Berga had been present on the route of the Volta a Catalunya in five editions, being the finish and start of a stage in each of them. The capital of Berguedà hosted victories by Miquel Gual (1947), Josep Vidal (1952), Donato Zampini (1953), Richard Van Genechten (1958, final winner of the edition) and Antoni Karmany (1959). This year, more than 60 years later, it returns to the route, and for the first time it will have an uphill finish. It will be at the Queralt sanctuary, an unprecedented finish in the Volta, but which had previously been the protagonist of five finishes in the Setmana Catalana, with great names in the history of world cycling such as Eddy Merckx (1975), Freddy Maertens (1977) and Claudio Chiappucci (1991).
- Zone: Berguedà
- Population: 16.663 habitantes (2021, Idescat)
Known internationally for La Patum, Berga is a town with many charms, such as the history of its old town, a delicious gastronomy, or the charm of its natural environment. The town of Berga enjoys a privileged location...
This location, right where the Pyrenees begin to impose themselves majestically, constitutes a place of great beauty for the visitor. The Sanctuary of Queralt is located at the top of the Serra de Queralt, at an altitude of 1,200 meters. Because of its peculiar location it has been called the "balcony of Catalonia". The set of Queralt is composed of the Troballa Cave, the Romanesque chapel of Sant Pere de Madrona and all the shady area that allows you to enter through its local trails that will reveal springs and natural landscapes.
Berga, only 110 kilometers from Barcelona and 44 from France, is an important commercial and service center. You can find everything you need to be well served at all levels. The contrast between the old town, built at the foot of the castle, and modern Berga is striking. The narrow and winding streets of the historic center contrast with the wide avenues, squares and parks of the newer areas. Berga and its natural surroundings, Queralt, Pedret, els Rasos de Peguera, art, gastronomy, mushrooms, museums, popular festivals, or fairs are elements that have become tourist attractions of the first order.
Berga has been able to preserve the Patum festival, one of its most emblematic traditions. The Patum is a form of cultural, popular and traditional expression, an authentic ethnological, historical, artistic, sociological and theatrical treasure. It has been declared a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2005. Since 2020 all the “Patum elements” moves to the Convent of St. Francis where you can make a tasting of the festival.
We encourage you to participate in Berga all year round, to visit its corners of the old town, the different museum spaces, the architectural heritage such as the church and the Pedret bridge, the natural heritage that surrounds it, to taste its gastronomy that will not leave you indifferent.
https://www.berguedaturisme.com/
