on the crest until you get to Roc de Fraussa. You can either climb up Roc de Fraussa, or you can go around it to go to Pous Pass and on to Salines sanctuary, Cabrera castle and Maçanet.
The path from Reynés to Maçanet already featured in the Reynés property register in 1911 as « Chemin vicinal nº 1 », although later on its exact route was lost and different paths were used to go to the neighbouring village. This ancestral path first became a cross-border route after the signing of the Pyrenees Agreement in 1659, but it also continued to be used to go to gatherings and festivals, to visit family, and so on. And the fact that it was a cross-border path also meant it started being used for other activities such as smuggling and fleeing from danger, persecutions and wars. Contraband complemented the inhabitants of Reynés and Maçanet’s incomes from agriculture and the talc mines until the middle of the twentieth century.
The Village of Maçanet de Cabrenys
Maçanet de Cabrenys is situated in the middle of a wide valley at the foot of Salines Massif in the extreme north-west of Alt Empordà at an altitude of 370 m. The urban centre was born under the protection of Sant Martí parish church, with the first references to the houses there found in documents from the twelfth century and known as Cellera. In 1271, it formed the walled space for the army and the hexagon-shaped castle. The Rocabertí family, barons of Cabrenys in Vallespir, were lords of the village from the fourteenth to the sixteenth centuries, which is why after 1440 ‘Cabrenys’ was added to the name to make it “Massaneto de Cabrenys”. The building is Romanic (s. XII-XIII ) and is most noted for its large façade door and the ironwork on it. In Vila square you can find the Society’s modernist building, and in the middle the 5-meter high Barra de Rotlan monument, an iron post crowned with a ring. A legend says that it was the hero Rotlan’s weapon, thrown from Cabrera castle once he no longer needed it while declaring, ‘Wherever my cane falls is where Maçanet de Cabrenys shall be’, but there are several indications to believe that it is the mediaeval lords’ gibbet or pillory.
The agricultural and sheep-herding activities that took place in the more than 50 farmhouses in the municipality has now almost disappeared, as has forestry. From the seventeenth to the nineteenth centuries, textiles and iron were major industries in the area, and in the nineteenth century the bottling cork industry also grew in importance with half a dozen factories in operation, causing a demographic shift that saw the population rise to 1, 876 inhabitants in the year 1860. For a hundred years smoking pipes were also manufactured there in a factory with 60 workers, which was then one of the biggest in the world, and was still in operation until 20 years ago. Talc mining was another important activity in the Salines mountains, also for about a century. Over the last few years, the disappearance of these traditional activities has raised awareness among the people of Maçanet about promoting their tourist offer, based on a myriad of attractions such as the mountain landscape, its well-conserved nature and woods and the local gastronomy.
The village of Reynés
Reiners is right in the heart of Vallespir, half way between the Mediterranean Sea and the Canigó mountain. The Tec, the county’s major river, crosses the municipality. On the left is Reiners bridge, nowadays the nerve centre of the area. A 3-kilometre stretch of motorway takes you to the village, the historical centre that emerged around the 250-metre high castle. If you carry on up the paths and tracks the mountain reaches a height of 1, 450 meters, marking the border with Maçanet de Cabrenys. The farms scattered throughout the territory, some of which are ruined and others still inhabited, are the distinctive feature of Reiners. The traditional economy has always been agriculture, complemented by small rural industries. With 1381 inhabitants, tourism is currently an important source of income for the village.
Dona cave, also known as Encantades cave, a small grotto (nowadays inside private property) 12 m long, which stretches along a calcareous layer from one end to the other. Studies of this narrow gallery have shown that it was used as a sepulchre during the Copper Age, which occurred at the end of the Neolithic and the beginning of the Metal Age (2800 – 2100 a.C. ). Various objects have been found there, including a button made of bone, a fair number of ornamental pieces made from shells, a small green stone axe, a bronze plaque and fragments of pottery. The discovery of objects from both the Bronze Age and Antiquity demonstrates that the cave was also frequented during those periods, and that the tombs have become scattered over thousands of years. Similar discoveries were made in Font Calda cave located in the south-west part of the village.
