Two options: 48 km through the Llobregat river valley // 34.5 km through the Sant Llorenç del Munt i l’Obac park.

Bicycles: Both options are correct; but in the mountain option you will have to walk and push the bike in some sections. Much better the valley option.

In February 1523 Ignacio de Loyola decided to leave the city of Manresa and set out for Barcelona, passing by the Pont de Vilomara, a place where he would say goodbye to the Manresa families who had accompanied him so well for 11 months. We are going to follow his route until we reach the city of Barcelona. Ignatius feels in his soul to leave those good people, but his call to live with Jesus leads him to attempt his pilgrimage to Jerusalem at this moment.

Two options are presented to the pilgrim for this stage: the mountain and the valley. The option that goes up the mountain and enters the Sant Llorenç del Munt i l’Obac Park, is very beautiful, but with some difficulty due to the extension without intermediate towns (34.5 km) and because you have to go up and down trails through forest, and sometimes trails are not very well marked. The option of the valley is not so beautiful, since we are in populated areas, and we have to go through towns, roads and urbanized areas. The advantage is that the stages are shorter, the path is clearer and completely marked, and that the path can be stopped as desired, since there are places to stay or take the public transport that connects the towns. Going through the mountains, you have to go directly from Manresa to Terrassa, without the possibility of staying in the middle, because we are inside the natural park and there are no accommodations or possible transport. If the valley option is taken, the route is longer (48 km) but the advantage is that the pilgrim can divide this Manresa – Terrassa section into two stages, as they please.

Itinerary of the Llobregat River Valley.

We take as starting point the Plaça de Sant Ignasi, next to the Chapel of the Rapture. Going up the street of Escodines, we pass behind the Casa de Espiritualidad de La Cova and continue straight along street of Santa Clara, and street San Juan de Dios. We look at the Cruz de Termino de las Escodinas, where Ignacio used to stop to pray on his way to Viladordis. On the road to Pont de Vilomara, we turn left and go to a roundabout. There we take the first street on the right and continue going up street of Alvar Alto. We reached a roundabout and went down to pass in front of the police station. We turn right at the first street and, after the gas station, we turn right again to go directly to the C-55 road, which we pass below. We continue straight on and take a path that descends to our left, with remains of a very old cobblestone. Saint Ignatius went down this path many times, approaching Viladordis. We come to a wide dirt road and we take it to the right. We follow the same path, in the direction of the Viladordis church that can be seen on top of a hill. When we arrive in front of the farmhouse of les Marcetes, we deviate a few meters from the Camino to approach the church of Viladordis and visit the Virgen de la Salud.

We resume the Camino at the point where we left it and we go down the paved road until we reach the road. We cross the road and take a dirt road that keeps us parallel to the C-16 motorway. We crossed the bridge. The dirt road descends towards the valley of the Llobregat river. Already near the town of El Pont de Vilomara, we find the road and head towards the 11th century stone bridge. After crossing, we find the GR-270, red and white paint signs, which will also serve as a guide. We take the BV-1225 road to our right until a point where a dirt road appears on our right and brings us closer to the Llobregat river. We will walk along the river always on our right.

We reach a point where the dirt road no longer allows us to continue and we are forced to climb onto the BV-1225 road and walk cautiously along the hard shoulder for 1.5 km. After passing under the highway, a road starts on our right, in the direction of the Devesa Hermanos factory and Railtech Sufetra. We take that road that first maintains the level and then descends. When we reach the Colector de Salmorres del Riu Llobregat, we turn left and continue straight along the same asphalt road, which brings us closer to the train tracks, which we cross under the bridge next to the river. We always follow the same path, seeking to get closer to the Llobregat river. We once again pass the train tracks under a bridge and continue straight on Via Augusta street. The street ends up closed, so we have to turn left and go down Calle del Llobregat. We go straight on towards the houses from Sant Vicenç de Castellet. The path runs parallel to the Llobregat river, until it reaches the town. We cross the town and go to look for the first bridge over the river to cross it and take a path along the river that begins under the bridge, going down from the roundabout close to the C-55 road.

