Mas Girbau

Hidden among the forests near Granera, just 50 kilometres from Barcelona, Mas Girbau is a restored 16th-century masia immersed in the Catalan countryside. Original stone walls, timber beams, antique furniture and an immense hearth preserve the character of the historic farmhouse, while six individually furnished bedrooms and 30 hectares of surrounding woodland make it feel more like a private country home than a conventional hotel.

Story

Mas Girbau’s story stretches back to 1596, when the house was built as a traditional Catalan masia — the rural farmhouses that for centuries formed the heart of agricultural and family life across Catalonia. Thick stone walls protected its inhabitants from summer heat and winter cold, timber provided its structure, and the great stone fireplace became the centre around which domestic life unfolded.

Rather than stripping away that history, the restoration carefully retained the original structure and much of its historic character. Antique furniture remains throughout.

Today, the house accommodates just 14 guests, allowing the rhythms of the old masia to remain tangible — gathering around the fire, cooking, walking through the forest and living within a building that has watched over this landscape for more than four centuries.

Why we selected Mas Girbau

Preserved rather than reinvented

The restoration was undertaken with explicit respect for the original structure, allowing the imperfections, materials and accumulated character of a four-century-old farmhouse to remain central to the experience.

Intimately connected to its landscape

Thirty hectares of forest surround the house, with walking trails, Lake Rubió and views towards Montserrat creating a stay governed by nature.

A true Catalan country house

More than 400 years of rural life remain visible throughout Mas Girbau, giving guests the rare experience of staying in a masia that feels genuinely lived-in rather than recreated.

Character accumulated over centuries

Antique furniture, old stone, timber beams and the monumental hearth give each room its own history, with imperfections and inherited details preserved rather than polished away.

Local life & traditions

Life around Granera is shaped by the traditions of rural Catalonia, where small villages, family farms and masias have anchored communities for centuries. The surrounding forests are particularly important to local life, with autumn bringing the deeply Catalan tradition of bolet hunting — foraging for wild mushrooms before gathering around the table to cook and share them.

Food remains one of the strongest expressions of local culture, from pa amb tomàquet and grilled botifarra to seasonal mushrooms, cheeses and produce from nearby farms and markets. Village festes majors, communal meals and traditions such as sardana dancing continue to bring communities together.

Mas Girbau places guests within this quieter Catalonia — one where life remains closely tied to the seasons, the landscape and the enduring rituals of village and family life.

Authentic experiences in the area

Discover rural Catalan gastronomy

Seek out local producers, markets and traditional restaurants for dishes shaped by the region’s agricultural heritage — from seasonal mushrooms to cured meats, cheeses and rustic stews.

Explore historic Granera

Discover the tiny neighbouring village and its surrounding heritage, experiencing a quieter, rural side of Catalonia far removed from nearby Barcelona.

Swim at Lake Rubió

Walk from the house to nearby Lake Rubió for a swim surrounded by nature — a wonderfully simple way to experience the landscape around the estate.

Walk the forests surrounding the masia

Set out directly from the house into its 30 hectares of woodland, following trails through the landscape that has surrounded Mas Girbau for centuries.

Protecting culture & land

Preservation at Mas Girbau begins with the house itself. The 1596 structure has been carefully restored rather than replaced, retaining its stone walls, timber framework, great fireplace and historic furniture as living elements of the property.

The surrounding 30 hectares of forest are equally integral to its identity, keeping the experience centred on the natural landscape rather than intensive development.

By giving a centuries-old masia a contemporary purpose while respecting its original architecture, Mas Girbau keeps a distinctive piece of Catalan rural heritage inhabited and relevant.

Location & surroundings

Mas Girbau lies among the forests surrounding Granera, around 50 kilometres from Barcelona. Despite its proximity to the city, the setting feels distinctly rural, with woodland trails, Lake Rubió and distant views towards the unmistakable peaks of Montserrat.

Key details

Address

El Girbau de Dalt, 08183 Granera,
Barcelona, Spain

Getting here

By plane: Barcelona–El Prat Airport

By car: Approximately 50 km from Barcelona; a car is the most practical way to reach and explore the area

Parking: Available at the property

Facilities

Stone pizza oven & gas barbecue

Space for yoga, wellness retreats, workshops and artist residencies

30 hectares of private forest

Large stone fireplace

Entertainment facilities

More

6 bedrooms sleeping up to 14 guests

Words from Mas Girbau

“We want every visitor to immerse themselves in the richness of our history.”

Every stay booked direct keeps value with the people of this place, so they can reinvest in culture, community and land

We believe travel should give back more than it takes; that it can protect cultures, not erode them.

That is why we connect you directly with each hotel’s own website. By booking direct, value remains in the hands of those who shape these places, enabling reinvestment into local culture, community, and land.