Mura, a beautiful medieval village with a strange hotel

The tiny village of Mura is (luckily) not a well-known tourist destination. It's one of Catalunya's little secret treasures, which I keep discovering.

I found Mura randomly while combing through Google Maps, looking for an easily accessible place near Barcelona that I hadn't visited yet. The lockdown had ended recently, and I was eager to go somewhere new, but we weren't allowed to leave the Barcelona region yet, so I had to find something close.

Needless to say, this trip was an extra joyful and magical one, after spending 3 months in one single city (very unusual for me) and half of that time inside my apartment... I just wanted to get back somewhere deep in nature.

I picked Mura for my destination as it was right next to a river, a waterfall, and a national park with lots of hiking trails. Plus the village itself looked magical, ancient and very well preserved.

I got up early and cycled to the train station. It was a beautiful, sunny day - in fact it was the first hot summer day of the year! Perfect timing.

Just being on the train itself was a novelty for me. I was feeling like a kid, watching the small towns and villages pass me by out the train window!

In the town of Terassa I got off the train and switched to a bus going to the mountains, full of hikers like me. The ride was beautiful (and a bit intense, as the road was extremely narrow and curvy). We were driving through pine trees and towering rock formations.

Finally we reached the little village, nested in the valleys between the strange cliffs. I got off the bus and began my explorations.

First I walked all around the village. It was very tiny, but I was taking my time and admiring all the details. All the houses were made out of stone and many were covered in ivy, or surrounded by beautiful flower pots.

There was also a small, cold, clear river running through the village, surrounded by greens and moss. I sat by the river for a while, enjoying the freshness.

After walking every street of Mura, I had a coffee at the main square. There were many people around here now, mostly local families with children. I rested here for a bit before moving on to my next destinations - a waterfall and an ancient hotel built into a cliff :)

First I hiked to the waterfall. It was a short and very easy hike. It started at a small picnic area by the river, just outside of Mura. Then the path followed the river and continued through a lush green forest.

The place was pretty crowded, there were lots of groups of people along the river, having picnics, relaxing in the sun and dipping their feet in the cold water.

After 15-20 minutes I reached the waterfall. It was small but beautiful. I put my feet in the water - it was very cold. Despite this there were children swimming and playing in it. I enjoyed the waterfall, but didn't stay long as it was a bit too crowded for me.

On the way back I took a detour to check out a nice view and some cool rocks :)

Then I started my hike to the strange hotel. It was 2pm, the hottest time of the day, and the hike wasn't very shaded... So it wasn't the best idea. I did it anyways. It took me an hour, longer than I thought.

It was worth it though, as the hotel was so interesting. It was really built into the cliff, using the rock as natural walls. Only the front wall was made by people, the rest was natural.

The little windows were hotel rooms available for rent - definitely a unique experience, even if not the most comfortable one. I might try it out if I decide to have a rural escape one day.

There was also a restaurant and a museum. Everything inside was ancient. The restaurant was full of people. I sat on a small bench and had a coffee. I also bought a big bottle of water and instantly drank half of it. Felt heavenly after an hour of hiking in the afternoon heat.

I relaxed in the restaurant for a while before making my way back to Mura.
I spent the rest of the time walking around a bit more, then sitting down in a cute cafe and having yet another coffee and a cheesecake.

And finally, it was time to catch the bus back and return to Barcelona. Tired and happy, I enjoyed the ride back through the weird rock formations.

Mura wasa great trip to kick off my summer of hiking, rural tourism, and exploring "deep" Catalunya :) I will definitely be coming back to this beautiful little village many times.