The path runs alongside the river, which is now on our left, and we follow it for a few kilometers until the same path leads us back to the C-55 road. When we reach the road and the train track, we take the path to our left and walk in parallel until we find the river again and pass under the highway bridge. We will continue along the same path, always next to the Llobregat river, for 3 km. We pass under the train tracks. The path approaches the road bridge, next to a ruined farmhouse, Cal Fassina, and we take the asphalt path to our left, to go back to the train tracks. We cross the Llobregat by the Old Bridge and, when we reach the road, we turn right. We continue straight on the road, which has no traffic, and we enter the town of Castellbell i el Vilar. When passing in front of the town hall, do not forget to put the stamp on the pilgrim’s credential. We have already done 22.5 km, so this is a good place to cut this stage in two, if the pilgrim does not want to do the 48 km in a single day.

We leave Castellbell through Avenida de Catalunya and we will walk along the road towards the town of Monistrol for 4 km. There is not much traffic, so the walk is quiet. At the entrance of Monistrol, at the roundabout in front of the bridge over the river, we turn left to start the climb towards the town of Vacarisses. We make a Z, first to the left and then to the right, to be able to pass the train tracks over it. We continue along the asphalt road and after passing a farm, we enter a path in the mountain, which we are going to follow and which connects roads. We are on the path of the pilgrims who go up to Montserrat from Terrassa. We approach Vacarisses, a town of scattered houses. On Calle de los Torrents we reach the C-58 road and cross it to go up the path to the Station. Always straight ahead until we find a pedestrian path with reddish soil, which we take to our right, always in the direction of the train station. We go up the Camino del Palà and then the Tulipans. When the Calle de los Tulipans ends, we turn left towards the train tracks and cross them. We turn left onto Calle de las Petunias and cross the highway through the tunnel. After the tunnel, we turn left onto the first street and turn left again onto the first path. We are going up towards the urban center of Vacarisses, with its town hall. We have been 39 km from Manresa and we have only 5 km to climb. Behind the town hall we take the main street and come to the first intersection, where we turn 90 degrees to our left, to go up the Camí de l’Obac.

Always on the same path, we come to a fork and we take the path to the left, which goes up Avinguda Vacarisses. We will always continue along the same Avinguda until it ends at the Camí de la Pineda roundabout. When we get there, we turn right and continue towards La Carena de la Pineda, always straight on the same path, without taking any other that may arise to the right or left. We stay at the top of the mountain, heading towards Terrassa. Always on the same road, we descend towards the city and cross the B-40 road. We leave the fields and step onto the first street in Terrassa that leads us to a bridge over the Palau stream.

We continue straight on Joan d’Austria street until we reach Passeig del Vint i dos de Juliol, which we turn left to pass the train tracks under the Rambla d’Ègara bridge. We follow this Rambla descending until we reach Carrer Mayor, which we take to the left and which takes us directly to the Cathedral of Terrassa. End of stage.

Itinerary of the Sant Llorenç Park.

Before starting, we must very seriously recommend that the pilgrim download the GPS track on his Smartphone or use Google Maps on the website to follow the stage well. This route is not as well signposted as that of the Valley, so you have to be well equipped with the GPS guide, just in case. Now, the itinerary. This route is not as well signposted as that of the Valley, so you have to be well equipped with the GPS guide, just in case. Now, the itinerary.

The exit from Manresa is the same as in the valley option, following the same path until reaching the Pont de Vilomara. Once we have crossed the bridge, we also cross the road and head towards the center of the town, passing through Carrer de Sant Jaume. We turn left to pass in front of the town hall and we continue along Avenida de la Constitución until we reach Calle de Jacint Verdaguer, which we turn right. Then left along Lleida street and right onto Girona Street. In 50 meters we take a path to our left, which goes up towards the mountain. Attention because in 300 m we have to take the path to the right, which becomes a path between pine trees, and go up until we find a wide dirt road, which we will continue straight on. Along this road we come to a circular concrete deposit. From here, everything will be mountain trails and at some point dirt roads. If the pilgrim pays attention, they will see the signs of the Camino Real Manresa – Barcelona, signposted in 1797. It seems incredible that the Camino passed through here, seeing the wild state in which it is now, right? But it was certainly the shortest.

