Montseny () is a mountain range west of the coastal hills north of

Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...

. It is part of the

Catalan Pre-Coastal Range The Catalan Pre-Coastal Range ( ca, Serralada Prelitoral Catalana) is a system of mountain ranges running parallel to the Mediterranean Sea coast in Catalonia. It is part of the Catalan Mediterranean System. Its main axis runs between the Catalan ...

Features

The Montseny massif is located within a triangle formed by the AP-7, C-17 and C-25 roads. It has the highest mountains in the area south of the

Pyrenees The Pyrenees (; es, Pirineos ; french: Pyrénées ; ca, Pirineu ; eu, Pirinioak ; oc, Pirenèus ; an, Pirineus) is a mountain range straddling the border of France and Spain. It extends nearly from its union with the Cantabrian Mountains to C ...

and dominates the plains south of

Girona Girona (officially and in Catalan language, Catalan , Spanish: ''Gerona'' ) is a city in northern Catalonia, Spain, at the confluence of the Ter River, Ter, Onyar, Galligants, and Güell rivers. The city had an official population of 103,369 in ...

. To the south lies the plateau of La Calma. In between is the Valley of the

Tordera River The Tordera ( ca, La Tordera) is a river of Catalonia (Spain). It flows through the town of Tordera. Course The river is long. Its source is in the Montseny Massif, and it discharges in the Mediterranean Sea. The river's average discharge is . ...

. The highest peaks are Turó de l'Home (1,712 m),

Les Agudes Les Agudes is a mountain of Catalonia, Spain. It has an elevation of 1,706 metres above sea level. It is straddling the municipalities of Arbúcies in the Selva ''comarca'' and Fogars de Montclús and Montseny in the Vallès Oriental. The wo ...

(1,703 m), El Matagalls (1,697 m) and

Puig Drau Puig Drau is a mountain of the Montseny Massif, Catalonia, Spain. It has an elevation of 1,345 metres above sea level.. This mountain is located within the municipal limits of El Brull, Osona. See also *Montseny Montseny is a municipality and vil ...

(1,344 m). There are a large number of

megalithic A megalith is a large stone that has been used to construct a prehistoric structure or monument, either alone or together with other stones. There are over 35,000 in Europe alone, located widely from Sweden to the Mediterranean sea. The ...

structures in the massif, such as menhirs, indicating that the area was inhabited since very ancient times. The

Santa Fe Reservoir The Santa Fe Reservoir ( ca, Pantà de Santa Fe) is a reservoir on the Riera de Gualba, a tributary of the Tordera River. It is located within the Fogars de Montclús municipal term, Catalonia, Spain. The area is a popular destination for excu ...

is located in the area of the range; construction work began in 1920 and was completed in 1935.

Ecology

The Montseny is a

protected area Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural, ecological or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the ena ...

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

designated the massif a biosphere reserve in 1978. The

Generalitat of Catalonia The Generalitat de Catalunya (; oc, label=Aranese, Generalitat de Catalonha; es, Generalidad de Cataluña), or the Government of Catalonia, is the institutional system by which Catalonia politically organizes its self-government. It is formed b ...

regional government designated it a natural park in 1987, the

Montseny Natural Park Montseny () is a mountain range west of the coastal hills north of Barcelona. It is part of the Catalan Pre-Coastal Range. Features The Montseny massif is located within a triangle formed by the AP-7, C-17 and C-25 roads. It has the highest ...

''(Parc Natural del Montseny)''. The Park is home to a wide variety of fauna from Mediterranean to alpine. The critically endangered

Montseny brook newt The Montseny brook newt ( ca, tritó del Montseny; ''Calotriton arnoldi'') is a species of salamander in the family Salamandridae. It is endemic to the Montseny Massif ( Catalan Pre-Coastal Range) in northeast Spain. Before it was formally des ...

is only known from the area of this massif.

References

External links

*
Tourisme-montseny.com
Biosphere reserves of Spain Natural parks of Catalonia Protected areas established in 1978 Mountains of Catalonia {{catalonia-geo-stub