Thus, metalworking has been one of the differential characteristics of Reiners for thousands of years. The first techniques for producing iron consisted of reduction in a low oven, which was made of clay and in which coal and the mineral were mixed to obtain a metal mass called ore, from which they made iron ingots. This method was used from the beginning of the Iron Age to the fourteenth century. Nonetheless, the impossibility of reusing the slag due to its excessive quantity of silicon, meant that huge losses were generated. This slag (smooth, black metal remains) are often found in the mountains around the village.
Just before Roc de Fraussa, the path passes by an impressively sized snow well. The use of ice became widespread between the sixteenth and the nineteenth centuries for different ends including medicine, food preserving and making deserts. The snow was compacted to make it into ice inside the wells, which were carefully constructed to make them thermally insulated, and were normally covered with a dome with a northern-facing reloading hole. More than one hundred constructions of this kind have been recorded in the Eastern Pyrenees. In the spring time, the ice was transported to the villages and hospitals to be sold. This activity, which was an important source of extra income for the inhabitants of this region, started to wane in the middle of the nineteenth century when the artificial ice industry took off, disappearing completely at the beginning of the Second World War.
Reynés castle
The first reference to Reynés castle dates back to the twelfth century. There is no doubt that after this period it was linked to a ‘sagrera’, a fortified space considered as sacred which, in this case and according to a fifteenth century text, had three gates and at least one tower. The Sant Vicenç church, first mentioned in 1027, was also probably on the same spot. In the twelfth century, the lordship of Reiners was under the authority of the Serrallonga lords, a powerful family from Alt Vallespir. In 1267, before going to the Eighth Crusade from which he would not return, Bernard-Hug de Serrallonga ceded the castle to his wife, Gueralda. Later it came to belong to the Rocaberti family through Beatriu de Serrallonga, viscount of Rocabertí wife. This family ruled Maçanet de Cabrenys, among other places, and held high positions in the court of the count-kings in Barcelona.
The castle’s location may at first seem odd, but it was in fact strategically built in the centre of an efficiently exploited area between the iron quarries and the ironmongers’ workshops. Moreover, from there the pasturing routes to the peaks of the Albera could also be watched.
The ruins of the fortification, located on top of the hill looking out over the village, form a quadrangle of approximately 140 m². Nowadays, the water deposit for Reiners can be found on the centre of the platform. The western wall, 17 m long and approximately 4 m high, is the most well-preserved part with its crack-like holes that could have been defensive positions. Some archaeological studies that started in 2018 have shown that it was built in different consecutive phases and they have also found buried mediaeval crossbeams and floors.
Studies have also been carried out on the spot where the church probably stood, although it has not yet been confirmed that the space was used for religious purposes. The building is at a lower level than the castle and rises as a space in the shape of a quadrangle measuring 6 x 5 m, bordered to the west by a rocky wall and on the other sides by low, uneven walls. The ruins of a pavement have been uncovered on top of an older layer where an unusual coin from the beginning of the twelfth century and belonging to Girard I, count of Rosselló, has been found. The church that stands there nowadays is from the seventeenth century and houses a magnificent baroque altarpiece.
Cabrera castle
Roca de Cabrera is cited in documents from 1003, 1074 and 1095, but the first mention of the castle comes from 1098 in the Llibre Gran dels Feus: Guillem Bernat, son of Arsendis, swore to Bernat II, count of Besalú, that he would take charge of Cabrera castle “castrum de Cabrera cum sua et cum omnibus pertinenciis”. Ownership of Cabrera and Maçanet castle went hand in hand. In 1221, the latter belonged to Beatriu d’Hortal, and in 1275 to her son, Mascarós.