We are going to find different GRs that cross within the Sant Llorenç del Munt i de l’Obac Park. We continue along the trails and arrive at Sant Jaume de Vallhonesta ruins. We continue straight on along the path to the right, which does not go down to the valley. The dirt road becomes a narrow path and we continue straight ahead, always staying on the crest of the mountain. We come to a wide road, but soon we return to the trails, and again to other paths that keep us high on the mountain. We crossed some high voltage power lines. We continue along the dirt road and pass a demolished house: Hostalets d’en Daví. The path becomes a trail again and we reach the rocks. At this point the view of the park is impressive and we walk along narrow paths marked in the sedimentary rock, the same type as that of Montserrat. We go around the great rock and climb to stay at the top of the rocky mountain. Between pine trees and sometimes walking on the bare rock, we go up and contemplate the magnificent silhouette of the mountain of Montserrat behind us.

Attention: we come to a fairly wide piece of bare rock, and we have to turn 90 degrees to our right, going down a little to go around the summit that rises in front of us. We continue along the trails that keep us on the crest of the mountain. We enter a dirt road that will guide us towards Terrassa, passing through the Serra de Pedritxes. We pass by some circular water tanks. We see some houses to our left in a residential area that descends towards the valley, but we continue straight along the ridge of the mountain, without losing height, and at some point even going up. The path takes us to the Serra del Troncó and we take the Les Quatre Cadenes path straight ahead, which soon begins to descend towards the city of Terrassa. The mountain road ends, entering the fields. We cross the B-40 motorway under the bridge, which takes us to a roundabout and we continue straight on along this street until we reach Terque street, which we take to our left. We continue along Avenida de les Arts and then Avenida de Bejar. Going straight down Avenida de Bejar until after the Terrassa Nacions Unides train station, when we turn right to go down Calle del Dr. Cistaré. Going straight ahead along the street of Dr. Cistaré, we arrive at the street d’Emili Badiella and we continue straight, until the park and the square of the Terrassa Nord train station. Just behind the station is Calle del Nord and we take it towards the center of Terrassa. When we reach a square, we take Camí Fondo street that is on the right and that goes down to meet Sant Pere street. We continue along Sant Pere and turn left onto Carrer dels Gavatxons. In a few meters we reach the Plaza Mayor and the Cathedral of Terrassa. End of stage.

SANT VICENÇ DE CASTELLET

Hostal Ca la Irene. C/ Creixell, 29. Tel: 938 333 226

Ayuntamiento. Tel : 936 930 611

Taxi en Sant Vicenç de Castellet. Tel: 617 318 448

CASTELLBELL I EL VILAR

Informarse en el Ayuntamiento. Tel: 938 340 350

Ca la Julita. Raval del Teixidor. Tel: 630 333 593

MONISTROL DE MONTSERRAT

Hostal Guilleumes Montserrat. C/ Escoles 5. Tel: 938 284 065

Cal Gaitero. C/ Sant Pere, 39, Baixos. Tel: 617 140 405

Taxi Corvo Monistrol Montserrat. Tel: 619 260 048

Taxi Jorge Jiménez – Olesa de Montserrat. Tel: 619 260 048

VACARISSES

Apartamento Casa NaturaRelax. Camí de ľObac, 1. Tel: 609 711 426

La Frasera. C/cami del castellet s/n. Tel: 670 377 732

Apartments Vacarisses-Torreblanca, Passeig Estacio, 16. Tel: 626 608 497.

