This Sacred Catalonia route leads to the Romanesque churches of the Vall de Boí. They form an exceptional group of churches and, as a group, were declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2000. They transport you straight to the essence of Romanesque Catalan art, the cradle of Catalonia's collective identity.
SANTA EULÀLIA D’ERIL LA VALL
The church of Santa Eulàlia d’Erill la Vall has one of the best belfries in the Vall de Boí. It stands six-storeys high and, aligned with those of Sant Joan de Boí and Sant Climent de Taüll, it fulfilled a role as a lookout tower. Inside you can see a copy of the only complete sculptural ensemble from the Erill workshop: the Descent from the Cross.
SANT JOAN DE BOÍ
The church that best conserves the architectural elements from the earliest building work carried out in the Vall de Boí in the 11th century is Sant Joan de Boí. The mural paintings, depicting scenes such as the stoning of Saint Stephen, a scene with minstrels and bestiary, are exceptional.
SANT CLIMENT DE TAÜLL
The most well-known representative image of Catalan Romanesque art is the Christ in Majesty at the church of Sant Climent de Taüll. The church has recently undergone an innovative refurbishment in which the original Romanesque mural art in the apse has been restored by means of video mapping.
SANTA MARIA DE TAÜLL
Santa Maria de Taüll is in the centre of the village of Taüll. Reproductions of the Romanesque mural paintings in the central apse and on the south wall are on view inside. The central apse is presided by a depiction of the Epiphany, with the Adoration of the Magi and the child Jesus sitting on Mary's lap.
The Sacred Catalonia trail is intended for groups and takes 7 hours. For more information please ring 693 720 202 or send an email to: reserves@cataloniasacra.cat.
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The Iberian Route: Skis and snowshoes in the land of the ceretani
The skiing season is from the December public holidays (6 and 8 December) until Easter, approximately.
Go walking with snowshoes, build igloos, go skiing and learn about the history of the Cerdanya district 2000 years ago by visiting the impressive Iberian settlement of Bolvir!
AN EXCURSION WITH SNOWSHOES
Start the first day by walking the same way as the prehistoric peoples of Central Asia did more than 4000 years ago! Take a walk off the beaten tracks wearing snowshoes to explore pathways and trails that will surprise you! And, depending on the time and the weather conditions, you could try your hand at building igloos and other games, especially if you're with children.
BOLVIR IBERIAN SETTLEMENT
In the afternoon, after lunch, take a trip to Bolvir where you will find an impressive Iberian settlement that was opened to the public in 2015. The museum's facilities are modern and its collections and video presentation will help you to locate yourself in the Cerdanya of 2,000 years ago. The tour of the settlement, which is completely adapted, provides a unique and memorable experience.
SKIING IN LA MOLINA
After spending the night at the Hotel Park Puigcerdà, take the car to La Molina to go skiing. The pistes are open from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. So you have lots of opportunity to take full advantage of the snow!
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The night of 23 June is one of the most magic nights of the year in Catalonia, with bonfires, fireworks, correfocs ('fire-runs') to welcome the arrival of summer. Would you like to enjoy these festivals in the Pyrenees. Some of the villages there still celebrate thousand-year-old traditions and rituals of purification to mark the summer solstice, in which fire plays a leading role. The festivals are called the Falles dels Pirineus (Torches of the Pyrenees), declared Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO in 2015, as the Summer Solstice Fire Festivals of the Pyrenees, and the Flama del Canigó (Flame of Canigó).
THE SUMMER SOLSTICE FIRE FESTIVALS OF THE PYRENEES
The bringing down of the torches One of the main attractions of the festivities surrounding Midsummer in Catalonia is the Pyrenean tradition of bringing down the torches. It is an age-old tradition performed with fire for the summer solstice in more than 60 towns and villages in the Pyrenean regions of Andorra, France, Aragon and in Catalonia in places like Durro, Isil, Boí and Pont de Suert, amongst others. In some places the torches are brought down some days before the summer solstice and the festival continues until mid July.
The torch- or log-bearers, usually single young men, climb a hill or some other high ground near the village, where they light the torches, of which there are a number of different kinds, depending on the village in question. Having lit them, they carry them down in a snake-like line down to the village square where, following tradition, they pile them up into a single bonfire, around which the villagers dance until the break of day.
You can see these festivals in Durro (15 June), Boí (23 June), Barruera (29 June), Erill la Vall (6 July) and Taüll (19 de July).
Festival of d'Eth Haro and d'Eth Taro The Aranese towns of Les and Arties celebrate the Eve of Saint John with an ancient festival which has its roots in old Celtic traditions of purification, the burning of a large fir tree, the Taro or the Haro, in the village square. In Les this marks the start of the festivals in honour of the patron saint of the town. In Arties, el Taro is dragged down the village streets accompanied by music, song and dancing over the flames until it reaches the Town Hall.
THE FLAME OF CANIGÓ
On 22 de June, the Flame of Canigó, which is kept all year at the Museu de la Casa Pairal in Perpinyà, is taken to the top of this Pyrenean peak. At daybreak the flame is shared out amongst the volunteers there present who then take their flame, by various routes, on foot, by car, by bicycle and even by rowing boat, to different villages around Catalonia to light the bonfires on the Eve of St. John. The tradition has been observed for more than 50 years.
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