In 1288, the castle was taken and destroyed by the French army. In 1330, Simó de Cabrera sold it along with the lordship of Maçanet to Lady Beatriu de Cabrenys, Serrallonga and Reynés, who rebuilt the walls and roofs of the fortress. In 1344, her son Guillem Galceran de Rocabertí took charge of the castle and in the property documents known as ‘capbreus’ he always features as lord of Cabrera. El 1462, the French took control of the castle, and there they established a garrison of 15 men under the command of Captain Martin Durcayo. In 1497, Jaume Olivet lived in the castle under the orders of Pere de Rocabertí, baron of Cabrenys. Ownership of the castle then passed successively to the Paguera and Sorribes families through inheritance, but by 1689 the building was recorded as ruined.
It is located on the top of an 852 m high crag, which is only accessible from the north side. It occupied the entire peak, making it a magnificent watchtower of 189 square metres with a 76-metre perimeter. What remains of the fortress – a cistern, the base of a square shaped tower and some 2 m high walls – rise up adjacent to the cliffs. Construction dates back to between the eleventh and the fourteenth centuries and the castle formed part of the border network of the countship of Besalú.
Salines sanctuary
The name Salines refers to the fact that this is where they gave salt to the pasturing animals. In 1271, the people from Maçanet built a chapel to the Mother of God there so that ‘lots of miracles would occur’. In 1275, a priest was instructed and later a hermitage was founded, after which it became a place of pilgrimage for the people of Empordà and Vallespir. Tradition says that the ancient image of the virgin was found by some shepherds and a bull in a nearby cave. The nineteenth century image was the work of the local sculptor Josep Verdaguer, but unfortunately it was stolen in 2011. The current one is an imitation of the previous one.
The building that stands there now, which houses the chapel, the hostelry and the refuge, is the result of some reforms carried out between the seventeenth and the twentieth centuries. Near the sanctuary you can find the Cova and Tres Raigs springs.
There are two popular gatherings in Salines: one for Sant Isidre on 15th May or the nearest Sunday to this date, and the other for the Mother of God on the first Sunday in August.
Pous Pass
This border pass, located at an altitude of 1,239 m, is formed between Roc de la Graula (1,288 m) and the peak of Moixer Gros (1412 m). It separates the municipalities of Maçanet de Cabrenys and Ceret and crosses the path that leads to Reynés and Ceret, very well used for centuries by travellers, shepherds, muleteers and smugglers from both sides of the mountain.
There are two reasons why it is called Pous Pass: one because this is where the path passed that led to the three snow wells of Comú de Maçanet, located some 400 m to the west above Moixer spring, of which only the remains of one of them are preserved; and the other because at some 200 m on the north side there is the Comú de Ceret well, located near the path that goes to Fontfreda and still well preserved. These wells date back to the seventeenth century and snow was placed in them to be preserved and used to make drinks cold in the summer, for therapeutic ends and to supply the main towns of Empordà and Ceret. They were in use for two centuries. In 1969, the road that linked Alt Empordà and Vallespir, suitable for four-wheel drive vehicles, was extended as far as there.
Biodiversity
Habitats
Salines, together with its sister part on the northern side, is not an area heavily transited by naturalists and lovers of well-conserved natural spaces, which is why it an oasis of sought-after tranquillity difficult to find in other spaces. What is more, it presents a series of varied, well-conserved habitats ranging from forested zones to others with bushes and carpets of grasses, together with their particular fauna. All these elements are the ideal ingredients for wanting to come and visit and to learn while walking there.
Few could imagine that there would be such an interesting variety of vegetation in this little corner of the Pyrenees, ranging from Mediterranean woods to the more humid formations on the higher ground. What the mountain offers are vegetation tours; as the height above sea level changes so does the predominant vegetation, just as if you were travelling north through Europe with the different climates conditioning the types of vegetation that grow in each place.
