Logbook · 4 places

What to see and do in Castellfollit de la Roca

What to see and do in Castellfollit de la Roca (Garrotxa, Girona): 4 places across monuments, nature, activities and curiosities, with a photo and a Google Maps location.

1 Villages · 1 Monuments · 1 Historical milestones · 1 Food and drink

Towns near Castellfollit de la Roca

What to see in Sant Joan les Fonts 3.4 km · 5 places
What to see in Montagut i Oix 3.8 km · 8 places
What to see in Sant Jaume de Llierca 4.8 km · 2 places
What to see in Olot 6.7 km · 23 places
What to see in Tortellà 6.8 km · 3 places
What to see in Argelaguer 7.5 km · 5 places
What to see in Sales de Llierca 8.3 km · 2 places
What to see in Santa Pau 8.6 km · 16 places

Spain › Catalonia › Girona › Garrotxa › Castellfollit de la Roca

What to see and do in Castellfollit de la Roca

Castellfollit de la Roca
Village
Castellfollit de la Roca is a town in the Garrotxa, in the province of Girona, set on a spectacular basalt cliff more than 50 m high and almost a kilometre long, formed by ancient volcanic flows that the Fluvià and Toronell rivers have eroded over thousands of years; in the outcrop two superimposed flows can be distinguished, 217,000 and 192,000 years old. It is one of the smallest municipalities in Spain, at under 1 km², and is home to the country's only active basalt quarry, in operation since 1929. Documented since 1096 as Kastro Fullit, it took the suffix de la Roca to distinguish itself from two other Catalan Castellfollits. The old walled town was destroyed by the earthquakes of 1427-1428.
Castle and Walls of Castellfollit
Monument
Remains of the castle and walls of Castellfollit de la Roca, a town perched on a spectacular basalt cliff more than 50 metres high. The name of the town, documented as Kastro Fullit in 1096, comes from the castle itself. The old walled town was destroyed by the earthquakes of 1427-1428, and in 1691 the French razed the castle, so that today only remains of both defensive structures survive.
The Battle of Toix
Historical milestone
The Battle of Toix was fought on 14 March 1874, in the midst of the Third Carlist War, in the Toix range, next to Castellfollit de la Roca. The Carlist bands of Francisco Savalls defeated a government column of 2,500 soldiers led by General Eduardo Nouvilas, which was trying to relieve the Carlist siege of Olot; around 200 soldiers died in the fighting and, as a result, Olot surrendered to the Carlists. The region was one of the strongest strongholds of Catalan Carlism throughout the 19th century.
The ham of Castellfollit de la Roca
Food and drink
The village perched on the basalt lava flow is known for its hams and cured sausages, a family industry that together with textiles and leather sustained the local economy throughout the twentieth century.