I don’t even know when two weeks passed, and I again heard an unknown call to visit the castles. This time it’s time for Castell de Queralt.
A matter of discipline
I asked myself recently, what is this something that I do with my bicycle recently? It is not classic road cycling anymore, for sure. Suffice it to say that I am getting used more and more to carry a small backpack and light shoes inside. Thanks to them, I can walk on any terrain, even if it is not compatible with road cycling shoes. Perhaps, although I did not check, I could squeeze those shoes into the pockets of my jersey and stuff them with bananas and energy bars, but… something makes me refrain from doing so. Alternatively, I would use SPD pedals and shoes that allow me to walk normally. Anyway, I have road ones, for now, so I added a backpack with footwear into my kit.
So how to name this discipline? Hmm… it can be some kind of combination, because sometimes I walk with a bicycle on my shoulder and who knows? Maybe one day I will have to cross the river? Or perhaps it is just cyclocross? Call it as you will. The fact is that this way of cycling attracts me more and more. The additional gain from this activity is that I learn about the muscles I’m usually not conscious of – the training is more holistic 😉
Up to the castle
I saw Castell de Queralt for the first time a year ago, when I visited the village of Bellprat and the valley where it is located. Looking from the valley towards the mountains, you can admire the castle’s lofty and somewhat mysterious silhouette. Back then, I didn’t even imagine going there by bike. This year, however, I glimpsed a gravel road that I thought could lead me up there. And that’s what I did on the first weekend in March.
However, to get to this point, I had to gain more than 400 m of elevation on a road that I know almost by heart. 400 m does not sound very impressive, but that day it gave me a hard time. And that was just the beginning of the fun!
The gravel road is in good condition – it can be easily passed by a road bike. First, it plunges into one of the many narrow parallel valleys you can find here, then climbs up again. After a while, you pass the farm, one of three that make up this hamlet, greet with a gesture the horse that stares at you, surprised by an unexpected visit. And then… it goes only steeper and steeper.
The entire climb is three and a half kilometers, 180 m ascent. At one point, it got so steep that I decided to wear my walking shoes. After another few minutes of combined ride and walk, I saw the castle.
Three ruins
The whole – big word – complex of ruins consists of three buildings. At the bottom, there is a church of St. Jacob (or Jaume). It is a castle church from the first half of the 11th century. According to the definition I found, it means de facto, not a parish church (or chapel) but a private one, linked with the castle by ownership. I also discovered a source saying that there was a small parish. Whatever was the case, I prefer ignoring those nuances now. Otherwise, I would not finish this text in my lifetime.
Above, at the top of the hill, there is the castle itself and fragments of another chapel – St. Michael (Miquel). Only one wall and a belfry are left of it, but it has become an icon of this place in recent times. It is the most photogenic view here. It is like the church in Trzęsacz (Poland) – looking at it, we ask ourselves whether it will still be here at the next visit? You wouldn’t expect that the exact year of construction will be known with this time perspective, but the chappel’s first mention comes from 1088 AD.
Castell de Queralt
Finally – the castle. It is located excellently from a strategic point of view. The unobstructed view stretches to the four sides of the world. Additionally, in the Middle Ages, one of the essential roads connecting Barcelona and Lleida passed close to it. Today the castle, as well as the church of St. Jacob, are being restored. The work is in an advanced stage, so it is hard to believe that you are in front of 900 or even 1100 years old walls.
First uncertain references to the castle: 880 AD. First certain: 976 AD, when Borrell II, Count of Barcelona, sells it to a viscount. He, however, did not enjoy the new mountain property for too long because, in 985 AD, it was destroyed during the Almansur invasion. It stands as a ruin for a while but is rebuilt before 1032 AD. Over the centuries, its owners changed many times, and finally, it has been purchased by Josep Safont in the year 1842. Shortly after this event, the castle is finally depopulated, although, in 1918, it was still in good shape.
Rusty roads
I spent an hour on castle hill, but it was time to go back. I got to ruin on a steep but comfortable road. However, I decided to leave them in the opposite direction, not knowing what surface I would face. But in the end, adventure is an adventure, isn’t it?
As is often the case, it started off calmly, but soon things got “complicated” and, again, I had to walk (fist-sized stones). For the next few kilometers, the road resembled a roller-coaster. It traversed the mountains’ slopes, going down, but not gradually. It was a series of descents and ascents. Fortunately, apart from short stretches, the surface consisted of fine gravel with a rusty or even reddish color.
Riding through these jumps, I focused almost exclusively on not damaging the tires. Only occasionally, I paused to admire the landscape, glancing back at the castle. This way, after a long time, I got back on the asphalt road near Bellprat. There I ate a little, put my road shoes back on, and set off on the well-known way back home.
That day I traveled “only” about 90 km. Whether it was because of an extended break in cycling, or insufficient meals the day before, or perhaps the demanding terrain, I felt fatigued comparable to 300 km near Wrocław city. So I had reasons to be satisfied, from both: exploration and the training.
Thank you.
The route information
You can find the rout on my Strava and Komoot profiles. Endomondo is dead.
Looking for the information I used Wikipedia, but also:
- Types of churches on the Barcelona University pages,
- The Castles of Catalonia page,
- Cabestany Fort, Joan-F. “El Castell de Queralt (segles IX-X)“.