Riera D'Arbucies [El Montseny]

Arbucies is a very small village near the Montseny natural reserve, just about an hour from Barcelona.

The Natural park of 'El Montseny' occupies a massive area of 30,120 hectares, spread between eighteen municipalities belonging to three local government areas (Osona, La Selva and El Vallès Oriental).

Arbucies church

It is made up of three different geographical units: Turó de L'Home - Les Agudes (which with 1,706 and 1,703 m. respectively are the maximum heights of the park), El Matagalls and Pla de la Calma.

You can find a great biological richness in the park.

From deep forests with the characteristic Mediterranean plant formations like Oaks, holm oaks, cork oaks and pinewoods to beech woods, groves of fir, thickets and high meadows.

Its also a perfect place to look for Mushrooms too. There are hundreds of different ones, although you have to be carefully to not to pick the wrong ones.

You only have to ask to the local people.

In the holm oaks there are wild boars, the fox, the genet cat and the dormouse, among the best-known mammals; also lots of birds like the goshawk, jay, and robin, and there are various species of amphibians, reptiles and fish too.

Thats handy for a 1st floor!

Its a biosphere reserve. Arbucies village is in the Montseny.

Thats a Mehari!, havent seen one of this for ages

My friend Enri has bought a house there about two years ago. For the price of tiny 1 bedroom flat in any big city you can buy an old catalan type 3 floors house.

Arbucies is a beautiful small village.

Arbucies its also known because its healthy clean waters. I guess those houses are owned by the old catalan families owners of the Bottled water companies.

Enri. Just wondering...

Arbucies had some strong demographic changes on the last few years.

There is been a lot of inmigration from other places. Mainly from European Eastern countries, african or Arabic.

Riera in summer

Jordi

Catalunya had always lots of inmigration on its history. But we have been always a clear example of integration.

From the greeks to the romans, in the textile industries in Barcelona around the XIX century and also in the mid 60s and 70s about 1 million people came from all over Spain to work in the Catalan industries.

There are about 5000 people living in Arbucies. My friend Enri says he could count people from about 20 different nationalities from Russia to Africa.

People easily integrates in our culture and the language in a perfect armony.

It feels great to hear on the streets the wee african kids talking in local Catalan accent. The people in Arbucies speaks a very curious, and funny at the same time Catalan accent, at least its what It seems to me being from Barcelona where we speak, arguably a more neutral one.

Arbucies Church

Arbucies

Riera in Autumm

Me and my friends Jordi, Robert, Guillermo, Cesar and Mario we like to go and visit our friend Enri inArbucies the odd weekend or Bank Holiday.

Trees in October

Trees in March

The proximity to the Costa Brava in the Mediterranean ocean makes The Montseny the perfect place to find 'rieras' which are small rivers with lots of humid vegetation. There is one in Arbucies. We do walks and excursions there.

Mario and his dog Leila

A walk to the river. There is a strong and pleasant at the same time change of colours for every season.

There are two girls living in this old Catalan farm house [Mas] in the Montseny mountains. The place is called 'La Torre del vent' [The windy house'. Its in the middle of nowhere. Sometimes they are stuck in winter for days because the snow. I think this girls are both very brave.

One of girls, Erica, did an outdoors b-day party the other day. It was fun.
There was djs and people was dancing around the bonfires. The perfect location for a rave.

La torre del vent

I was given 3 dozens of delicious eggs as a present. They look and taste much better than the ones I get in the supermarket, without a doubt.

If you like to do walks in the mountains, The Montseny is a highly recommended place to go.

And last but not least, the local food is delicious!. We will talk about this another day.


http://www.turisme-montseny.com/

Pedro Vila