On the lower part of the south side, the type of woodland we find here at the beginning of the route is predominantly cork oak (Quercus suber), a tree very similar to the evergreen oak (Quercus ilex) but with a sparser canopy and bark covered in cork. The two trees share characteristic species, but exploitation of the cork, which gives rise to glades and clearings, together with a canopy that lets more sunlight penetrate, means that they have clearly different habitats. Sometimes a little higher up, but generally sharing the same territory as the cork oak, we can find the mountain evergreen oak groves. Widely distributed, they grow on both the south and the north sides at the start of the path from Reynés. These evergreen woods with trees with small, hard leaves like the cork oaks’, is always a joy to behold. In terms of landscape, it is a continuous layer of trees of between 5 m and 12 m, with large masses and abundant shade. The understory is made up of bushes and herbaceous species adapted to very shady conditions.
Higher up we find the red pine forests (Pinus sylvestris). This is a boreal-type pine forest comparable to those we can find in the dry interior valleys of the Alps. The trees grow to moderate heights of between 8 and 10 m. They usually form a continuous wood that covers maquis shrubland and bush or sometimes evergreen oak groves if the trees are low. Continuing with the pines, on the higher parts there are some zones with maritime pine woods (Pinus pinaster). This is clearly a Mediterranean type of wood, so it indisputably plays a secondary role. It is usually found in spots where there are heather and steppes, which form quite large masses. It seems that over time the tree-covered areas with predominantly maritime pines evolve into tree-covered heaths with red pines. We also find that like Austrian pine (Pinus nigra), this species has been much used over the years to repopulate eroded or heavily exploited areas. There is not usually a large variety of flora, the understory is usually bare, and we can only find some sparse grasses. Another habitat we can find in the group of pines, but on the higher part of the massif, is the mountain pine wood (Pinus uncicata). They are not very abundant, quite open and adapted to a cold environment. It is a permanent community that is very important in the landscape.
On the north side of the path going down towards Reynés if we take the path from south to north, we find mountainside fir trees (Abies alba). These woods are mostly dimly lit and humid thanks to the shade provided by the flat branches of the silver fir and their dark coloured leaves. They are tall trees that can grow to between 15 and 50 m high. The understory is usually covered with herbaceous plants and mosses. The soil is deep with a lot of humus, and it stays very humid throughout the year.
Among the fagaceae, we can find the downy oak (Quercus humilis) woodlands. This is a type of wood that is not very high, reaching between 6 and 20 m. Although there is predominantly downy oak trees in these woods, we can also find other species of trees like the red pine and the birch (Betula pendula). They are found at an altitude of between 500 m and 1, 200 m on gently sloping land. They do not usually have a dense appearance due to their being heavily exploited.
Related to the oak family, we find the sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa). The chestnut tree is not originally from our region but from the eastern Mediterranean, although it is now considered as part of our forestry landscape. They were first planted by man to be used for wood and fruit, replacing the forest communities that were there before them. They form dense woods with a varied understory, and they have been heavily exploited. Another habitat in the fagaceae family, which we can find on both the north and south sides of the route, is the beech woods. This is a deciduous wood where the beech trees (Fagus silvatica) form a high, dense canopy that creates a cool, dimly lit environment, with an empty understory that is not much more than a carpet of grass due to this lack of light. Our region is in the far south of the distribution area of this species, so beech woods are not common here.
Other important habitats that must be highlighted, despite the fact that they too are not as common, are the ash woods, the alder woods and the common broom heaths. The first group includes some deciduous mountain species, among which are the ash (Fraxinus excelsior), the common hazel (Corylus avellana) and boxwood (Buxus sempervirens). The understory is usually made up of species typical of beech and oak woods, communities that the common hazel is in contact and mixed with. We can also often find various other deciduous trees like the silver birch (Betula pendula), the chestnut tree (Castanea sativa), aspens (Populus tremula) and oaks (Quercus sp). Regarding the alder woods, this type of wood becomes established next to rivers and streams with a continuous, superficial flow but not exposed to flooding. It reaches considerable heights of between 6 and 15 m, the dominant species is the common alder (Alnus glutinosa), and while the tree-covered layer is not large it has a rich variety of herbaceous plants that flower in the spring. Many of the herbaceous species found there are typical of beech and oak woods. Other trees such as the ash can also be seen there.
