Parc Collserola Sant Pere de Martir to Valvidrera Reservoir

About Sant Pere de Martir to Valvidrera Reservoir

This is a 7km easy walking route in Parc collserola via Ariel bombardment gun emplacements from the civil war then to Sant Pere de Martir telecoms tower and along the ridge with views of Barcelona. Once at Vallvidrera village the route is via forest paths down to the Vallvidrera reservoir and terminating at Valvidrera Baixador station.

Between 1834 and 1856 there was an optical telegraph tower at the summit of Sant Pere de Martir which was used to communicate with Ordal, Montjuic castle, Martorell, Moulins de Rei etc. A hermitage and small fortress were demolished to build the modern Telecoms tower.

After Sant Pere de Martir sumit the route follows along the top of the ridge with views of Barcelona and Parc Collserola along the way, passing via a shrine

Vallvidrera Reservior was built from 1850 to 1860 by architect Elias Rogent to garantee a supply of water to the Sarria district of Barcelona. The dam measures 50 metres wide by 3 metres thick and 15 metres high. The reservoir can hold up to 18 thousand square metres of water. The base is hollow and contains a tunnel that is used for draining the cement and inspection of the wall. The reservoir fell into disuse in the 1960s due to it filling up with sediment. Today the reservoir and dam is being preserved as part of the Parc natural Collserola.

Grott tunnel, built 1855, to take stone quarried in Colserolla to la Sarria district of Barcelona via railway. The tunnel also carried 400.000 litres of water daily from the reservoir into the Sarria district of Barcelona. The tunnel is approximately 1Km long and exits the mountain near the FGC funicular de Valvidrera inferior station. After the construction of the FGC line this tunnel was no longer needed and fell into disuse.

The pink guard house is now a small museum about the reservoir and has very limited opening hours.

Vallvidrera Resevoir Museum

Image Gallery for Sant Pere de Martir to Valvidrera Reservoir

Click on any of the 59 images to open full screen gallery player

Visiting Sant Pere de Martir to Valvidrera Reservoir

Calçotada in N9U Restaurant

This is a good spring Calçotada hike when started at 9 in the morning and arriving at N9U Restaurant at 14h to 15h for Calçots. This restaurant is at the end of the hike near to the Valvidrera Baixador FGC station.

Calçots are milder and less bulbous than onions and have a length of between 15 and 25 cm (white part) and a diameter of 1.7 to 2.5 cm at the root. Planted in trenches, like an onion, as a single bulb, and successively increasing the depth of the soil around the stems throughout autumn and winter. They sprout into 4-10 shoots, roughly the shape of small leeks or scallions.

The origin of the Calçot and its cooking method is in the town of Valls, Catalonia, Spain, where an annual event celebrates the harvest of Calçots. Nowadays, thousands of eating gatherings centred around the Calçots, called Calçotada, are celebrated around Catalonia.

Calçots are harvested in early spring / late winter and served in Calçotadas in many of the rural and city restaurants in Catalunya. In these events, they are grilled over a hot fire, wrapped up in newspaper, served on terra cotta tiles and eaten, after peeling with bare hands, by dipping them one by one in salvitxada sauce (sauce made with almonds, garlic, tomatoes and olive oil).

At a Calçotada you are served with a bib, gloves and wet wipes because eating them the traditional way is a messy but fun affair.

N9U Restaurant

What to take with you for Sant Pere de Martir to Valvidrera Reservoir

This is a short walking route not far from roads so I always do it with a small rucksack of the essentials. Emergency waterproof jacket is optional depending on the weather forecast.

1 - 2 litres of water because there are fountains along the route.

Small 30L Hiking Rucksack

Includes high visibility fog and rain waterproof cover in zip compartment at bottom of rucksack.

Emergency Rain jacket

Small pouch lightweight Waterproof jacket for emergencies

Convertible Trousers

Lightweight convertible trousers that zip down to shorts

Trail shoes

Lightweight comfortable trail shoes

Summer socks

Ankle spring/summer socks

Fleece jacket or Jersey

Light weight warm fleece

Mid layer Top

Light weight cotton quick dry T-shirt

Summary of Prices

Train/Bus Fare Entry Ticket Additional Information Train/Bus Fare Entry Ticket Additional Information Adult Zone 1 T-casual FREE Child T-familiar FREE Group/Family Ticket? No.Notes Walk is free, Use T-casual Zone 1 ticket.

Getting to Sant Pere de Martir to Valvidrera Reservoir

Address: Carretera de les Aigues 23-29, Barcelona. 08017

The route starts at TMB Metro Universitaria on the green (L3) line and terminates at the FGC station Valvidrera Baixador.

Metro Universitaria is on the TMB Network. Baixador de Valvidrera is on the FGC Valles Lines. Both in Zone 1 of the Barcelona transport area so use a T-casual 1 zone ticket.

Documents for Sant Pere de Martir to Valvidrera Reservoir

Click on any one of the 3 PDFs to view in full screen and download.

$\'Collserola$

Collserola Park Map

Author: www.parcs.diba.cat

$\'Rail$

Rail Map Zona Universitaria to Vallvidrera Baixador

Author: Barcelona Travel Hacks

$\'Metro$

Metro map Zona Universitaria to Baixador de Vallvidrera

Author: www.tmb.cat

Wikiloc Trail for a0148

A0148 - Sant Pere de Martir - Valvidrera Reservoir

A walk along the collserola ridgeline via Barcelona Zona Universitaria, Rose garden, Sant pere de martir telco tower, Vallvidrera, forest trails and Reservoir.

Distance: 7.1 Km

Difficulty: Easy

Return Travel Fare: T-Casual Zone 1

Transport Network: Metro & FGC

Open trail in Wikiloc What is Wikiloc?