Vallfogona de Riucorb was once a spa village, and in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century its mineral waters drew visitors from Barcelona to a grand balneari and a few hotels. The glory days faded, but the village keeps the air of a place that knew better times, with old villas, a church on the hill and the little Riucorb river running through a quiet valley in the Conca de Barberà.
The Conca de Barberà is a land of rolling hills, vineyards, almond groves and cereal fields, and it is home to one of the great treasures of Catalonia: the Ruta del Cister, a circuit linking three Cistercian monasteries, Poblet, Santes Creus and Vallbona de les Monges. Poblet, the largest, was the burial place of the kings of Aragon and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a vast complex of walls, cloisters and churches set against the Prades mountains. Vallbona, closer to Vallfogona, is a convent of nuns that has been continuously inhabited since the twelfth century.
On the bike, things are a pleasure. The roads wind through the hills and valleys, with good surfaces and very little traffic. The landscape is open and varied, with long views over the vineyards and the mountains. In spring, the almond trees blossom in white and pink, and in autumn, the vineyards turn red and gold. Summer can be hot and dry, while winter brings fog and frost.
Services in Vallfogona are thin, so plan the tank and lunch around Santa Coloma de Queralt, Tàrrega or Montblanc. Montblanc, the capital of the Conca, has impressive medieval walls and a lively old centre, perfect for lunch. The Montseny massif lies to the east, with its beech forests and winding roads.