Discover Serrat: churches and routes in the hamlet

Serrat is a small hamlet at an elevation of about 1,300 m. Two tangible themes are central to planning a visit: church architecture and routes that pass through the settlement. The Mare de Déu del Serrat church has a clearly described floor plan and distinctive features on its west façade; the Mare de Déu del Remei chapel is a landmark of the hamlet. There is also a mountain-bike circuit and other named routes. If you would like to decide in advance whether to focus on architectural history, routes through the settlement or a longer circuit, the differences between these themes can help you plan.

Church architecture and local history

The Mare de Déu del Serrat church consists of a single nave and a semicircular apse that is narrower than the nave. Its floor plan can therefore be understood as a main nave joined to a narrower, rounded end. The west façade features a portal with a pointed arch, a round window and a twin-arched bell gable. The floor plan and façade show different aspects of the building’s design: the former describes the interior layout, while the three named features define the west side.

The nave was extended and raised in the 17th century. Serrat’s historical context is also connected to the church: the hamlet lay within the former parish of Fustanya. These details concern different aspects—the changes to the nave on the one hand, and the settlement’s former ecclesiastical affiliation on the other.

The Mare de Déu del Remei chapel is a landmark of Serrat. It should be distinguished from the similarly named Mare de Déu del Serrat church: the single-nave plan, semicircular apse and west façade refer to the church.

Routes through Serrat

The Volta en BTT per la Vall is a mountain-bike circuit that passes through Serrat. The Vuelta por la Vall de Ribes – Ruta 16 also passes through the hamlet. The Volta is explicitly described as both a mountain-bike ride and a circuit; Ruta 16 is another, separate route through Serrat.

The Route pels veïnats de l'Alt Freser enters the settlement via Serrat’s small church and then continues along its cobbled streets. This approximately 15 km circular route through the Freser Valley passes through Serrat, Fustanyà, Rialb and Batet, and returns to Ribes de Freser via the Collet de Segura. The route description therefore covers both a specific passage through the hamlet and a regional circuit that includes several named settlements.

These two scales can help with planning: the church and cobbled streets define the section through Serrat, while the approximate total distance, the other settlements and the return via the Collet de Segura describe the larger circuit.

Access and conditions

Serrat can be reached via the same track as Fustanyà. After crossing the Freser bridge, the track branches off at the last bend on the road from Ribes to Queralbs. Use the sequence of road, bridge and turn-off onto the track as a guide. Road and track conditions can change; check them before setting out. Also check current trail conditions before each trip. Conditions on the Volta en BTT per la Vall may vary seasonally.

For the main travel overview: Queralbs.