Lleida

As winter approaches it is always a delight to go walking in the Catalan Pyrenees. Here you will find peace and quiet in the midst of nature, but there is a lot of culture and history too. What about getting away from it all in L'Alt Urgell and visiting some of the churches there? Amongst them is Santa Maria d’Urgell, one of Catalonia's great cathedrals.
 
SANTA MARIA D’URGELL
 
Based in La Seu d’Urgell you will find one of Catalonia's great cathedrals, Santa Maria d’Urgell. Dating from the 12th century, it is the only one that is entirely Romanesque in style. Built in the Llombard style it is a robust structure and has, since medieval times, been the episcopal see of Urgell.
 
MURAL PAINTINGS IN ESTAMARIU
 
Fifteen-minutes' drive away, just outside the village of Estamariu on the road to Bescaran, is the Romanesque church of Sant Vicenç. The most recent restoration work has revealed the paintings that had been plastered over: a magnificent Romanesque mural in the apse, and the Gothic decorations in the apsidiole. It is one of the most important examples of mural art to be conserved in situ in Catalonia.
 
MONASTERY OF SANT SADURNÍ DE TAVÈRNOLES
 
Another fifteen-minute drive from La Seu d’Urgell takes you to the monastery of Sant Sadurní de Tavèrnoles in Les Valls de Valira, Anserall. The origins of this Benedictine monastery are unclear, but it is thought that, being close to the royal road from La Seu d’Urgell to Andorra, it could have been equipped to accommodate travellers. The name Tavèrnoles comes from the Latin, taverna.
 
ANDORRA
 
Andorra is close by. You could visit the tiny church of Sant Miquel d'Engolasters and the interesting pre-Romanesque church of Santa Coloma. 
 
 
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Olive oil is an essential part of the Mediterranean diet, and Catalunya has extensive olive orchards. We know that olive oil is very good for your health, but do you know how it is made? With this tour we would like to invite you to visit some of the olive mills that form part of our industrial heritage and where you can learn how this magic ingredient is produced.
 
MUSEU DE L’OLI DE CATALUNYA

The Museu de l’Oli de Catalunya (olive oil museum of Catalonia) forms part of the Catalan Museum of Science and Technology Territorial System (mNACTEC) and is located in Granadella, Les Garrigues Altes, a municipality with a very long tradition of olive oil production. You can visit the mill, founded in 1920, and see all its original machinery. The mill fell into disuse in 1986 but its facilities and the machinery it houses have remained in very good condition. You can tour the facilities on your own or you can opt for a guided visit and afterwards, of course, you can always go on an excursion to explore the surrounding area.
 
MOLÍ DE SANT JOSEP

The Molí de Sant Josep, located in Pobla de Segur, still has all the elements of a complete industrial oil mill. The structure of the building is reminiscent of a Romanesque church. It has now been completely restored and is used as a conference centre, for receptions and for art exhibitions. The first floor houses the facilities of the old oil mill, which forms part of the mNACTEC map of industrial heritage.
 
COLLBATÓ OIL MILL INTERPRETATION CENTRE

The Collbató oil mill interpretation centre is housed in a former oil mill and it describes the relationship that Collbató has had with olives and olive oil from the Middle Ages to the present day, as well as explaining the differences between two varieties of olive, the way the harvesting season has evolved and the machinery used to produce the oil. Please consult the visiting times.


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Spend a weekend touring through a region of Catalonia where some of the very best olive oil in the world is produced, as well as the D.O. wine Costers del Segre. Also explore some of the amazing heritage to be seen here, and don't miss the Iberian settlement of La Fortalesa, in Arbeca.
 
OLIVE OIL PRODUCTION

This tour starts at the Agrobotiga Oficina de Turisme in Arbeca, where you can sample the olive oil and visit the cooperative's oil mill and the municipal oil mill of Ca l’Argilés to find out about how olive oil is produced. Take advantage your stay to have lunch in one of the many local restaurants.
 
VINYA ELS VILARS WINE CELLAR

After lunch you could visit the Vinya els Vilars wine cellar that forms part of the Costers del Segre D.O. You can visit the cellar, taste the wines and take a bottle away with you as a present.
 
THE ARBECA IBERIAN SETTLEMENT

After spending the night in Arbeca, you can visit to the Iberian settlement of Fortalesa, which will surprise you on account of its size, the burial ground that surrounds it, and its location. At 12 noon there is guided tour and the opportunity to ask all the questions you have about the settlement.
 
ARBECA

Having finished your tour of the settlement you can have lunch in the village and explore this, the cradle of the olive oil to which it lends its name, made from the arbequina olive. You could take a stroll through the old town and visit the castle and its fortified precinct, or visit the church of Sant Jaume el Major.
 

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For a getaway weekend visit Verdú with its many local ceramic workshops and its impressive Iberian settlement, with reconstructions that faithfully reflect the way it would have looked in its day. And take advantage of your stay to get away from it all and relax in the spa resort of Vallfogona de Riucorb.
 
VERDÚ IBERIAN SETTLEMENT

The route we would like to suggest starts in the town of Verdú, which has an impressive Iberian settlement with the added surprise of having accurate reconstructions of two homes and some ovens to give a really good idea of what life would have been like for its inhabitants, as well as showing how they made their pottery.
 
ARTISAN POTTERY

After lunch go into the town to pay a visit to the Roca Caus or Ceràmica Taller Obert ceramic workshops to see how the local pottery is made. You can try your hand at it yourself. And you could also visit the castle and the Romanesque church of Santa Maria.
 
