“Among vineyards and dry stone walls” is a camp based on dry stone works, which were declared cultural heritage by UNESCO.
Participants are going to recover stone walls in the vineyard area and also a shepherd's stone hut. They are also going to work on adapting local roads and trails in order to make them more accessible to visitors. The place is a rural area with little towns and villages, so the impact is quite big.
Participants will have the support of experts from local entities, and will meet local people to collaborate in the conservation of the historical and cultural heritage of the area. They will also be part of the Festival Música Clàssica Pedra Viva Molins, a local classical music festival held annually in the municipality. The working hours will be in the mornings from 8:00 to 13:00 from Monday to Friday, but there will be some exceptions for the music festival. Volunteers will have a break in the middle of the morning to rest and have a snack. However, depending on weather conditions, the schedule can be modified.
The technical tasks are:
- Restoration and maintenance of the dry stone margins between vineyards and paths.
- Restoration of shepherd's huts.
- Support for the current grazing area for rescued horses by the association Forest Horses.
- Arrangement of waterers, maintenance of fences
- Clearing, cleaning, and adaptation of local roads and trails
-Participation in the maintenance tasks of the municipality's public space.
- Improvement and maintenance work at the Hospital de Cervelló and its surrounding area.
- Restoration and improvement works on the historic Camí Ral (Royal Road) that passes through this medieval complex, as well as maintenance of traditional dry-stone huts and stone boundary walls located within the municipal area.
The rest of the time will be for leisure, to go to the swimming pool and participate in other leisure activities.
Accomodation and food
Participants will stay at a Civic Center located in the town centre, next to the City Hall. The accommodation includes a large shared sleeping room with bunk beds, indoor shared toilets and showers, a recreation room, and an outdoor porch.
All volunteers will sleep indoors in the same shared room, with no gender separation. Participants must bring a thin sleeping bag, a pillow, and their own bed linen.
The hosting organisation strongly recommends bringing long-sleeved shirts and T-shirts for working hours, as well as a hat for sun protection. Volunteers will also have the opportunity to go to the swimming pool located near the accommodation.
Meals will be provided by a catering service. Snacks and fresh fruit will be available during breaks. Vegetarian and vegan options are available, as well as alternatives for cultural dietary requirements and food allergies. Participants should inform the organisation in advance of any specific dietary needs.
At the accommodation, volunteers will also have access to a small area equipped with a sink, refrigerators, a coffee machine, and a microwave.
Location and leisure
The privileged geographical situation, a plain protected by mountains by the sea, the mild climate of the Mediterranean coast, and a permeable land, rich in phosphorus, make the region of El Penedès the main producer of wines and cavas in Catalonia. This wine history goes back to at least the 4th century B.C.
The vineyard structures are thus a distinctive cultural feature of the area, and they have been refined over time. The area, halfway between the Vilafranca plain and the Ordal mountains, has steeper terrain than the rest of the region. That is why, in this area, the structure of dry stone walls and constructions, which are necessary for leveling the ground and plotting the vineyards, is quite important.
Free time and leisure activities will include group games, workshops, and cultural activities to learn more about Catalan culture and the vineyard tradition in the area.
Participants will visit cultural and historical areas and museums, a wine and champagne factory, and also Vilafranca del Penedès, the Catalan wine capital, and will participate in the rehearsals of a group of “castellers”, learning how Catalan human towers are made.
The volunteers will also participate in the Pedra Viva Molins Classical Music Festival which will take place on the 7th and 8th of August at the site of the Hospital de Cervelló.
The festival location, where the young participants will be actively involved, forms part of this historic complex, which is officially recognised as a National Cultural Heritage Site (BCIN – Bé d’Interès Nacional).
The Hospital de Cervelló was founded in 1262 by Guillem de Cervelló, within the territory of the parish of Sant Joan d'Olesa. It was established to provide shelter and assistance to travellers and pilgrims journeying along the old royal road from Barcelona to Vilafranca del Penedès, passing through Sant Boi and Olesa de Bonesvalls — the historic Camí Ral.
+ Info: https://patrimoni.gencat.cat/es/coleccion/hospital-de-cervello
Project hosted by
The promoter of the activity is the Olesa de Bonesvalls City Council. The organization in charge of the workcamp is "Fundació Catalana de l'Esplai" well-known in the volunteering field of Catalonia, as it has been educating children and youth, strengthening leisure organizations and the third sector, improving the environment, and promoting social inclusion and citizenship, with a desire for change since over 30 years ago. The organization organizes a wide range of leisure time and education activities, such as school camps, training camps, or training for trainers. In 2024, Fundesplai projects reached 417.664 people, and every year more than 500 took part in workcamps.
Directions to meeting point
The meeting point will be in the Civic Center located in the town center, next to the City Hall of Olesa de Bonesvalls (Plaça de la Vila 12, 08795) on the 2nd of August at 15:00h.
How to arrive at the meeting point by public transportation:
From Barcelona’s Airport, volunteers have to go to Plaça Espanya in Barcelona, taking the Line bus 46 (from Terminal 1 and 2).
From Plaça Espanya, take the Line bus 902 to Olesa de Bonesvalls. IMPORTANT: On the weekends there are only 2 buses at 10:15h and 20:15h.
More information here: https://www.hife.es/en/barcelona-olesa-de-bonesvalls
