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Central Catalonia is the area to the north west of Barcelona, to the south of the Pyrenees and to the west of the Costa Brave. The most central town being Manresa. The most outstanding feature of the area is Montserrat mountain. The general countryside is wooded and hilly, providing an extremely pleasant location at all times of the year for our activities.
We have a brilliant success rate with our balloon flights in this area, mainly because of the weather conditions which are suitable for ballooning at any time of year.
Flights take place from Igualada, Manresa, and Vic. Each hour long flight is followed by our traditional ballooning breakfast – an occasion not to be missed! The total time for the experience is approx three hours.
Two standards and two locations.
For beginners and intermediates we have a site near to Igualada and for intermediates and the more experienced we have a more adventurous site in the pre-pyrenees. Both sites offer an outstanding experience with a cross country trip of two hours in beautiful countryside. Full equipment is provided, including helmets, goggles and gloves. Bring your own waterproofs.
For many visitors a trip to Montserrat is the highlight of their visit. Not only is Montserrat Monastery of significant religious importance but the natural beauty surrounding the monastery is simply breathtaking. If you enjoy walking there are also some interesting walks through the mountains where you will experience magnificent views of some of the most unusual rock formations in the whole of Catalonia. We often take a funicular to the top of the mountain and from there we can choose a number of different walks, all with amazing views of the Catalonian countryside.
A great favorurite with all our groups. Set in sunny surroundings, the Bodega Masies d'Avinyó welcomes visitors and invites them to learn more about its land, its history and traditions and the quality of its wines.
Here we will spend quite some time sampling some excellent wines and tour the facilities at the vineyard, before purchasing some favourites from the shop. The whole experience takes about two hours, but can go on a little longer...
Barcelona Indoor Karting is without a doubt one of the finest Karting venues in Europe. We visit frequently and it is a great favourite with our guests. The race takes a grand prix format, with a warm up session, a qualifying session of seven minutes and then the race of ten minutes. A podium finish with Champagne follows. Then there is time to calm down again in the bar! Suitable for adults in good health only!
The optimum size for a group is 8, or multiples there of. This is dictated by the size of the minibus and the balloon (occasionally the hotel). We are happy to consider groups of other sizes and will provide a quotation on request.
Here is a sample itinerary based on a group of eight arriving together on Monday, departing together on Thursday. The times of the activities will vary based on the time of year of the trip.
| Monday | |
|---|---|
| 19.00 | Arrive hotel Urbisol, Artes |
| 20.30 | Dinner Urbisol |
| Tuesday | |
| 07.00 | Breakfast |
| 07.30 | Depart hotel |
| 08.00 | Balloon flight near to Manresa |
| 12.00 | Lunch |
| 14.00 | Quad biking Near to Igualada |
| 20.30 | Dinner Hotel Urbisol |
| Wednesday | |
| 07.00 | Breakfast |
| 07.30 | Depart hotel |
| 08.00 | Balloon flight near to Manresa |
| 11.00 | Visit to Abadal for wine tasting |
| 13.00 | Lunch |
| 14.00 | Leave for visit to Montserrat/Barcelona |
| 18.30 | Dinner Hard Rock Cafe |
| Thursday | |
| 08.00 | Breakfast |
| 09.00 | Meeting |
| 11.15 | Depart for Barcelona |
| 12.00 | Indoor Karting Barcelona |
| 13.30 | Pizza Lunch |
| 15.00 | Depart for airport |
Hotel Urbisol. Details at www.hotelurbisol.com Tel. 0034 93 830 9153
Catalonia is a small country measuring nearly 32,000 square kilometres (12,000 sq. miles.) in the Northeast corner of Spain. With over 500 kilometres of Mediterranean coastline, stretching from the French border to the Ebro River Delta, Catalonia boasts an extraordinary variety of landscapes packed into a relatively small area (three quarters the size of Switzerland).
To the north, the jagged peaks and alpine meadows of the Pyrenees offer year-round sport facilities for skiers and hikers alike. From the snow-peaked Pyrenees one descends through lush valleys of pine and fir trees, skirting crystal clear lakes and mountain ranges of unbelievably capricious shapes, such as the extinct volcanic parklands around Olot, and further south, the stone spires of legendary Montserrat - a mountain range so unique it has been declared a conservation area by UNESCO.
Between Tarragona and Barcelona are numerous coastal resorts, like lively Sitges, backed by one of Europe's most important wine producing regions, the Penedès, origin of 95 percent of the world's cava production. North of Barcelona, an almost uninterrupted stretch of coastline with numerous marinas leads to Blanes, where the Costa Brava begins.
The Costa Brava is rightfully famous for its breathtakingly beautiful coastline, where wide beaches of golden sand and crystal clear waters alternate with rocky promontories and little coves backed by sheer cliffs topped with pine and oak forests.
The interior of the Costa Brava is every bit as stunning as the coast (and far less affected by tourism), with pristine medieval villages set in lush, typically Mediterranean landscapes.
