Mirador cap al Picancel, Vilada

Viewpoint over Picancel

 The forests of the archangel

The pine trees of Picancel are special, they are on steep, almost violent slopes, broken up by ravines that hide shady, humid corners, where the sunlight dares not enter.... Under the Cingle de la Por (Cliff of Fear) grows a venerable beech tree that keeps the secret of this name (some say that at night you can hear the screams of condemned souls). And above, you can see the high cliffs, solitary peaks and elegant ridges, naked and, defiant. Picancel displays a singular beauty, a mixture of mystery and sensuality, of fear and attraction. And it would be a paradise for witches if it were not for the fact that Sant Miquel (Saint Michael), leader of heaven's armies, keeps watch over the mountain from the Romanesque shrine located at the top.

 Mussels and the mountain

Today it is difficult to believe that Picancel mountain range was formed under the waters of an ancient sea. Prehistoric rivers moved pebbles and sand to towards that sea. The weight of the water helped to compress them all to form these conglomerate rocks. With the passing of time, movements of the Earth made them rise, and the work of the rainwater began, little by little, excavating gullies and polishing the mountain peaks. Montsant and Montserrat are two emblematic mountains that were also born in the same manner. If you smell the rocks of the Serrat del Migdia hill with closed eyes... who knows, you may even be able to detect aromas of saltwater, mussels, octopus and prawns.