Visiting

Quite apart from the beauty of its setting, in a valley on the Catalan-French border, the distinguishing feature of the Vall de Núria is that the only way to get there is on foot or by cog (or rack) train. Such railways were created to enable trains to climb steep hills; Catalunya’s only other such train is at Montserrat. The route is 12 kilometres long and climbs a total of 1,000 metres, providing a fantastic way to see the local countryside, especially the Gorges de Núria, through which the River Núria flows. Take the rack train from either Ribes de Freser (Ribes-Enllaç station, which connects with the RENFE train service) or Queralbs, a bit further up the mountain. Once in the valley itself, the view is sadly dominated by an unattractive boxy building, a.k.a. the Sanctuary of the Virgin of Núria, which is part-shrine, part-accommodation for visitors. The history of Núria is long and varied—Palaeolithic and Megalithic remains have been found in nearby caves. Legend has it that the shrine to the Virgin came into being after an ox miraculously found, in 1079, a wooden image of the mother of God carved by Sant Gil who lived in the area in the eighth century. Although the image has now been identified as being in the Romanesque style of the 1100s, the religious spirit in Núria remains strong.

In the east of Ripollès is Camprodon, a smaller town than Ripoll, but one which also has a Romanesque church worth visiting: Sant Pere, which dates from the 10th century. There are also other features that make a trip there interesting. As the point where the Ter and Ritort rivers meet, water is important locally and there are 15 fountains scattered around, many of which are over a century old. There is also, unsurprisingly, an important bridge, the Pont Nou (New Bridge), built in the 14th century. Finally, the Passeig Maristany was redesigned in the Twenties as a result of Camprodon’s popularity as a holiday venue amongst some of the elite of the time. It was made to be like Barcelona’s elegant Passeig de Gràcia: an attractive, tree-lined boulevard to stroll along.

Apart from the Romanesque monasteries in Camprodon and Ripoll, the other most important one is that in Sant Joan de les Abadesses, a ninth century nunnery (although the nuns were expelled in the 11th century for inappropriate behaviour) with the same name as the town itself. Sant Joan also has an old neighbourhood dating from the 13th century, whose style is based on classic Roman and Greek ones. As well as the three most well-known Romanesque buildings, there are almost 100 others to visit in Ripollès. See www.elripolles.com (in Catalan) for suggested itineraries in the area to take in as many monuments as possible. They include the Church of Sant Esteve in Llanars, two kilometres from Camprodon, and the four-storey bell tower of Santa Cecilia’s Church in Molló.