The Montgrí ( Catalan pronunciation: [muŋˈɡɾi] ) is a small mountain range in Catalonia , on the north bank of the Ter river. It is part of the Catalan Coastal Range and its highest point is 311 m.
12-535: The Montgrí Massif stretches from east to west north of the town of Torroella de Montgrí , sheltering it from the Tramontana northern wind. Local people call it simply "el Montgrí". This long mountain formation looks like a sleeping bishop seen from afar. The Montgrí Massif is topped by an ancient fortress in the middle, the Montgrí Castle . Local people say the castle is the ring on the sleeping bishop's hand. It
24-706: A distance of 21.3 kilometres (13.2 mi). Pals Pals ( Catalan pronunciation: [ˈpals] ) is a medieval town in Catalonia , northern Spain , a few kilometres from the sea in the heart of the Bay of Emporda on the Costa Brava . It lies on the C31 Palafrugell – L'Estartit road. The GR 92 long distance footpath, which roughly follows the length of the Mediterranean coast of Spain, passes through
36-522: A largely inland route, starting with a climb to the Montgrí Castle and then crossing the Montgri Massif to reach the sea at L'Escala before the next staging point of Sant Martí d'Empúries , a distance of 20.0 kilometres (12.4 mi). Stage 7, to the south, takes an inland route, crossing the Ter river and continuing via Gualta , Fontanilles , Palau-sator and Pals to the next staging point at Begur ,
48-457: A sleeping bishop seen from afar. Its vegetation consists mostly of low Mediterranean scrub among rocks. The maximum height of the range is 308 m (1,010 ft) and it is topped by an ancient fortress in the middle, the Montgrí Castle . The town is a staging point on the GR 92 long distance footpath, which roughly follows the length of the Mediterranean coast of Spain. Stage 6, to the north, takes
60-521: Is 15 metres (49 ft) high. The Gothic Quarter of the town has been substantially restored and there are cobbled streets interrupted by semicircular arches, façades with pointed arched windows and stone balconies. The town wall contains four square towers which date from the 4th century. The Josep Pla viewpoint (from which can be seen the fields of Empordà and the Medes Islands ), the Plaça Major,
72-478: Is a coastal municipality on the Costa Brava , and small town in Catalonia , Spain. The town lies on the north bank of the Ter river, a few kilometres before it flows into the Mediterranean. The beach resort of L'Estartit also is part of the municipality, as are the Medes Islands and a large part of the Montgrí Massif . The town is 22 km (14 mi) east of Girona and 5 km (3.1 mi) west of
84-599: Is a largely denuded karstic mountain, beaten by the persistent winds that blow in the region. It has some dunes at its feet, on its northern side, which formed by windblown sand coming from the shores of distant Roses . These dunes were fixed about a century ago by and lie now covered under low forest. The Medes Islands further east, beyond the town of l'Estartit , are a geological prolongation of this massif. The vegetation on this massif consists mostly of low Mediterranean scrub among rocks. There are some clumps of Mediterranean fan palm (Chamaerops humilis) , being one of
96-448: The northernmost locations where this small palm grows wild. The lower edges of the mountain have some mediterranean forest , made up mainly of pine ( Pinus halepensis ), as well as some cork oak ( Quercus suber ) and oak ( Quercus sp. ). The owls (Bubo bubo) nest in some of the caves on the sides of the long hill system. There is a variety of endemic land snail inhabiting this mountain range. Formerly there were vineyards on
108-572: The resort of L'Estartit . It lies on the junction of the C-31 and GI-641. The town was originally the Royal Port for the Kings of Aragon before the river started silting up and a new port was founded at l'Estartit. The town retains its medieval core and walls and hosts a market every Monday. The town is towered over by the Montgrí Massif on its northern side. The Montgrí is a long mountain formation that looks like
120-451: The side of the Montgrí. They were abandoned in the 19th century following severe phylloxera plagues. Remains of the ancient vineyards can still be seen. The Montgrí Massif is often ravaged by wildfires , especially during long dry spells; the last serious fire was in 2004. Torroella de Montgr%C3%AD Torroella de Montgrí ( Catalan pronunciation: [turuˈeʎə ðə muŋˈɡɾi] )
132-522: The tombs in the Carrer Major and the Romanesque church of Sant Pere are other features of the town. There is an archaeology museum. On the edge of the main town is Masos de Pals , which has a thriving urban centre and is popular as a location for holiday homes. Platja de Pals [ ca ] ("Pals' Beach") is also a popular holiday location. This Province of Girona location article
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#1733084476114144-520: The town. Pals lies on an inland stage of the path, between Torroella de Montgrí and Begur . To the north, towards Torroella, the path passes through Palau-sator , and to the south it heads directly to Begur. Pals has a historic centre on a hill surrounded by plains with a medieval Romanesque tower built between the 11th and 13th centuries, known as the Torre de les Hores (Tower of the Hours). A clock tower, it
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