About the place:

If you like forests, streams and excursions with some adventure, you surly will enjoy of the climb to the Pena viewpoint in the Forest of Poblet.

Along the way, you will find treasures such as the coal bin where the coal is converted into fuel, the ruins of an ice pit, a waterfall and several quarries.

An excursion to enjoy almost a full day of the mountain with the kids.

Direction tips:

The starting point is the information office of Poblet’s park, located on the right side of the TV7007 between the monastery of Poblet and Les Masies (in the direction of l'Espluga de Francolí). Next to the information house there is a parking area for 3 or 4 cars. To access the path that takes you to the lookout, you should take the stairs that you will find behind the office. You have continue straight on (eaving some paths on your right) until 10 minutes later you arrive to an indicator. At this point you should continue straight on (left side) toward the Camí de la Pedrera. You will arrive to a new branch that forces you to climb some rocks between some trees. You should be following the green Itinerary (nr. 1).

At the height of a cairn with 2 wooden poles, the road is blurred. You must continue straight on through some bushes, leaving the stone wall to the right. Almost an hour after having left, the trail forks left and leads to the Plaza de la Libertad. Here you will find some banks to have breakfast.

The next stop is the coal bin about 20 minutes from the Plaza. From here the road is getting narrower, up to the pulpit, a viewpoint located on a bend of wider track. You’ll be about  1 hour and 40 minutes on the road. At this point you should turn left. After a new bend and 100 meters from the pulpit, you will find a small path that leads to ice pit (to the left of the road). At the following bifurcation, you must turn right to reach a small waterfall. At a new indicator, you follow the signs to the Forest House that oblies you to leave the main path and jump the fence of the house. At this point, you’ll be walking about 2 hours and 15 minutes. It is a good moment to stop for lunch.  Behind the Forest house you’ll find a grass esplanade where you can make a picnic. You'll also find a source to drink some water. To continue, you must follow the path alongside the house that passes through the forest and a fountain. At the end of the road you’ll find an other fence which you have to jump again. Then turn right. Continue about 20 meters until you find  on the left a small signposted towards Cogullons, which will take you straight (without taking ant bifurcation) to the viewpoint of La Pena.

After having a look at the view, return to the path where you came from, but immidiatly take the path to your right. This path is a shortcut that will reduce the stretch although it has a great slope.  At a junction with a wider flat path, turn right. From this point you must return to the Forest house. After the ice pit and in a curve, you will find a path to the right that leads to the Senda de Mata-rucs. Take this path. From here the trail becomes narrower. When you arrive to a fork in “V” form with a large triangular rock you should take the path down the left. For about half an hour you will follow the zig-zag path without finding any indicator. At some point you’ll find a wooden indicator saying you have to continue straight on.  At the next fork, you must also follow straight down the rocks until you reach a new signpost. Then take the path of right to Les Masies. A few meters further you will find a new indicator to the Aubin quarry.

If you want to stop, you’ll find a good grass esplanade in front of the quarry. Otherwise, do not averse and continue your way to Les Masies. Approximately two hours since you left the viewpoint, you will get to a torrent. You have to cross it following the right path. From here you continue straight on undoing the path you followed at the beginning.

The best season:

autumn, summer, spring

Lunch tips:

Although there is a picnic area with tables over the route, find a good grass esplanade behind the house located 1km from the Forest of Death viewpoint. If looking for a place to return for dinner, you can zoom in to the hostel The Boar al'Espluga Francoli.

More info:

Difficulty: average
Type: semi-circular path
Total distance: approx. 9.2 km
Duration: 5 hours (no stops)
Accessibility: The path has an increase of  467m.
Recommendations: use good mountain shoes, take enough food and water with you, as is a trip that can last most of the day (between 6 and 7 hours with breaks included).

Photo: © ExploraTgn.cat

Type:

House/apartment for rent

About the place:

If you are looking for a place to spend some time with your family with plenty of space to run, sport, enjoy nature and also be well connected, you must go the Villa Engràcia at Les Masies de Poblet.

In more than 11 hectares of land you’ll find fully equipped (including some with dishwasher) apartments decorated in rustic style with a terrace, for 2, 4, 6 to 8 people. If you plan to go with an other family you have to possibility of renting 2 apartments for 4 people who communicate through the kitchen with a large sliding door.

If you prefer to have even more space, you can choose to rent one of the houses for up to 6 or 8 people. You can also choose to stay in an hotel room located in the main building wih a colonial decor that recalls the era in which the upper classes in late SXIX and early SXX enjoied the spa's thermal baths.

Besides the pool you have a tennis and a multi sports court. There is a fairly large playground overlooking the Francolí Riding  a place that offers tours around the forest. For children there is also a small indoor playroom next to the laundry with materials for drawing, painting or constructing. Everything is  surrounded by forests of Poblet.

A perfect place to spend a few days enjoying the Conca de Barberà.

Price:

Price per person depends on the season. Double room with breakfast from 85€ to 115€; Apted (2 pax): 60.25€ and 80.5€; Apted (4 pax): between 90€ and 140€. Apt (6 pax): 140€ and175€; Apted (8 pax): 155€ and 240€

The best season:

winter, autumn, summer, spring

More info:

The hotel only serves breakfast (also for apartments) and has a cafeteria service during the day. For lunch or dinner you can go to Vimbodí i Poblet (Els Torrents and Masia Seguès) and L’Espluga de Francolí (Simò de Palau and Hosatl del Senglar).

From the hotel you can make the following trips in a 20 km radius:

Route to the viewpoint of La Pena
Route of the Font Boyó in Vimbodí
The Honey Rock in Poblet  
Route 171, the GR of the Cistercian Route (Rojals)
Excursion to the Hermitage of St. Joseph in Montblanc
The Glass Museum in Vimbodí
Touching alabaster in Sarral
The cave adventure of Espluga

Photo: © ExploraTgn.cat

Type of cuisine:

Traditional Catalan

About the place:

Have you ever been in a restaurant that is so well suited to children, that it even has toilets adapted for children? In addition, the restaurant's Hostal del Senglar at at l’Espluga de Francolí has a varied range of dishes and ice cream for children. And if children need a distraction, you can take a walk through the dioramas that are exposed: a pile of boxes decorated with miniature arouse the curiosity of children and adults.

And if you think the dining room of the restaurant follows the line of the building, austere and large, you are very wrong. You’ll find four small dining rooms decorated in a rustic Catalan farmhouse style: the cellar with, the kitchen with typical details, the pantry with cans and the corner of the shepherds.

From January to March you can order a calçotada and the rest of the year have a wide menu of traditional Catalan cuisine. Do not forget to taste the pork feet or the escudella and as dessert: the tangerine sorbet (delicious!).

A traditional Catalan restaurant adapted for families!

The best season:

winter, autumn, summer, spring

Timetable:

Every day from 13:00 to 15:30 and 20:30 to 22:00.

Kids average menu price:

10-14 €

Adults average menu price:

25-34 €

More info:

Photo: © ExploraTgn.cat