About the place:

If you've been in the woods and you walked along a track you have found for sure two horizontal stripes: on top white and red below. What do you think of following a stretch of this long footpaths (GR) and allow children to guide us following the signs?

The game starts at almost 1000 meters high in Rojals, a bucolic village on the Cistercian order route. Stone houses and a church with stunning views over the Sierra de Prades. We have to leave the spectacular views over the fields of grain (where, in the spring, once in a while we see roe deer) and enter a forest of oaks and streams. Following the GR171 we will be looking for some inscriptions in Arabic and medieval Catalan medieval on a rock. These markings are part of a set of rock art which can be found around Rojals.

A route to discover the trails of GR and a different form of rock art with children. (See photos)

Direction tips:

You arrive to Rojals through the TV7042 which you take in Montblanc. It are 12km by a road with many curves. Park the car at the end of the main street. On the left, after passing a sign indicating the Camí de l’Arlequí, you will find a small clearing where you can leave the car. You must follow this track. A few meters further you will find on your left, the first indicator of the GR171. You should follow the direction of Cogullons. From this point on let the children guide you along the red and white marks, which are well identified on rocks or trees. Right in front of the indicator, painted on a rock, you will find the first mark of GR. Remind the children that if the white and red stripes form a cross, it means you are not going in the right direction. It indicates that you have left the GR and that you should return to the last junction to find the horizontal red and white sign.

Continue along the track until you reach a second indicator. In the wood bat you'll find the sign of the GR. You must go one behind the other in a row along the path until you reach another track. Cross the track following the direction of the Cogullons. You will take again a small path that will board a grain field. If you are lucky during spring time you can deer coming down from the forest to the fields looking for food. At the end of the field you will have to take some stone natural stairs. Gradually you get into the forest. When you arrive to a sign indicating a hunting area, you will find the first bifurcation. Take the main road to the right marked with the GR stripes. Now you're in the forest. The sound of water will accompany you a good stretch until you find a small stream that will force you to jump or maneuver in order to keep your feet dry. You must follow the path until you reach a junction of roads at the height of a large stone. Have a good look since it will cross a path marked with an other color. Take the road on the right. You will find again the red and white stripes which confirm you are going in the right direction. From this point you are about 100 meters from the rock inscriptions. They can be found on your right. If you are not able to decipher the writing, do not worry. In Montblanc’s Interpretation Center of the rock art you will get some clues.

If you continue about 20 meters further down the trail, you will find the ruins of an eighteenth-century farmhouse where you will have some panoramic views over the mountains. You will arrive here in about 1 hour and a half. The itinerary ends here. You must undo the way back to town.

The best season:

autumn, summer, spring

Lunch tips:

You will not find any recreational area along the road, but at the place where you find the stone inscriptions, you can sit down and picnic. If you prefer to eat more comfortably, we recommend you to have lunch in Rojals at the Socarrimada. Manel Anna will offer you some really good traditional Catalan cuisine.

More info:

Difficulty: medium
Type: linear route
Duration: Approximately 3 hours (tow ways without stops)
Distance: approx. 6 km (two ways)
Accessibility: If it has rained, there will be a lot of mud at the first part of the route along the fields. You should be careful not to slip. Almost the entire route is via narrow paths where you should walk in single file, but you can always give a hand to the little ones. Only the first section of the route has a certain level.
Recommendations: Use walking shoes and take enough water with you.

Because of being located in the mountains there is little or none coverage for mobile phones.

If you want more information on rock art in the area, go to the Interpretation Center of the rock art of Montblanc, where you'll find all the reconstructions of paintings of the Sierra de Prades, including those of Rojals.

Photo: © ExploraTgn.cat (See more photos)

Type:

Rural house

About the place:

If you are looking for a place where you can go with the children and do some short trips in an impressive landscape, go to Mas de l’Arlequí in Rojals. You will discover why Mercé and Daniel fell in love with the place. For a small path behind the house, you will arrive to a ravine where you can enjoy of some panoramic views thanks to the fact that Rojals is located almost at 1000 meters high. Ravines, impressive views of the cave at Mas en Carles, prehistoric paintings ... and, on a clear day, you can even see Mallorca.

Daniel and Mercé rebuilt the ruins of the farmhouse of 1797 with a lot of style. They have maintained the rustic farmhouse incorporating solar energy as power source and a vegetable garden. The five rooms have a double bed, a bathroom with shower and enough space for an extra bed. The family room is for families with 2 children.

Children can have some fun in the garden with swings and hammocks while parents enjoy the tranquility of the surroundings from the porch. In the evening you can gather in the living room, where in cold periods the fire will warm you up while playing board games or reading books you will find in the library.

An ideal starting point for those wishing to enjoy the mountains and hiking with the family.

Timetable:

Open all year except in January, when it closes for vacation.

Price:

Bed & breakfast: 38 € / person. Half board: 54 € / person. Children up to 12 years: 50% discount. In July and August the minimum stay is 4 nights. The rest of the year the minimum is of 2 nights or 1 night with a supplement of € 18 per room.

The best season:

autumn, summer, spring

More info:

Must be paid in cash, because there is no telephone wiring and therefore no credit cards can be used.

Photo: © ExploraTgn.cat

Type of cuisine:

Traditional Catalan

About the place:

If you want to see how time passes in the winter in the mountain villages, go to La Socarrimada in Rojals. During the long cold seasons, Manel creates litlle works of art with any material. You can contemplate the result in the restaurant of his rural house, tastefully decorated. And the rest of the year, Manel is an artist of the steak. The children can see him action from the bar. He and his wife Anna will offer a menu of six dishes of traditional Catalan cuisine and wines of the Conca. If you are going and they have the tuna salad with romesco and pork cheeks on the menu, take your opportunity to taste them. They are great!

A place where you can have a splendid lunch in a mountain environment.

The best season:

winter, autumn, spring

Timetable:

Saturdays and Sundays from 9:00 to 18:00. Closed for holiday in January and June, July and August.

Kids average menu price:

No children's menu

Adults average menu price:

25-34 €

More info:

You must pay in cash, because there is no telephone wiring and therefore no credidt cards are accepted.  

Aside from meals, the Socarrimada also offers breakfasts of grilled meat.

The Socarrimada has 6 rooms (3 doubles and 3 triples) with a private bathroom with a shower, heating and television. It has a dining room and a kitchen where every room has a refrigerator and a place to cook. Price: 32 € / person (breakfast included).

Photo: © ExploraTgn.cat