ROUTE 2

THE ROUTE OF THE SPRINGS

Starting point

Take the Carretera d’Arbúcies (GI-552) to the village of Breda (km 4-5). The route starts in the Plaça del Convent, which forms part of the village centre, where we find the Town Council building and Church.

 

Key features of the route

This route is ideal for the summer, as it takes us around the most locally iconic springs near to the village, and along three streams. Care must be taken at certain points along the route, as it crosses the main road, although most of the route is along tracks and riverside paths.

Desription

This short, circular route does not pose any particular difficulty, running around the whole village of Breda. From the village centre, its heads north-east through the neighbourhood of Barri de la Cooperativa, where it starts following the Riera del Repiaix stream and the main road (GI-552), passing by the Font d’en Ratica spring. Continuing on to the Pont del Mut bridge and the Font Nova spring, the route takes us past a number of country houses before crossing the main road (GI-552) again, heading towards the Font de la Pintoresca spring. Once we reach this point, we head back towards the point along the Riera de Breda stream.

FONT D’EN RATICA

The Font d’en Ratica is one of the most commonly used springs, on a par with the Font de la Pintoresca, because it has one of the strongest flows and is easy to access. It became famous throughout Catalonia when it appeared in several episodes of Ventdelplà, the TV3 series that was filmed in Breda between 2005 and 2010. In the shade of the ‘magic tree’, this spring was a favourite spot of Biel, one of the main characters.

FONT DE SALVADOR OR FONT NOVA

The Font de Salvador spring is also known as the Font Nova because it was the last of Breda’s natural springs to be discovered. It dates back to 1946 and was named in honour of the patron of the Monastery of Breda: Saint Salvador.