The common broom heaths (Sarothamnus scoparius) form dense shrubland difficult to penetrate, reaching a height of up to 2 metres. They can be found on the highest parts of the massif in areas where there are no trees. It is spectacular when it flowers as the heaths becomes covered with bright yellow flowers.
Fauna
Now you are familiar with the most important habitats you can find along the route, we must point out the species we can see there provided we walk with our ears and eyes open waiting for the presents that nature gives us.
The mammals most frequently found in the oak groves on both sides are the common genet (Genetta genetta), the wild boar (Sus scrofa), the fox (Vulpes vulpes) and the badger (Meles meles). Among the birds we can name the great spotted woodpecker (Dendrocopos major), the wood nuthatch (Sitta europaea), the jay (Garrulus glandarius), the crested tit (Lophophanes cristatus), the wren (Troglodytes troglodytes) and the short-toed treecreeper (Certhia brachydactyla). The Montpellier snake (Malpolon monspessulanus) is one of the species that inhabits this very Mediterranean region. As you go along the ever-ascending path the vegetable communities change, and once you are at Salines you start to see beech trees and different pine plantations. Here you are at almost 1, 000 m above sea level and you can feel the peace. Among the mammals here there are the beech marten (Martes foina), the European roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), a large population of squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris) and different species of cave-dwelling bats that nest in bats’ refuges. Regarding the birds, we find species such as the common bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula), the black woodpecker (Dryocopus martrius), the cuckoo (Cuculus canorus), the Eurasian sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus) and the coal tit (Periparus ater). Among the amphibians we can name the fire salamander (Salamandra salamandra), and among the reptiles we can find the smooth snake (Coronella austríaca) and the western green lizard (Lacerta bilineata).
When you get to the area of Pous Pass , the dominant species on the south side is the beech, and this species along with some fir trees stay with us as we start to go down the north side. These highest areas have become a refuge for fauna and we can see species that are hard to spot in more humanized places, or that have a small distribution in the territory, such as the European wildcat (Felis silvestris), the European pine marten (Martes martes) and the mouflon (Ovis musimon). Some Pyrenean chamois (Rupicapra pyrenaica) and red deer (Cervus elaphus) have also been seen in the area. Among the birds we can find the dunnock (Prunella modularis), the rock bunting (Emberiza cia), the common rock thrush (Monticola saxatilis) and the common raven (Corvus corax). The common wall lizard (Podarcis muralis) is one of the interesting reptiles we can find among the rocks.
Geology
From Reiners to Maçanet de Cabrenys the path goes through different geological formations related to the axial chain of the Pyrenees. At the beginning, the Reiners depression is located in the secondary area of the Amelie syncline, where we can find limestone, loam, ceramic and chalk. This land is limited by two large faults, the foothills and the Pyrenees. The path then goes up mica schist rocks with localised carbon-coloured Cipolin marble veins: Mas Querol marble is white with grey veins. The axial part of the Roc de Fraussa chain is made up of gneiss, and further on the path again crosses mica schist rocks, which in places also contain marble. The small village of Maçanet de Cabrenys is located on granite with granite sand.
About the project
The ‘Castle to Castle’ path from Reynés to Maçanet de Cabrenys (Camí de Reynés a Maçanet de Cabrenys ‘De Castell a Castell’) is a cooperation project launched by the town councils of Reynés and Maçanet de Cabrenys, with funding from the Ajuts Eurodistricte for the Catalan Trans-border Space of the Government of Catalonia (Casa de Perpinyà) and the Eastern Pyrenees Department.
Pere Roura Sabà collaborated with the project by writing the historical content and drawing the pictures of Cabrera castle, as did Serge Arnaudiès, Jacques Baylard, Montserrat Cailà, Daniel Canet, Dikki Caritg, Jean-Paul Escudero, Jean Le Guillou, Jean Le Potier, Magali Mas-Ferrari, Charles Novero, Jean Jacques Serra and Jacques Sicre of the Reynés Paths and Heritage Commission (Comissió Camins i Patrimoni de Reynés). Christian Solà collaborated with the geology, Etienne Roudier and David Maso did the archaeological study of Reynés, Neus Oliver was the graphic designer and Sarah Davies the translator. Xavier Soler, Marcel Gutinell and Estel Turbau carried out the territorial fauna and flora study. Marcel Juanchich and Joseph Hiard of the Rosselló Ornithological Group did the nature study.
