Lladó: Discover the Monastery, Art and MTB Routes

Lladó brings together several themes for planning a trip: medieval architecture, the building history of Sant Feliu de Lladó, the art of Moisès Sidrach, and MTB routes with varied landscapes and elevation profiles. If you’re looking for a hotel in Lladó, choosing between cultural history and cycling can help you decide what to focus on during your trip. The sites and routes offer specific, distinct points of interest.

Monastery and Building History

Santa Maria de Lladó Monastery is classified as a historic monument in the category of a Cultural Asset of National Interest. The classification dates from 18 September 2018. At the same time, the monumental complex is considered one of the most significant examples of medieval architecture in Catalonia. The monastery can therefore be understood both in terms of its monument classification and its architectural significance. If you’re interested in building history, Santa Maria is a clear cultural focus for your trip planning.

Sant Feliu de Lladó adds a long history and a later present-day building to this focus. Sant Feliu was first documented in 1017; the present-day building was constructed by Prior Tomàs Verdaguer in the 18th century. The early documentation therefore does not date the building described today. Sant Feliu is currently closed for religious services. If you include the site in your itinerary, check visiting arrangements before your trip.

Art and Landscape

The Sidrach Exhibition Hall displays part of the estate of Moisès Sidrach, who was born in Lladó and worked as a sculptor, painter and draughtsman. The connection to the artist thus links three artistic disciplines with a specific exhibition venue. If you’re interested in sculpture, painting or drawing, you can put the hall on your list as a cultural stop in its own right. Check visiting arrangements in advance if you want to include it in your plans.

The Ermita dels Apòstols stands on a hill in a forest. The landscape is therefore also part of the setting described for this site: it differs from the information about the monastery’s architecture and building history, and from Sant Feliu. For trip planning, the hermitage offers another point of cultural interest, this time with its location in the landscape explicitly specified.

MTB Routes by Difficulty and Interest

Ruta BTT 28: Bassegoda starts in Lladó and leads from the Empordà plain to La Garrotxa. It is described as challenging and long, with considerable elevation gain. Its starting point, route and character are distinct points of reference. Pay particular attention to the duration and elevation gain if you include this route in your trip plans.

The other routes feature different characteristics. Ruta BTT 26: L’ermita de l’Estela follows paths between forests and fields. Several Romanesque hermitages lie along Ruta BTT 27: Sant Martí Sesserres. This lets you distinguish their focus: Route 26 is described in terms of its landscape between forest and field, while Route 27 is characterized by the series of Romanesque hermitages along the way. Together with the difficulty and elevation gain of Route 28, these offer three distinct points of interest for planning your rides.

Discover more destinations: Garriguella, Fontanals De Cerdanya, Ribes De Freser, Sant Joan De Les Abadesses, Llanars, Molló, Sant Aniol De Finestres, Celrà.

For the broader travel overview: Girona.