Ayuntamiento. Tel: 938 359 002

Taxis en Vacarisses. Tel: 610 466 466

TERRASSA

Albergue de peregrinos de Vallparadís, C/ Alcalde Parellada, 2. Tel: 930 022 585  [email protected] 

Hostal Avenida Madrid, Avinguda de Madrid, 104. Tel: 937 316 382

Hostal del Carmen, Carretera de Rubí, 441. Tel: 638 867 864

Hotel Terrassa Park, Avinguda de Santa Eulàlia, 236. Tel: 937 004 400

Ayuntamiento Terrassa. Tel: 937 397 000

Taxis Terrassa. Tel: 937 357 777

Top Taxi Terrassa. Tel: 937 853 335

PONT DE VILOMARA

It is a municipality in the Bages region. Its population is estimated at 3800 inhabitants. The municipality is formed by the union of two old urban centers: Rocafort and El Pont de Vilomara. The 130 m long bridge with five asymmetrical arches was built in the Middle Ages (11th century) and linked the cities of Manresa and Barcelona. The town grew with immigrants at the end of the 19th century when the textile factories were built. Agriculture was important, especially the vineyard, but the phylloxera plague wiped out everything at the end of the 19th century and the inhabitants switched to the textile industry. Textile factories closed in 1980 and today the economy revolves around recycling. The parochial church, of neo-Gothic style, is dedicated to the Virgin of the Divine Grace. The village offers bars and restaurants, supermarket and pharmacy, bank, health center. The Llobregat River is an important river in Catalonia, which originates in the municipality of Castellar de n’Hug and flows into the Mediterranean Sea, after traveling 175 km.

SANT VICENÇ DE CASTELLET

San Vicente de Castellet is located between the confluence of the Llobregat and Cardener rivers and the Castellbell and Vilar gorge. The municipality is well connected with Manresa and Barcelona by two railway lines and by road. The hills around it were largely destroyed between 1987 and 2005 for the construction of industrial estates. At present there are companies of chemical, food, textile, electronics and stone extraction basically. The plagues of the 14th century reduced the population and also the agricultural activity. Fortunately, the vineyard and the activities related to the crossing of the royal road that linked Barcelona with Manresa, kept the population alive. The railway station caused a great population growth, from 200 inhabitants in 1867 to 3,000 inhabitants in 1930. In 2016 it had 9,000 inhabitants. The village offers bars and restaurants, supermarket and pharmacy, bank, health center.

CASTELLBELL I EL VILAR

The town is divided into four parts: La Bauma, El Borras, El Vilar and El Burés. The town has a direct connection with Barcelona thanks to the train. Its population is estimated at 3700 inhabitants. It is the connecting municipality and natural corridor between the two main parks in Central Catalonia, the Montserrat Mountain Natural Park and Sant Llorenç del Munt and Sierra del Obac. The town has a lot of tourist heritage to visit such as the Pont Vell, an interesting sample of civil architecture built between 1455 and 1457, which we see upon arrival, the Castle of Castellbell (10th century) that we saw up on the mountain, the Church of San Cristobal, a Romanesque temple built between the end of the 11th century and the beginning of the 12th century, which we saw announced on stage 27 of the Ignatian Way (we passed nearby). The town offers a bar-restaurant, pharmacy and supermarket.

MONISTROL DE MONTSERRAT

The municipality of Monistrol de Montserrat is divided by the Llobregat river: on the right the original town and on the left the new recent urban developments. The population is over 2000 inhabitants. From here you can easily reach Barcelona with the railways of the Generalitat de Catalunya (FGC) that run a Monistrol-Barcelona train service every half hour and also Barcelona-Martorell-Manresa. In the Middle Ages, Monistrol suffered greatly from the Black Death, which led to a significant decline in population. During the 15th century, Monistrol experienced a deep crisis, but came out of the crisis thanks to the construction fever of the 16th and 17th centuries. Monistrol experienced a remarkable urban growth then, whose culminating points were the creation of the Public Square, the House of the Villa and the Font Gran. In the 20th century, the municipality of Monistrol experienced a demographic growth thanks to the agricultural, urban and industrial development of the town. We will find pharmacy, restaurant and supermarket services.

