a0222 - Santuari de Bellmunt viewpoint chapel restaurant

The Bellmunt sanctuary is located at the top of the Bellmunt mountain range near the town of Sant Pere de Torello and has a viewpoint from where you can see the plains of Vic, the Pyrenees, the Ges valley and the Bisaura. The Sanctuary is built directly onto the rock and is a chapel, guesthouse and a restaurant. The entrance to the temple has a lintel made of probably reused limes and dated 1607. It was described as a "Hermitage suspended in the sky" by catalan author/poet Jacint Verdaguer.

It is believed that the Sanctuary of Bellmunt is the old church of the old castle of Sa Reganyada which dates from before the year 1020 and was located in this same place. The current single nave church, Romanesque with a Latin cross houses a 22cm high image of a Gothic Virgin Mary. The legend explains that the Virgin Mary of Bellmunt is also known as the "Mother of God of the wings" in reference to the swarms of winged ants that, during the month of August, climb to die in the Sanctuary.

This 20Km medium hard route starts in the town of Sant Quirze de Besora and climbs up a forested ridgeline trail via the GR-3 mountain path passing the Bosquetell ruined farmhouse. the final ascent to Sanctuary of Bellmunt is via a forested path that zig zags up to the summit where we find spectacular views on all sides as well as the sanctuary chapel, restaurant and guesthouse.

Opposite the sanctuary is a telecoms tower with viewpoint. From Bellmunt sanctuary the route continues along a forested ridgeline to another summit called Puig de Sarragrenyada which also has spectacular views. The path descends via small rock climbs and picks up the Costa de la Guspinera ridgeline descending down via Torello castle tower ruin and into the town of torello.