Shelters on the “Camí Ral” or ancient bridleway from El Masroig to Falset

Shelters on the “Camí Ral” or ancient bridleway from El Masroig to Falset

The dry stone shelters and little terraces tell of the farmers who have left their mark on the region’s land. As Roger Vilà the writer tells us: “to be able to read what they wanted to tell us, what they left in stone, is to touch the region’s core; to truly understand what they were like, the people who worked here in days gone by”. This is a tough land, which does not give anything for nothing. Many generations of farmers broke their backs de-stoning these fields. The rocks which were cleared from the farm land were the ones used to build dry stone walls to hold up little terraces. They were also used to build dry stone shelters for workers to take cover during thunderstorms or in very hot or cold weather. No mortar or cement, just careful hands, age old wisdom and respect keep them standing to this day.
All along the ancient bridleway running from El Masroig to Falset, walkers can enjoy magnificent examples of these shelters such as the ones known as Barraca del Jaume el Xalet or Barraques del Joan de Cal Quimet, Barraca de Cal Josepó or Barraca del Coll de la Falsetana.

Health trails following the dry stone shelters on El Masroig to Falset’s ancient bridleway

Start: Celler Masroig
Finish: Coll (hill) de la Falsetana
Distance: 3.2 km (one way)
Height difference: 135 m

How are you feeling today?

Easy: As far as Escorpiteres estate and back: 2.4 km / 40 min
Gentle: As far as Cal Josepó shelter and back: 5 km / 1 h 20 min
Moderate: As far as the Joan de cal Quimet shelters and back: 6 km / 1 h 40 min
Difficult: As far as Coll de la Falsetana and back: 6.4 km / 2 h