Sant Pere de Vilamajor

Where time follows the seasons

The smell of damp earth drifts up the slope of the Montseny as you cross the bridge over the riera, a small stream that runs through the area. It is nine in the morning. The sun has just dried the dew on the rooftops of Sant Pere de Vilamajor, and a few local cyclists set off with coffee still warm in their hands. No one seems in a hurry. Here, about 46 kilometres from Barcelona, time is marked more by the seasons than by the clock.

This is a place where the edge of the town never feels final. Streets give way gradually to fields, then to woodland, with the Montseny Natural Park rising nearby. The shift is subtle, almost unnoticeable, until you realise the village and the forest are closely intertwined.

The tower that was never a bell tower

The Torre Roja stands slightly apart from the church, with barely a metre and a half between their walls. Up close, it becomes clear that it was not originally built as a bell tower. It was the keep of an old castle linked to the counts of Barcelona.

Much of that complex was destroyed by the earthquake of 1448, which also damaged the church. The tower, however, remained standing. Its reddish brick changes tone as the light shifts through the day, turning almost orange when the sun drops behind the Montseny.

From the square, looking up is enough to notice its presence, but from above, when access is possible, the view opens out across the valley towards Cardedeu and the plains of the Vallès. On especially clear days, some say the distant outline of Barcelona can be made out.

The present church was completed at the beginning of the 17th century. Its structure still reflects late Gothic forms, although the interior brings together elements from different periods. In the main chapel, a medieval baptismal font survived the earthquake. Local tradition holds that Alfonso I of Aragón was baptised here, born in the nearby count’s palace and raised for a time by a wet nurse from the village.

When the forest reaches the village

Sant Pere de Vilamajor does not end where the central streets do. The municipality is spread across several small settlements, including Vallserena, Canyes, El Bruguer and El Pla, linked by narrow roads and paths that cross farmland and woodland.

Farmhouses appear among holm oaks and pines, some still with vegetable plots and chicken coops behind them. In winter, as evening falls, the smell of damp firewood is common. In summer, the air shifts to the dry scent of sun-warmed pine forests.

There are several marked walking routes around the village. The camí de Can Puig is a short one, with about fifteen minutes of steady uphill walking. At the final bend, the view opens wide across the Vallès, where fields are laid out in neat plots and low mountain ranges frame the horizon.

Autumn brings a different rhythm. Early in the day, cars line the edges of rural tracks and people appear carrying wicker baskets. The nearby Montseny forests attract those searching for rovellons or camagrocs, local wild mushrooms. By midday, when they return to the village, boots are often marked with mud.

A market with eight centuries of history

At the beginning of November, the streets of the centre fill with linen fabrics, wooden stalls and the smell of freshly prepared food. The Vilamagore Medieval festival recreates the village’s old market, documented since the late 14th century, when the town gained certain privileges linked to Barcelona.

During that weekend, blacksmiths work iron in front of passers-by, musicians play historical instruments and stalls sell honey, cheese and cured meats. There are simple workshops where children try out traditional crafts, while adults move through the crowd alongside visitors arriving from nearby towns.

For the rest of the year, life returns to a quieter pace. In the plaça Major, a small weekly market brings together stalls with dried pulses, seasonal fruit and long conversations between neighbours who already know each other.

Walking without getting lost

Several easy-to-follow paths start from the urban centre. One of the most common leads to the hermitage of Sant Elies. The route is around three kilometres there and back, beginning along open fields before entering a pine forest where the ground is covered with dry needles.

The hermitage appears suddenly in a clearing. It is small, built of simple stone, with a dark roof that almost blends into the surrounding woodland. It is often open. Inside, there is the scent of wax and old wood. Sitting quietly for a while, the first sound that tends to emerge is the wind moving through the tops of the pine trees.

Another well-known walk in the area is the route to les fonts del Cortès i del Sot, about four kilometres in length. The path passes small springs where water emerges from the rock, forming shallow pools. In summer, some people end up dipping their feet in to cool off.

October is often a good time for walking through the surrounding forests, when leaves begin to change colour and the first mushrooms appear. At the end of June, the village celebrates its festa major, with longer evenings spent in the square. Those looking for a quieter visit may want to avoid Sunday afternoons, when access roads fill with motorbikes and bicycles coming up from the Barcelona area.

Sant Pere de Vilamajor does not offer beaches or large monuments. What it does offer is a village pressed against the Montseny, where the forest begins just minutes from the last houses, and where the sound of the riera can still be heard after a night of rain.