If you are one of those people who carry a backpack with some sandwiches and get lost in the mountains or in a picturesque village, here is a plan that you will surely love: a visit to the village of Mura, in the Bages region, about an hour’s drive from Barcelona. It is worthwhile to complete this with a visit to Talamanca, which is less than half an hour’s drive away.

Dies: from November 30 to January 6. Web:Festa del Tió a Mura

CHRISTMAS IN MURA, THE FESTIVAL OF TIÓS

Mura is also known for its Festival of Tions. For almost a month, Mura is filled with different Tiós distributed throughout the town. Tiós disguised in various themes that you’ll enjoy discovering in the least expected corners of the village. Additionally, various activities are organized for children. And if you want to make the day perfect, this year you can hire the Caçations activity where you can find your Tió in a corner of Mura. Don’t miss the dates. Here’s all the info: Tió search in Mura.

Dates: from December 2nd to January 7th. Web: Festa del Tió a Mura

FAMILY VISIT TO MURA

We discovered this place by a friend who is very fond of the mountains. Until then, it had never occurred to me to set foot in the Sant Llorenç del Munt i l’Obac Natural Park or, of course, to climb La Mola, but once you’ve been there, you will want to do it all over again. In any case, today I am not going to talk about the many possibilities that the Sant Llorenç Park offers for hikers, nor about how beautiful the landscape is when you climb La Mola, at the top of which, by the way, is a monastery. Today I want to talk about Mura.

HOW TO GET THERE AND PLAN YOUR VISIT

To get to the village you must cross the Natural Park and go around a few bends. Once there, the best place to go is the Interpretation Centre. The first time we went to Mura, we didn’t go through the Centre and following some signs or by pure chance we reached the caves of Mura, but they were closed. The last time, we went to the Interpretation Centre and there, apart from giving us advice on routes to do with kids, they explained that the caves could no longer be visited to preserve their ecosystem.

MURA, A MEDIEVAL VILLAGE

Although the caves cannot be seen, the village itself is so interesting that a visit is a must. It is a very well-preserved medieval village that is not overcrowded at all. Whenever we have been there, we have always strolled quietly through its streets, which, by the way, are somewhat steep. The church of Sant Martí is well worth a visit.

For the little ones, perhaps the most interesting thing is to find water here and there. In fact, there is a route that starts at the Interpretation Centre called the Ruta de les mil fonts (Route of the thousand springs), which is not too difficult.

There is also the Font de l’Era, next to a children’s playground. Another thing that might amuse the little ones at home is a small farm there. There are farm animals surrounded by a metal fence. It is a small enclosure that I think you can’t enter, but from outside you can see the animals.

And, finally, it may also be interesting to go to the Sant Antoni hermitage, which, although it is closed, the path is easy, short (it is on the outskirts of the village) and pleasant.

After all that walking, if you fancy a coffee or lunch, if you haven’t gone with sandwiches, a place you’ll love is the restaurant Cal Carter, which apart from offering excellent food, has a terrace with beautiful views of the park.

If this visit to Mura is not enough for you, you can go to a village less than 5 kilometres from Mura. It is called Talamanca. It is a medieval village and has a castle that you can visit.