A big thank you to all of you. Thanks to the Communauté de Communes du Vallespir, Comité Départemental de la Randonnée Pédestre des Pyrénées-Oriantales, ACCA de Reynés, and to the affected owners.
Labels
Label 1A. Reynés
Information
The ‘Castle to Castle’ path from Reynés to Maçanet de Cabrenys (Camí de Reynés a Maçanet de Cabrenys ‘De Castell a Castell’) is a town twinning route that links the villages of Reynés (altitude 196 m) and Maçanet de Cabrenys (altitude 370 m) by means of a 19 km signposted path.
The route, which crosses the Pous Pass (1,239 m) passing by Roc de Fraussa (1,421 m) and ending in the village of Maçanet, is a way to discover the Salines Massif and its cultural and natural heritage and by doing the route on foot you can get to know the history of this region and its landscapes and natural wealth a little better.
We often think that mountains are impassable borders between towns, but routes crossing the mountains linking the inhabitants on either side have often existed. The idea behind this route is to rediscover the friendship tie that has always existed between the peoples of Maçanet de Cabrenys and Reynés, and by extension, l’Empordà.
Along the route, you will discover both places of enormous cultural interest, such as Reynés castle, Sant Vicenç church, Salines sanctuary and Cabrera castle, and habitats of enormous natural interest on this biological ascent where you will see the widely varied vegetation adapted to each altitude and their characteristic, still wild fauna.
Technical information
.Distance: 19 Km
Accumulated gradient to Roc del Comptador/Roc de Fraussa: 1464 m.
Difficulty: Medium/High
Maximum altitude: 1,450 m (Roc del Comptador/Roc de Fraussa)
Services:
- Salines Sanctuary restaurant
- Restaurants in Maçanet de Cabrenys
- Accommodation in Maçanet de Cabrenys
- Restaurants in Reynés (La Farga and el Pont)
- Aloha de Reynés campsite (La Farga)
Safety recommendations.
- Wear suitable clothing for the time of year.
- Wear comfortable, mountain-walking footwear.
- Take enough food and water.
- Mapping and/or GPS and mobile phone.
- Emergency telephone number: 112
Label 1B. Maçanet Village
Information.
The ‘Castle to Castle’ path from Reynés to Maçanet de Cabrenys (Camí de Reynés a Maçanet de Cabrenys ‘De Castell a Castell’) is a town twinning route that links the villages of Reynés (altitude 196 m) and Maçanet de Cabrenys (altitude 370 m) by means of a 19 km signposted path.
The route, which crosses the Salines Massif to the Pous Pass (1,239 m) passing by Roc del Comptador (1,450 m) and Roc de Fraussa (1,421 m) and ending in the village of Reynés, is a way to discover the Salines Massif and its cultural and natural heritage and by doing the route on foot you can get to know the history of this region and its landscapes and natural wealth a little better.
We often think that mountains are impassable borders between towns, but routes crossing the mountains linking the inhabitants on either side have often existed. The idea behind this route is to rediscover the friendship tie that has always existed between the peoples of Maçanet de Cabrenys and Reynés, and by extension, Northern Catalonia.
Along the route, you will discover both places of enormous cultural interest, such as Cabrera castle, Salines sanctuary, Sant Vicenç church and Reynés castle, and habitats of enormous natural interest on this biological ascent where you will see the widely varied vegetation adapted to each altitude and their characteristic, still wild fauna
Technical data.
Distance: 19 Km
Accumulated gradient to Roc del Comptador/Roc de Fraussa: 1264 m.
Difficulty: Medium/High
Maximum height: 1,450 m (Roc del Comptador/Roc de Fraussa)
Services:
- Salines Sanctuary restaurant
- Restaurants in Maçanet de Cabrenys
- Accommodation in Maçanet de Cabrenys
- Restaurants in Reynés (La Farga and el Pont)
- Aloha de Reynés campsite (La Farga)
Safety recommendations.
