Solsona and La Ribera Salada

Deep in the heart of Catalunya, the city of Solsona is set against a striking Pyreneean backdrop. Compact, majestic and picturesque, it has just 9,000 inhabitants. The old town is reached through gargantuan city doors, and a wrought-iron sign outside greets visitors with "Solsona, una experiència gegant" (a giant experience), offering a hint of the secrets that lie within.

Giants, gegants in Catalan, are an integral part of local culture, and most town and city councils in Catalunya own a giant and giantess. They are huge puppets which are placed on a giant carrier’s shoulders and made to dance at the city’s festa major, an annual folkloric festival. Solsona is the birthplace of one of Catalunya’s best-ever giant makers, Manel Casseras (1929-1996), and many of the region’s most iconic giants were built there. Casseras jumped to folkloric fame when he remodeled Barcelona’s much-loved Gegant del Pi in 1960.

During his lifetime, Casseras produced hundreds of festival figures and even invented a series of completely new giants, els gegants bojos (mad giants), especially for Carnival in Solsona. These gegants are distinctive because of the huge dangling arms that swing maniacally from their bodies as they run through the narrow city streets, while onlookers duck and dive out of their way. Today, the legacy of Casseras lives on with his granddaughters, Teresa and Meme, who continue to build giants at the original family workshop in Solsona, using an age-old method based on papier-mâché and clay modelling.

At Solsona’s Festa Major, from September 7th to 11th, an assortment of more traditional giants, dragons, horses and eagles—also produced by Casseras—takes to the streets. Visitors can view them in the Quarto dels Gegants all year round, and guided tours can be arranged in advance. For an authentic hands-on experience of how to make a miniature, pop-art version of gegants, capgrossos (bigheaded puppets) and other figures using the same traditional method, Mireia Vives runs workshops throughout the year at her studio in the old town. Alternatively, meander through the streets in the old town and you’ll encounter shop windows brimming with toy giants, dragons and mythical beasts, perfect souvenirs to take home.

Solsona is steeped in traditions in more ways than first meet the eye. Stroll around the old quarters and before long you will probably bump into a pregoner, a person in historical dress who rings a bell on the street corner to announce the death of a local citizen, or who sounds a trumpet to notify general news and events in the city. In a similar vein, traditional industries still abound in Solsona, such as knife manufacturing and basket weaving, and basket makers can often be seen in their workshops in the city’s old quarters. 

Drive five minutes along Carretera de Bassella, in the direction of Cardona, and you’ll reach Parc Mare de la Font. It is an idyll of shady nooks and crannies, where stone tables and chairs in the shape of toadstools stand on terraced slopes, perfect for a picnic. For those who want to savor local cuisine, Restaurant Mare de la Font is at the end of the walkway through the park, next to the children’s playground. On the outside it looks like a gingerbread house but the inside boasts an industrial-chic ambience. The co-owner, Roger, will guide you through his handcrafted restaurant experience, reciting the menu with special zeal like the lead actor in a foodie play. And yes, he can even do it in English. The wide-ranging menu consists of Catalan dishes that have been deconstructed and refashioned into mouth-watering taste sensations. Make sure you book well in advance, though, as there is a long waiting list at weekends.

Close to the city, La Ribera Salada river snakes through the Solsonès countryside and Pyrenean foothills. El Pont del Clop is an excellent spot for relaxing, swimming and exploring. Take the C26 from Solsona in the direction of Basella, then the LV-4011 towards Cambrills and Montpol and follow the road until you reach El Pont del Clop. An ideal place for families, the area has a small beach set amidst the woods and there are river pools for swimming. Head up-river by swimming underneath the bridge and past the ruins of the old hostel to explore a thrilling trail of mountain gorges, Canal Serpent, carved into the rock by the water’s flow. This adventure requires you to wear water shoes and perhaps some additional clothing over your swimwear, as the water is cold and you will not be able to touch the bottom in places. However, it is not recommended for small children or the faint-hearted.

After a refreshing dip, continue along the LV-4011 in the direction of Cambrils and stop off at the Serra-Seca viewpoint. Park next to a metal sculpture of a cyclist and head up the stone steps on the left-hand side of the road to look out over the spectacular panoramic view of the Ribera Salada Valley.

Continue on your journey until you reach the town of Cambrils, in the municipality of Odèn, and stop at El Salí de Cambrils. Here you can visit the site of a former salt plant, which operated from the 18th century until 1963. The salt springs are the source of Riu Fred, one of the two rivers that feed into la Ribera Salada, and which gave La Ribera Salada its name. Visitors can walk around the salt springs and visit the museum, where the salt extraction process is explained and salt therapies are offered. There is a salt pool—don’t be put off by its brown color—where you can bathe or, rather, float buoyantly in the salt, while looking down over the Riu Fred Valley.

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Where to stay. There are campsites in Solsona, Cambrils and Ogern. The rural accommodation Casa Angrill is great for families and couples, and Anna, the owner, is a chutney fanatic, who will be sure to let you sample a considerable selection of her homemade sauces with your evening meal. For more standard accommodation, Solsona offers a choice of five hotels.

Quarto dels Gegants. Carrer de Sant Llorenç, 33, 25280 Solsona, Lleida.

Make miniature gegants and capgrossos. Contact mireiavives@yahoo.es to arrange customized group workshops in Spanish or Catalan. Llobera 47.

Restaurant Mare de la Font. Carretera de Bassella, Km 1.5, 25280 Solsona, Lleida.

Casa Angrill. Casa Angrill, s/n, 25283 Lladurs, Lleida.

Published July 1, 2018, updated September 3, 2023.