Getaway to Bages: History, nature and postcard-pretty villages

Start your visit to Bages in Rajadell, a pretty village lying close to Manresa that's notable for its castle, which occupies a privileged position next to the Sant Iscle and Santa Victoria church. While not currently open to visitors, it's worth seeing from outside since it's one of the region’s most impressive and best-preserved fortresses. The village church is noteworthy for its 17th-century bell tower and its interior with passion scenes by the Manresa sculptor Ramon Oms, who also sculpted the figure you can see in the church square aptly titled 'The Boy in the Square', depicting a young man offering a seat to a visitor in representation of the village’s sense of hospitality.

After exploring the streets and buildings of Rajadell, it's time to take advantage of the possibilities that the village offers to enter into closer contact with nature. You could, for example, take the Green Way, which connects the village to Manresa, or follow the course of the Rajadell stream. Other options include a route around the local springs and visiting the Roman villa at Sant Amanç, among others. On foot or by bicycle, you have plenty of kilometres to explore.

There are plenty of reasons for exploring Manresa, the capital of the Bages region, but its main claim to fame, perhaps even at the international level, is the fact that Saint Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Company of Jesus (Jesuits), stayed here in 1522 while writing his Spiritual Exercises. If you want to find out more, your best option is to join the Saint Ignatius Trail guided tour, which, in the space of a few hours, will take you to the Old School of Saint Ignatius, the Chapel of the Abduction in Carrer del Balç, and most important, the cave in which Saint Ignatius saw his visions, which has splendid views of Montserrat and nowadays hosts a sanctuary and the International Spirituality Centre.

The long and sinuous Carrer del Balç in Manresa has remained practically unchanged since 700 years ago, when Manresa was one of the leading cities in the Kingdom of Aragon and greeted the monarchs who passed through here with all honours. In fact, some people claim that the 14th century was Manresa’s 'Golden Century'. Nowadays, this street/museum is a must-see for all visitors to the town, especially for those interested in the Middle Ages. Call in at the street’s Study Centre, which uses all the latest technology to reveal an abundance of information about medieval Manresa, presented by no less a personage than King Peter III the Ceremonious himself.

Now for a complete change of scenery. You'll spend your last day in Bages in the Valleys of Montcau, a striking landscape that's part of the Sant Llorenç del Munt and L'Obac Natural Park, and home to villages like Mura, which is on your itinerary for this morning, and Talamanca, your destination for the afternoon.

Mura is one of those places that people call 'postcard-pretty', with its stone houses and streets where, though it may sound like a cliché, time really does seem to have stood still. The best thing to do here is to take an unhurried stroll around the streets, poking into hidden corners. The Romanesque Sant Martí church is easy enough to find with its interesting tympanum depicting the adoration of baby Jesus by the Magi. Plaça Àngel Guimerà, Passeig Camil Antonietti and the Mirador are some of the other interesting places you'll come across. If you want to head out of the village, follow the Nespres stream to Gorg del Padre, and make sure you visit Puig de la Balma, with a spectacular country house built inside a cave that features a small museum inside as well as lodging for visitors.

Time is running out and you still have to visit the village of Talamanca. Like Mura, Talamanca is a town of stone houses and streets. The most prominent feature of this town that stands atop a hill is the castle, where the Battle of Talamanca Study Centre has been open since 2012. The castle has a long history, starting in the 10th century and culminating in the War of the Spanish Succession, when it became a focus of resistance for the supporters of the Austrian cause. In revenge, Philip V ordered its demolition, but it was later rebuilt taking advantage of the original material. It is undoubtedly a space haunted by history and symbolism, and a good place to end your visit to Bages.