Olot and La Garrotxa: volcanic landscape and modernist heritage

Olot is known for its modernist buildings designed by local architects in the early 20th century. Key buildings include:

• Casa Solà-Morales: designed by Lluís Domènech i Montaner (architect of Barcelona's Palau de la Música), with intricate ceramic decoration
• Casa Gaietà Vila: colourful facade with sgraffito (scratched plaster) decoration
• Hospici: large neoclassical building, now cultural centre

The town has a strong artistic tradition, with several 18th-19th century painting schools. The Museu de la Garrotxa displays Catalan art from the 19th and 20th centuries, including landscape paintings of the volcanic region. Entry is 5 EUR.

Olot is also famous for traditional nativity figures (pessebre figures), with workshops still producing hand-crafted ceramic figurines.

The Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park protects a unique landscape of 40 volcanic cones and 20 lava flows, all extinct (last eruption 11,000 years ago). The humid climate has covered the volcanoes in dense forests, creating a green, mysterious landscape unlike typical volcanic zones.

The most impressive volcanoes near Olot include:

• Volcà Croscat: largest volcano in Iberia, with a quarried flank revealing red volcanic gravel (covered separately)
• Volcà de Santa Margarida: perfect cone with a Romanesque chapel in the crater
• Montsacopa volcano: right next to Olot town, with easy walking path to summit

You can walk to the summit of Montsacopa (elevation 100m) directly from Olot town centre in 20 minutes for panoramic views over the volcanic landscape and the Pyrenees.

The Fageda d'en Jordà is a magical beech forest growing on lava flows, creating a unique ecosystem. The flat volcanic plain covered in tall beech trees with moss and ferns creates an enchanted atmosphere.

This is one of Catalonia's most beloved natural sites, immortalized in a famous poem by Joan Maragall. The forest is spectacular year-round:

• Spring: bright green new leaves, wildflowers
• Summer: cool shade, perfect for walking
• Autumn: golden and copper leaves carpeting the ground
• Winter: bare branches creating cathedral-like arches

A 6 km circular walking trail through the forest (Itinerari 1) takes about 1.5-2 hours, is flat and suitable for families. The trail is well-marked and wheelchair/stroller accessible. You can also take a horse-drawn carriage ride through the forest for 10 EUR per person.

Near the Fageda, the village of Santa Pau is one of Catalonia's prettiest medieval villages, with a castle, arcaded square and perfectly preserved medieval quarter.

Highlights include:

• Plaça Major: arcaded square surrounded by medieval buildings
• Santa Pau Castle: 13th-century fortress, now private but visible from outside
• Church of Santa Maria: Gothic church with Baroque additions
• Medieval walls: walk the perimeter to see towers and gates

Santa Pau is also famous for mongetes de Santa Pau, small white beans with DOP status. Local restaurants serve them in traditional dishes.

Morning: Drive from La Tor de Montclar to Olot (1.5 hours via C-16 north, then C-26 east). Arrive around 10am and visit the Garrotxa Museum or walk up Montsacopa volcano for views.

Drive 10 minutes to the Fageda d'en Jordà (parking area off the GI-524). Walk the circular trail through the beech forest (1.5-2 hours).

Lunch: Drive to Santa Pau village (5 min from Fageda). Have lunch in the medieval square - try dishes with Santa Pau beans, grilled meats, mushrooms (autumn). Set menus 15-22 EUR.

Afternoon: Explore Santa Pau village, then choose either:

• Option A: Visit the nearby volcanoes (Croscat, Santa Margarida) - covered in zona-volcanica-garrotxa article
• Option B: Return to Olot for more modernist architecture and shopping

Drive back to Montclar via the scenic route through Ripoll (same 1.5 hours).