VACARISSES

Vacarisses is located in the Valles Occidental region, bordering the Bages and Bajo Llobregat. The municipality connects with the old road from Barcelona to Manresa. It may have its origin in the 11th century Vacarisses castle of the Guillem de Montcada family. Dry lands have not given much wealth to the town that grew a little more in the industrial age. Much of the land has been occupied by residential areas, so today it is a very dispersed town. In 2017 it had a municipal register of 6,300 inhabitants, although the population increases considerably on weekends and summer periods as it is a destination for second homes. There are bar-restaurants, pharmacy and supermarket.

TERRASSA

Arrived in Terrassa, we have multiple accommodation options to spend the night. With 220,000 inhabitants, the pilgrim can assume that all his needs can be covered. The Jacobean tradition is great in the city, as indicated by the monument to the pilgrim inaugurated in 2019 and the refuge for pilgrims that the city has. Otras pensiones y hoteles completan la oferta a escoger. Strolling through the streets of the old town and sitting on a terrace to have some tapas and a beer is most relaxing, if the day of march leaves time for it. Terrassa, as the reader can suppose, has an Iberian and later Roman origin, who built a fortress next to the Vallparadís stream (the Paradise Valley). The walled city was conquered by the Franks and incorporated into their kingdom in 801. The Muslims razed the city, as they did with Manresa from time to time, and destroyed the castle. Already in the time of Peter III the Ceremonious, the city established a Council of the University of the Villa and received other citizenship rights, which were lost when Philip V arrived with his troops and sacked the city in the 18th century. In Íñigo’s time it was an important city, so our pilgrim most likely stopped here. Terrassa became a great industrial city after the independence of the Emperor Napoleon, already in the 19th century, and it will be known as the city of steam engines. The wealth of the city was expressed in the construction of many modernist buildings at the beginning of the 20th century. The Cathedral of the Holy Spirit was consecrated as such in 2004, although it actually recovers the diocese that was suppressed by Muslim incursions into this territory in the 8th century. The cathedral is from the late 16th century, built in Gothic style, and not baroque, as it would belong at the time. Restored after the Civil War, it preserves in its interior a sculptural group of the holy burial of Jesus, from the 16th century, which was destroyed in 1936 and rebuilt in 1950, thanks to the fact that the sculptural group was hidden from the patrimonial vandals, separating the pieces. Importante visitar la Oficina de Turismo Masia Freixa, Plaça de Josep Freixa i Argemí, 11, Friends of the Camino de Santiago de Terrassa, Avinguda d’Àngel Sallent, 55 (Center Cívic Mª Aurèlia Capmany). Tel: 609 403 750.

Notes: On the way to Barcelona, we continue in our “fourth week” of Spiritual Exercises. For St. Ignatius, the departure from Manresa, after almost a year of spiritual growth, was a joyful departure full of hope. We keep the same joyful mood, because more and more we join Jesus Christ in his own pilgrimage, now in the world. The light among the trees, the flowers, the water of the river, the people… are God’s instruments to guide our steps.

Grace: I pray that I may rejoice deeply with Christ the Pilgrim, now that I too have been sent into the world to serve his mission.

Reflections: Once again on our way, once again we leave behind a place where we have felt welcomed, accompanied by Ignatius and his experience in Manresa. We have learned, we have filled our backpacks with the treasures that the Spirit has given us. Perhaps a new understanding of ourselves, perhaps a new strength of the Spirit, perhaps a new hope that calls us and urges us to set out again on the roads. God continues to call his people. God calls us today and asks us to go in search of men and women who want to hear a new way of understanding the world and themselves. How do I feel my inner readiness to set out on the road again? God does not want us to remain anchored in a present, perhaps very gratifying today, but which will prevent us from continuing our journey. Do I have the desire to hear his voice and to advance along new paths, now as disciples of the Lord?

We need not fear: the Lord has told us that he will always be with us wherever we go. Pilgrimage helps us to grow in our faith, trusting that Jesus walks with us, or even ahead of us. And our strength is his very Spirit.