VALLFOGONA DE RIUCORB

After your visit, take the car to Vallfogona de Riucorb and enjoy the views along the way on the road Ciutadilla that takes you to the village. Here there is a spa resort where you can relax in the peace and quiet of its delightful location while enjoying its spa facilities. It's an ideal place to have dinner and spend the night.
 
THERMAL WATER

After breakfast at the spa, you can continue to enjoy its facilities until it's time to go.


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The monumental complex of the Seu Vella, the University of Cervera and the Manresana Tower are three enclaves that stand out for their shared past: all three were the sites of the War of the Spanish Succession. This is an adventure that you can embark on at the weekend, as only 80 kilometres separate these three historical symbols from one another.
 
MANRESANA TOWER
You might wish to start your route with a visit to  Manresana Tower, the only surviving evidence of the former castle, Castell de la Manresana, which formed part of the defence system of the medieval County of Manresa. Built in the 11^th and 12^th centuries and standing at a height of 21 metres, this tower was used as a watchtower by the Austrian army during the Battle of Prats de Rei in 1711.
 
UNIVERSITY OF CERVERA
Some 30 kilometres separate Prats from Rei from Cervera, where you can visit the University of Cervera. With a striking austerity, this is one of Catalonia’s most beautiful baroque constructions. A symbol of the implementation of the new Bourbon order, this institution of higher education was founded in 1717 by King Phillip V and later became the intellectual heart of Catalonia. Through the years, this university has taken in countless famous students including Narcís Monturiol, Joan Prim and Jaume Balmes.
 
MONUMENTAL COMPLEX OF THE SEU VELLA
The route ends in Lleida, which boasts one of the most striking scenes of all: the monumental complex of the Seu Vella Hill, which is made up of the old cathedral known as the “Seu Vella” (the most eye-catching edifice on the hill), the Castell del Rei (King’s Castle) and Suda, the military fortification, as well as different archaeological remains. It was as of the Bourbon victory in the War of the Spanish Succession that this entire hill became a military complex.
 
GASTRONOMY
If you’d like to try the typical food of these regions, you absolutely must taste the coca de recapte d’escalivada (roasted vegetable flatbread) in Lleida, the perdiu amb farcellets de col (partridge with stuffed cabbage leaves) in Prats de Rei and the bunyols de cigrons (chickpea fritters) in Cervera. Bon appétit!
 
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Have you ever seen the cave complex of Roca dels Moros, in El Cogul? Bearing witness to more than 8000 years of history, for some 5000 years this site was used as a place of worship. It was officially declared World Heritage in 1998 and houses the paintings of the last hunters and gatherers and Neolithic groups. Researchers have also identified inscriptions here dating from the Iberian and Roman periods, although many are illegible. We invite you to delve into the origins of art at El Cogul, and as long s you’re there, be sure to explore the Les Garrigues area!
 
ROCA DELS MOROS CAVE
With 42 painted figures and 260 elements engraved in the stone, Roca dels Moros, in El Cogul, is one of the foremost cave sites in Catalonia. It forms part of the cave art group of the Mediterranean strip on the Iberian Peninsula, which boasts 757 sites with paintings.
 
TOWNS OF TARRÉS AND L’ALBI
A 40-minute car drive from Cogul will bring you to the village of Tarrés. With a population of little over 100, this village is made up of steep, narrow streets flanked by dry stone constructions. Be sure to have a stroll along Carrer de l’Església, see the arcades of Cal Magre and the square with its fountain, Plaça de la Font.  Very close to Tarrés is the town of l’Albí, which sits just at the foot of the ruins of a 12^th-century castle that was later converted into a Renaissance palace, in the late 16^th century.
 
ROMANESQUE CHURCH OF SANT JOAN BAPTISTA IN VINAIXA
Vinaixa is just a few minutes away by car from l’Albí. Here you can visit the small Church of Sant Joan Baptista, the interior of which is very well conserved. Particularly worthy of note are the apse, the wooden choir, the neoclassical and baroque façade, the Virgin Mary’s chapel and small fragments of what was once the old baroque altar, which was burnt down during the war.
 
To make this route complete, we recommend spending a night in the old shepherd’s house, as well as visiting the Parc dels Olors (Park of the Scents), and the wineries Celler Mas Blanch i Jové and the Vinya dels Artistes. For complete information, click here.
 
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We propose you to put yourself in the shoes of the old gold seekers of the Segre river and discover the history of this activity and, at the same time, enter the millenary city of Balaguer. Do you want to find gold? Join us!

MUSEUM OF LA NOGUERA

We will visit one of the most important museums in inland Catalonia, where the Andalusian history of the city and the importance of Hisn Balagi’s medina and the goldsmith extraction of the Segre are told. Gold and fertile plain lands played a decisive role in the growth of the city.

GOLD INTERPRETATION CENTRE

Walking through the historic center of Balaguer we will arrive at the Gold Interpretation Center, where we will know the secrets of the search for gold and we will learn to separate the straws from the sand.

SEARCHING FOR GOLD IN THE SEGRE RIVER

Now yes! It is time to try your luck: properly equipped and trained, we will enter the river in search of gold. You have to be patient, but surely in the end you will find the precious metal and you will take it home!

TASTING OF THE FLAVOURS OF THE SECÀ

Wine and oil are two of the star products of La Noguera. Throughout the itinerary we propose you to taste the oil of the local producers and the wine of the DO Costers del Segre.  

ANDALUSIAN LUNCH

You cannot leave without savoring an authentic Andalusian meal inspired by the old medieval recipes. We anticipate that gold is one of its ingredients! Then, we suggest you visit the origins of all this: in the upper part of the city we find the remains of the old Muslim city.


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