Montseny

Montseny rises to 1,706 metres at Turo de l'Home, and its height in a Mediterranean setting produces a stack of vegetation zones within a short distance: holm oak and cork at the bottom, chestnut and beech in the middle, and at the top a relict fir forest and moorland that belong to central Europe rather than Catalonia, survivors from colder periods. It became a biosphere reserve in 1978, among the first in Spain, and the park covers about 301 square kilometres. Mist is frequent on the upper slopes, which is why the beech does well. The massif holds an endemic newt described only in 2005, the Montseny brook newt, the only vertebrate endemic to Catalonia and one of the most endangered amphibians in Europe. Santa Fe del Montseny, Viladrau and the Sant Marcal pass are the usual bases.

What's there

• The vegetation zones - holm oak to beech to relict fir within a few kilometres.
• The beech forest - central European woodland at Mediterranean latitude.
• Turo de l'Home - the highest point at 1,706 metres.
• The frequent mist - cloud on the upper slopes that sustains the forest.

When to go

April to June for flowers and green, October to November for beech colour, which draws heavy weekend traffic. Winter brings snow to the tops and the roads can be difficult.

What to expect

Autumn weekends bring severe congestion on the narrow mountain roads, with parking quotas and closures at popular points. Mist can remove views entirely. The massif is inhabited and farmed rather than wild.

Nearby

Viladrau and Santa Fe are within the park; Barcelona lies fifty kilometres south.