Gombrèn

Gombrèn is part of the Ripollès region, province of Girona. The municipal area has an area of 44 km² and the town is at an altitude of 919 m.

The limits of the municipal area are to the north with Campelles, Planoles and Toses, to the east with Campdevànol and Les Llosses, to the south with Ripoll and Les Llosses and to the west with Sant Jaume de Frontanyà, La Pobla de Lillet and Castellar de n'Hug. It has the nuclei of Aranyonet and El Cortal added.

A land of traditions and the origin of the legend of Count Arnau. Walk through the places where his myth was forged and enjoy a town full of cultural and natural attractions and its unrivalled sunsets from one of the region's balconies.

history

The town already appears in documents from the end of the 9th century, referring to the castle of Montgrony. Gombrèn is history. Our medieval past is revived, from Count Guifré to the Count of Pallars.

The accumulation of titles, wealth and power of the Mataplana castle reached its peak in the 13th and 14th centuries and it was as a result of the abuse of this power that the legend of Count Arnau began to take shape.

From the feudal era Gombrèn still preserves the structure, in part, of its streets.

places of interest

Street of the Porches

From the feudal era, Gombrèn still retains part of its street structure. The old part of the town retains the appearance of a fortified village, with old walls and an entrance gate, with old houses and corners that recall the time when it was a craftsman population, dedicated mainly to parairia (purchase and preparation of wool) and the manufacture of blankets (quilts).

Mataplana Castle

The Mataplana site is located in the middle of a valley and landscape typical of Ripollès. It is a place that, beyond archaeology, has a strong connection with the entire popular tradition that over the centuries has fundamentally participated in the formation and transmission of the different versions that make up the myth of Count Arnau. The archaeological excavations carried out between 1986 and 1995 have made it possible to fully uncover a castle that had been abandoned since the beginning of the 15th century.

Church of Sant Pere

A church with one nave and side chapels in the Baroque style, built at the beginning of the 17th century. It houses two very beautiful Baroque altarpieces: the altarpiece of San Pedro and the altarpiece of El Roser. It was built on the site of the church dedicated to Santa Magdalena, dating from the 17th century. XV.

Sanctuary of Montgrony

Marian devotional centre, located on the buttress of the Coma Ermada mountain. Higher up is the Romanesque church of Sant Pere de Montgrony, which dates back to the end of the 11th century and offers extraordinary views of the Pedraforca. Don't miss the sunsets from Montgrony, one of the balconies of the region!

Sant Ou Hole

An impressive 74-metre deep chasm, only suitable for expert speleologists! According to legend, Count Arnau used it to move up and down the region… Legend has it… that Count Arnau used this cave to travel with his horse to the the caves of Ribes and the monastery of Sant Joan de las Abadesas and finally come out through the well in the cloister. This well is now covered, as its inhabitants feared it would appear! Today a spring flows from it, so the town is protected!

Banyuls Gorge

It is located on the Garfull stream and is one of the places related to the legend of Count Arnau. In this pond Arnau had two servants, in the form of a goat, who watched over anyone who did not do any good deed, until one day He killed one of them, and the other, in reaction, threw the count into the pool or "hell". Arnau goes out every night, with his fiery horse. For this reason, the place is feared by the shepherds and inhabitants of Gombrèn.

Botanical Garden of Medicinal Plants

It is the first botanical garden of medicinal plants in the country. It contains about 250 plants, most of them native to Gombrèn. The purpose of the garden is to make known the variety of plants in the area, so guided tours and different activities related to the topic.