The brutally steep road to Sant Jaume de Montagut church
Esglesia de Sant Jaume de Montagut is a mountain church at an elevation of 862m (2,828ft) above the sea level, located in Tarragona province, in northeastern Spain’s Catalonia region. It’s one of the most demanding roads of Spain due its narrowness and steepness.
Set high in the Serra del Montmell range, within the Ancosa-Montagut Area of Natural Interest, the road to the church, built in the 14th century, is totally paved, with asphalt and concrete parts. It’s called Avinguda Montagut. This is a long route with a steep climb, primarily through woodland.
Tucked away in the comarca of Alt Camp, the road is very narrow and brutally steep, hitting a 19% of maximum gradient through some of the ramps. Starting at Querol (on the C37 road), the ascent is 4.7 km (2.92 miles) long. Over this distance, the elevation gain is 317 meters. The average gradient is 6.74%. Driving at night, or in poor visibility, is not recommended for drivers unfamiliar with the road. To the south, the road climbs up to Montagut peak.