- Wear suitable clothing for the time of year.
- Wear comfortable, mountain-walking footwear.
- Take enough food and water.
- Mapping and/or GPS and mobile phone.
- Emergency telephone number: 112
Label 2. Cabrera castle
Historical information
Roca de Cabrera is cited in documents from 1003, 1074 and 1095, but the first mention of the castle comes from 1098 in the Llibre Gran dels Feus: Guillem Bernat, son of Arsendis, swore to Bernat II, count of Besalú, that he would take charge of Cabrera castle “castrum de Cabrera cum sua et cum omnibus pertinenciis”. Ownership of Cabrera and Maçanet castle went hand in hand. In 1221, the latter belonged to Beatriu d’Hortal, and in 1275 to her son, Mascarós.
In 1288, the castle was taken and destroyed by the French army. In 1330, Simó de Cabrera sold it along with the lordship of Maçanet to Lady Beatriu de Cabrenys, Serrallonga and Reynés, who rebuilt the walls and roofs of the fortress. In 1344, her son Guillem Galceran de Rocabertí took charge of the castle and in the property documents known as ‘capbreus’ he always features as lord of Cabrera. El 1462, the French took control of the castle, and there they established a garrison of 15 men under the command of Captain Martin Durcayo. In 1497, Jaume Olivet lived in the castle under the orders of Pere de Rocabertí, baron of Cabrenys. Ownership of the castle then passed successively to the Paguera and Sorribes families through inheritance, but by 1689 the building was recorded as ruined.
It is located on the top of an 852 m high crag, which is only accessible from the north side. It occupied the entire peak, making it a magnificent watchtower of 189 square metres with a 76-metre perimeter. What remains of the fortress – a cistern, the base of a square shaped tower and some 2 m high walls – rise up adjacent to the cliffs. Construction dates back to between the eleventh and the fourteenth centuries and the castle formed part of the border network of the countship of Besalú.
Natural information
The landscape around us is made up of woodlands of mountain cork oak (Quercus suber), a tree with small, hard leaves that makes the landscape always green, due to the fact that it is deciduous.
The image we get is of a continuous layer of trees with a large mass of oak woods that have a well-developed canopy that provides abundant shade. The trees, at between 5 m and 12 m, are not very high. The understory is made up of bushes and herbaceous species adapted to very shady conditions, with species such as the green olive (Philyrea latifolia), genista (Genista triflora), honeysuckle (Lonicera implexa), the common ivy (Hedera helix), black spleenwort (Asplenium adiantum nigrum subsp. onopteris) and the white violet (Viola alba).
On the eastern side, we find a zone that is very different from the oak groves and is formed by the sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa). Although we consider the chestnut as one of our native trees, in fact it was not originally from our region but from the eastern Mediterranean. Nonetheless, we now consider it a typical species of our forest landscape. They were first planted by man to be used for wood and fruit on land where the existing forest communities has already been felled.
The mammals most frequently found in the oak groves on both sides are the common genet (Genetta genetta), the wild boar (Sus scrofa), the fox (Vulpes vulpes) and the badger (Meles meles). Among the birds we can name the great spotted woodpecker (Dendrocopos major), the wood nuthatch (Sitta europaea), the jay (Garrulus glandarius), the crested tit (Lophophanes cristatus), the wren (Troglodytes troglodytes) and the short-toed treecreeper (Certhia brachydactyla). The Montpellier snake (Malpolon monspessulanus) is one of the species that inhabits this very Mediterranean region.
Label 3. Les Salines
Historical information
The name Salines refers to the fact that this is where they gave salt to the pasturing animals. In 1271, the people from Maçanet built a chapel to the Mother of God there so that ‘lots of miracles would occur’. Un 1275, a priest was instructed and later a hermitage was founded, after which it became place of pilgrimage for the people of Empordà and Vallespir. Tradition says that the ancient image of the virgin was found by some shepherds and a bull in a nearby cave. The nineteenth century image was the work of the local sculptor Josep Verdaguer, but unfortunately it was stolen in 2011. The current one is an imitation of the previous one.
