Argençola: Castle, Sant Llorenç and walking routes

Argençola brings together castle history, religious heritage, memories of historic travel routes and two local walking routes. When choosing a destination, you might first ask yourself whether you are mainly interested in historic buildings and how they were used in the past, or whether you would rather plan your time around a walk’s route details. These themes offer different ways to explore local history and plan your trip.

Castle, church and history

Castell d'Argençola is located in the highest part of the town. Màger built it in the early 11th century. Its location and date of construction provide a concrete starting point for placing its architectural history in context.

Sant Llorenç was consecrated in 1891 as a replacement for the former parish church, which has been documented since 1032. Several disc-shaped tombstones from the former cemetery have been preserved inside Sant Llorenç. This means that two historical layers come together in one church building: the consecration of the replacement church and the tombstones from the former cemetery.

Historic routes and the festival calendar

The old Camí Ral from Barcelona to Lleida passed through the municipality of Argençola, following the same route as the N-II road. This historic route adds the course of an old travel route to the architectural history. Before 1228, Santa Maria del Camí served as a chapel and hospital for travellers on the royal road from Barcelona to Lleida. Its historical function combined religious use with the care of travellers.

The Festa Major d'Argençola takes place every year around 10 August in the town’s streets and squares. The approximate dates can help you when choosing when to visit. If you would like to plan your trip around the festival, check the exact date for the year in question.

Walks and planning your time

The “Ruta a peu Argençola, Rocamora, Contrast, Argençola” is an easy 12-kilometre walk with 200 metres of elevation gain and a stated duration of seven hours. The “Ruta a peu Pou de Gel” is also an easy local walking route: it covers 4 kilometres with 152 metres of elevation gain, and its stated duration is one hour and 30 minutes.

Both walks are considered easy, but they differ considerably in distance and time required. The stated durations make for a direct comparison: seven hours for the longer route and one hour and 30 minutes for the shorter one. This can help you decide which walk’s duration fits your planned trip.

When to visit and find a hotel

The festival and the walks offer different pointers when choosing when to visit: the Festa Major takes place every year around 10 August, while the routes have specific stated durations. If you are looking for hotels in Argençola, you can plan your stay either around the approximate festival dates or around the time you would like to set aside for a walk.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Clariana, Alpens, Sant Martí Sesgueioles, El Vallès Oriental, Monistrol De Montserrat, Rubió, Artés, Sant Pere De Vilamajor.

For the main travel overview: Barcelona.