Besalú arrives suddenly. You come round a bend on the N260 and there it is, a fortified stone bridge with a tower in the middle, seven arches crossing the Fluvià river, and behind it a cluster of tawny roofs and church towers that has hardly changed since the twelfth century. It is one of the best-preserved medieval towns in Catalonia and it is small enough, with only a couple of thousand residents, that you can walk across it in ten minutes. The bridge itself is for walkers only, so you leave the bike on the edge of town and cross on foot, which is how you should see it.
The town was once the capital of a county that was independent for several centuries, until its line died out in 1111 and its lands passed to Barcelona. A monastery, a Romanesque church and a very old Jewish quarter survive from those days. The quarter has a mikveh, a ritual bath fed by spring water, which is one of only a handful found in Europe and came to light only in the 1960s. A small museum explains it, and the local guides are good at telling the story without making it feel like a lecture.
For riding, Besalú sits at an interesting junction. To the north the Pyrenees are rising, with the road bending into valleys, and to the south-west is the Garrotxa, a volcanic landscape of forested cones and lava flows around Olot. Roads in that area have good surfaces and many tight bends in beech and oak woodland, particularly in autumn when the leaves are gold. The N260 runs along the foot of the mountains and it is a long, enjoyable road with many changes of rhythm, though in July and August it can be busy with holiday traffic.
Come early to avoid the midday crowds and heat, because by noon the narrow lanes can be crowded with tour groups and the cobbles hold the heat. Cafés around the main square sell coffee and local pastries, and the restaurants serve the hearty food of this region: grilled meats, sausages, mushrooms in autumn and beans. Fuel is available in towns nearby, with Olot, to the west, the nearest large one. Beside the river there are shady spots to rest.