The Montseny massif is situated 40 km NNE from Barcelona. The mountains cover about an area of 400 km2, about 80% of which is protected as Natural Park. Its highest altitude is 1707m asl. Climatically and biogeographycally Montseny lies in the northern boundary of the Mediterranean region. It is mostly forested, except at the upper reaches. Vegetation shifts altitudinally, with forests of pine, evergreen holm oak and beech, and heathlands and grasslands dominating in this order as altitude increases. The relief is steep and the lithology consists mostly of metamorphic phyllites, schists and granodiorites.