The pilgrim’s prayer, that which consists in the repetition of the name of Jesus, can serve us today as well, insisting on our availability, at every step: “Here I am, Lord.”

Scripture:

Genesis 12:1-3. God addresses Abraham and, in spite of his advanced age, asks him to set out on his journey, to leave his home and the place where he has put down roots, and to set out again towards a distant horizon. God makes a promise of happiness and Abraham’s faith believes in that promise.

Isaiah 6:8. We can repeat these words of Isaiah: “Here I am, Lord”.

Matthew 28:19-20. The Lord calls us and gives us a mission: to announce the Good News of the Gospel and to make that word of life transform the hearts of the women and men of our century. Jesus knew that the number of disciples had to grow so that the Kingdom could become a visible reality in our world. We disciples are the community of the Kingdom.

Acts 1:8. Strength does not come from our abilities, from what we learn and develop, but only from the Spirit, who enkindles our hearts and makes us witnesses of God’s Love in the whole world.

Final colloquy: We are already accustomed to walk with our friend and Lord Jesus Christ. We speak confidently with Him as one friend speaks with another. End with the Lord’s Prayer.

IÑIGO SAYS GOODBYE TO MANRESA

Íñigo spent eleven months in Manresa, growing in his humanity and discovering the ways of the Spirit. He became a beloved and respected man, not because of the great riches that he had evidently renounced to become a pilgrim of Jesus Christ, as it was said of him from the beginning, but because of his speaking of the things of the soul and of love of God. From the man dressed in smelly sackcloth, he became the catechist who taught the children sitting at the entrance of the Santa Lucia hospital, or the communicator who spoke of his experiences on the Exercises that he was experiencing in himself. The women and men who wished to listen to him formed a small community, the most intimate circle of devoted friends of the pilgrim beggar receiving the name of the Íñigas. His message was simple, but it came from the heart and experience: he preached the examination of conscience, confession, attending to those who suffer, and listening to Jesus who speaks to us within us of the softness of the Father’s love and the forgiveness of all things.

Sharing so many months with a man who had experienced such personal growth in such a short time, he created a deep bond with the Manresans, who regretted his firm decision to continue on his way to Jerusalem. It was his dream, and he couldn’t wait any longer. The gates of the city of Barcelona were open and, just after Holy Week, the Pope would grant the credentials for pilgrims to the Holy Land, so, in February 1523, the bells of farewell to Manresa sounded for Íñigo. When the day came, a procession of friends left Manresa. With a heavy heart, but knowing what is best for him. With a heavy heart, but knowing what is best for him. The friendly families of Manresa accompany Íñigo a few kilometers on his way to Barcelona. As expected, the route chosen is the Camino Real, which passes through Viladordis and the Pont de Vilomara. The people from Manresa come to Pont de Vilomara, and there they say goodbye to Íñigo, on the Llobregat river. The 11th century stone bridge, rebuilt in the 17th century, is asymmetrical in composition, with three arches on one side and five on the other, starting from the central arch. It is a magnificent work of engineering, and it saves the connection between Manresa and Barcelona. The municipality of Manresa ends here and the citizens came here to say goodbye to Íñigo, wishing to see him again one day. Íñigo would return to Manresa in 1524, but since his former confessor from the church of Sant Pau had already died, he would soon return to Barcelona, to begin his studies at the incipient University of Barcelona. The farewell is certainly very emotional: Íñigo left Loyola-Azpeitia without saying goodbye for not having to explain himself, and now that he says goodbye in front of everyone, he doesn’t know what to say either. It is explained in the canonization stories of Saint Ignatius that “upon reaching the bridge in the town of Vilomara, and unable to speak due to emotion, he placed his left hand on his heart, while with his right he pointed to the sky, as if to say: «As long as I live, I will carry you inside my heart. When I will be in heaven, I will always pray for you »”. And crossing the bridge, with some crumbs of bread that had been put into his bag, he left his friends to follow Jesus on the way to Barcelona.