Ermita de Sant Medir

Ermita de Sant Medir is a small Romanesque chapel tucked into the wooded hills of Collserola, a few kilometers outside Sant Cugat del Vallès. Modest as it looks, the building carries a thousand years of history, and once a year it becomes the finish line for one of the most colorful religious traditions in the Barcelona area.

How do you get to Ermita de Sant Medir?

The chapel sits deep in the forest, away from paved roads, so walking or cycling is the practical way in. Trails reach it both from Sant Cugat del Vallès and from the Barcelona neighborhoods of Gràcia and Sant Gervasi de Cassoles — the same route pilgrims have followed for generations during the March romería. Car access is limited, which makes the hike a natural fit for anyone already exploring Collserola Natural Park; depending on where you start, plan for a few hours round trip through pine woods and quiet ridgelines.

What will you see there?

The building itself is compact, but it holds several layers of history. It first appears in written records in 986, when it functioned as a parish church under the authority of the monastery of Sant Cugat, serving the area together with the nearby churches of Sant Adjutori and Sant Vicenç. The name Sant Medir is the Catalanized form of the older dedication Sant Emeteri. The monastery retained jurisdiction over it until the 14th century, when the chapel passed to the municipal administration of Sant Cugat, though monks continued to look after it until 1446. The most distinctive feature is the entrance portal, carved with a relief of the Holy Trinity and a Gothic inscription dated 1447 — evidence of a later remodeling that gave the chapel its current look while keeping its Romanesque core intact. The surrounding forest, stone walls, and simple layout stand in quiet contrast to what happens here once a year.

When should you visit?

The chapel's biggest day is March 3rd, the feast of Sant Medir. Residents of Gràcia and Sant Gervasi de Cassoles walk together through Collserola to reach the ermita, and along the way riders, carts, and trucks throw tons of candy into the crowd — one of the most recognizable scenes of Barcelona's early spring calendar. Tradition traces the pilgrimage back to Josep Vidal i Granés, a baker from Gràcia who is said to have vowed to walk to the chapel if cured of an illness, supposedly in 1830, though the first documented romería is more likely to date from 1841. Outside that one day, the site is a quiet stop on the Collserola trail network, worth visiting in any season, with spring and autumn offering the most comfortable conditions for longer walks.

Frequently asked questions

What is Ermita de Sant Medir? A small chapel with Romanesque origins, first documented in 986, located in the Collserola hills near Sant Cugat del Vallès. For centuries it belonged to the Benedictine monastery of Sant Cugat.

Where does the name Sant Medir come from? It is the Catalan form of the older name Sant Emeteri, with historical records using both forms depending on the period.

What is the romería de Sant Medir? An annual pilgrimage on March 3rd from the Barcelona neighborhoods of Gràcia and Sant Gervasi de Cassoles to the chapel, during which candy is thrown from horses, carts, and trucks — a custom linked to the legend of the baker Josep Vidal i Granés.

What should you look for at the chapel? The entrance portal stands out, carved with a Gothic relief of the Holy Trinity dated 1447, marking a later remodeling layered onto the older Romanesque structure.