The comarca of La Garrotxa extends from the Pyrenees to the inland mountains of the Serralada Transversal. It is divided into the Alta (upper) and Baixa (lower) Garrotxa, the former a rugged area of mountains, heavily forested and full of cliffs, gorges and caves. The name Garrotxa means literally ‘rough, uneven land’ and today this area is a paradise for walkers and nature lovers. The Baixa Garrotxa, on the other hand, is flatter and is characterised by lower and gentler mountains, a series of 40 volcanoes, and abundant pastures and streams.
La Garrotxa is traditionally a rural comarca that lives off its agriculture, cattle and forests. Its industrial activities are located in the Fluvià valley and, above all, in and around the city of Olot.
Its valleys create a landscape dotted with small Romanesque churches and monasteries, above all in the Vall de Bianya, Vall d’en Bas and Beget.
Besalú was once the capital of its own countdom and still conserves much of its medieval nucleus, with a monastery, its famous medieval bridge, a small Jewish quarter and the Miqwé, the unique Jewish purification baths. Castellfollit de la Roca sits astride a high basalt cliff and is a splendid viewpoint over the Fluvià valley.
The gastronomy of the Garrotxa is characterised by its meats and the products that thrive in its volcanic soils: wild mushrooms, haricot beans, turnips, buckwheat, chestnuts, potatoes and maize. Wild-boar meat, pork and snails complete the menu, without forgetting interesting local charcuterie and cheeses.
The history of the area can be traced in the dishes prepared by local restaurants; some establishments, however, are active in bringing local cooking right up-to-date with their very special volcanic cuisine (cuina volcànica) and the comarca boasts some of the most innovative of all Catalan resturants.
A speciality of Garrotxan cuisine are the dishes prepared with local products grown in the singular volcanic soils of the Garrotxa. As a result its gastronomic offerings are of high quality, creative and highly varied, with traditional dishes and tastes modernised in what can be seen as an attempt to capture the essence of the local landscape and serve it up to visitors on a plate!