The building that stands there now, which houses the chapel, the hostelry and the refuge, is the result of some reforms carried out between the seventeenth and the twentieth centuries. Near the sanctuary you can find the Cova and Tres Raigs springs.
There are two popular gatherings in Salines: one for Sant Isidre on 15th May or the nearest Sunday to this date, and the other for the Mother of God on the first Sunday in August
Nature information
Around Salines refuge we can find different woodland communities that make an interesting mosaic. On the one hand we have the beech tree woods, a deciduous wood where the beech trees (Fagus sylvatica) form a high, dense canopy. Following the steams, like the one of Salines itself, we find riverside communities with many common ash trees (Fraxinus excelsior), aspens (Populus tremula) and the common hazel (Corulus avellana). On the other hand, in what used to be fields of feixes, we find non-European conifers that have been planted by man.
Here you are at almost 1, 000 m above sea level and you can feel the peace. Among the mammals here there are the beech marten (Martes foina), the European roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), a large population of squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris) and different species of cave-dwelling bats that nest in bats’ refuges. Regarding the birds, we find species such as the common bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula), the black woodpecker (Dryocopus martrius), the cuckoo (Cuculus canorus), the Eurasian sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus) and the coal tit (Periparus ater). Among the amphibians we can name the fire salamander (Salamandra salamandra), and among the reptiles we can find the smooth snake (Coronella austríaca) and the western green lizard (Lacerta bilineata).
Label 4. Pous Pass
Historical information
This border pass, located at an altitude of 1,239 m, is formed between Roc de la Graula (1288 m) and the peak of Moixer Gros (1412 m). It separates the municipalities of Maçanet de Cabrenys and Ceret and crosses the path that leads Maçanet de Cabrenys to Reynés and Ceret, very well used for centuries by travellers, shepherds, muleteers and smugglers from both sides of the mountain.
There are two reasons why it is called Pous Pass: one because this is where the path passed that led to the three snow wells of Comú de Maçanet, located some 400 m to the west above Moixer spring, of which only the remains of one of them are preserved; and the other because at some 200 m on the north side there is the Comú de Ceret well, located near the path that goes to Fontfreda and still well preserved. These wells date back to the seventeenth century and snow was placed in them to be preserved and used to make drinks cold in the summer, for therapeutic ends and to supply the main towns of Empordà and Ceret. They were in use for two centuries. In 1969, the road that linked Alt Empordà and Vallespir, suitable for four-wheel drive vehicles, was extended as far as there.
Nature information
The dominant vegetation in this area of Pous Pass is the beech wood together with some rocky spaces and small open meadows. The beech (Fagus sylvatica) is a tree that forms large canopies of deciduous leaves that provide a cool, shaded environment. Due to this lack of light, the understudy becomes bare, and in comparison to other communities of vegetation, like the Mediterranean wood that we find in the lower part of Salines, there are no communities of bushes, only a dense carpet of herbs. These herbs are normally bulbous or rhizomatous, they flower in the spring and they flourish thanks to the deep earth with large amounts of humus formed from dead leaves when the beech trees decompose. Our region is in the far south of the distribution area of this species, so beech woods are not common here.
These highest areas have become a refuge for fauna and we can see species that are hard to spot in more humanized places, or that have a small distribution in the territory, such as the European wildcat (Felis silvestris), the European pine marten (Martes martes) and the mouflon (Ovis musimon). Some Pyrenean chamois (Rupicapra pyrenaica) and red deer (Cervus elaphus) have also been seen in the area. Among the birds we can find the dunnock (Prunella modularis), the rock bunting (Emberiza cia), the common rock thrush (Monticola saxatilis) and the common raven (Corvus corax). The common wall lizard (Podarcis muralis) is one of the interesting reptiles we can find among the rocks.