Areas owned     Acantilados de l'Avenc de Tavertet   Information point for els Cingles de l'Avenc de Tavertet The Avenc de Tavertet Cliffs (Osona) are a natural area of enormous landscape value dominated by an oak forest, meadows and spectacular cliffs where it is common to see large birds of prey. The area covers more than 250 hectares and is part of a 300-hectare estate on which stand the Mas de l'Avenc farmhouse, dating from 1234 and a National Heritage Site and the Masia de Rajols farmhouse, documented since 1281 and which oddly enough at the end of the 17th century was moved stone by stone more than 200 metres to its present site on the mountain. Its current façade was added in 1787.     The estate's more than 300 hectares are run in conjunction with the owners of the Avenc and Rajols farmhouses through a stewardship agreement. The combined work of the two organisations helps to conserve the area's natural values and provide a welcome for its visitors.       The Avenc de Tavertet Cliffs have a number of features which provide them with great value and extensive development possibilities. The goal is to ensure that these values are conserved and enhanced, while simultaneously partnering development in a region which is suffering from the effects of rural flight.     The natural values of the area have been well known for some time now and this has led to its inclusion in most proposals for setting up protected nature areas. However, the protection afforded to the area at present comes from its membership of the Catalan Natural Heritage Areas Plan and the Nature Network 2000. Support for the zone will entail fresh efforts to ensure greater protection for the area and its surroundings.   Caixa Catalunya's Social Work management programme for the area includes the elimination of intensive stockbreeding with its adverse environmental impact and its conversion into another agricultural model which is more environmentally friendly.   The protection afforded by the acquisition of the Avenc de Tavertet Cliffs will make it possible to conserve species and habitats, preserve important historical and archaeological items such as the medieval anthropomorphic tombs, and safeguard its highly valued landscapes. In the long term it is sought to foster interest in the area and its socioeconomic development.

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