The Pyrenees mountains are a mere three hours away. For skiers, the Pyrenees are an excellent spot, and La Molina resort is accessible by train from Plaça Catalunya (Renfe stop: La Molina) and a bus ride to the resort itself. But the Pyrenees aren’t just for winter sports. Beautiful mountain villages and towns offer Romanesque monuments and incredible views of valleys below. Birdwatching tours are popular among wildlife enthusiasts and hiking day-trips are also available. In the region of Ripallés, the Santa Maria de Ripoll monastery has been a sacred pilgrimage site since its founding in the 9th century by Count Wilfred the Hairy of Barcelona. Lleida City is the capital of the Catalan Pyrenees, and while it is now a modern city in the river valley of the Segre, it still houses the ruins of La Zuda, the former palace of the Kings of Aragon.