Coll de la Creueta Road

What it is

It is the mountain road that climbs from the upper Berguedà to the Coll de la Creueta, at 1,921 m, on the border with the Ripollès and within the Cadí-Moixeró natural park. From Berga it is about 52 km each way, around an hour and twenty minutes without stops. The last 20 km, from Castellar de n'Hug on the BV-4031, are the pass proper: 1,080 m of ascent, from forest to high-mountain meadows. At the top the landscape opens out towards the Pyrenees.

It is a road to enjoy driving, by car or motorbike, and also one of the best-known cycling climbs in the region: expect cyclists on the bends.

The route step by step

1. Berga to Guardiola de Berguedà: about 20 km on the C-16, the fast road north.
2. Guardiola to La Pobla de Lillet: a minor road that goes up the Llobregat valley. In La Pobla are the Artigas Gardens, designed by Gaudí, and the Tren del Ciment (Cement Train) station.
3. La Pobla de Lillet to Castellar de n'Hug: the valley narrows. Before the village, the former Asland cement factory complex, now a museum, and, in Castellar itself, the Fonts del Llobregat, the source of the river.
4. Castellar de n'Hug to Coll de la Creueta: the BV-4031, the pass. One sign marks the start and another the end. The road climbs in loops up the hillside.
5. On the other side: the road goes down towards Toses and La Molina, in the Cerdanya. You can return the same way or complete a loop through the Ripollès.

When to go

From late spring to mid-autumn. In summer the pass is cool when it is hot in Berga; in October the forest changes colour. In winter the road can close because of snow or require chains, especially between Castellar de n'Hug and Toses, and the wind piles snow onto the carriageway. Check the state of the BV-4031 with the Servei Català de Trànsit before setting off if you go between November and April.

Avoid the early hours of summer weekends if you are on a motorbike and in a hurry: that is when there are most groups of cyclists climbing.

Stops and viewpoints

At the top there is room to leave the car to one side and walk for a few minutes across the meadows. On the way, the stop that is most worthwhile is Castellar de n'Hug, a stone village hanging above the valley, with the Fonts del Llobregat a short walk away. The opening hours of the Artigas Gardens, the cement museum and the Tren del Ciment change with the season: check their websites if you want to include them.

By motorbike or bike

On a motorbike it is a very rewarding climb, with linked bends and little traffic midweek. Watch out for gravel on the verge, livestock that may be loose in the upper part and cyclists on blind bends.

By bike, Turisme del Berguedà estimates between an hour and a half and three hours for the 20 km from Castellar de n'Hug. Bring water from the village and something warm for the descent.

Eating and fuel

In La Pobla de Lillet, Cal Pericas is a family-run eatery by the old bridge. Fill the tank before setting off: in Berga and Guardiola you have petrol stations, and on the climb there are none.

If the weather changes

Fog rises quickly from the valley and at the top visibility can drop to a few metres. If it closes in, go down slowly with your lights on. In a summer storm, don't stay at the pass: it is open terrain and exposed to lightning.