Cardona

Cardona (cat. Cardona) is a city and municipality in Spain, included in the province of Barcelona as part of the autonomous community of Catalonia. The municipality is part of the Bajes district. It covers an area of 66.70 km². It had a population of 5182 people in 2010.

Cardona is located in the valley of Salina. Salina Valley (La Vall Salina) is a place where natural salt layers have formed over several million years. The mountain range has the shape of an elongated ellipse. The massif borders the Cardener River in the east, the Tresserres mountain range (Tresserres) in the south, Gran Bofia (la Bòfia Gran) in the west and the Sierra (the city itself and Cardona Castle) in the north. In total, the valley area encompasses 100 hectares. The whole territory is included in the State Plan of Natural Interests of Catalonia (el Pla d’Espais d’Interès Natural de Catalunya).

Mining has long been a crucial part of the location of the city and the castle of Cardona. The exploitation of salt deposits and the establishment of the viscountcy Osona (vescomtal d’Osona) in the castle led to the fact that Cardona Castle and the city created a powerful jurisdiction in the Cardenar River region between the 12th and 14th centuries. By the 15th century, the power of Cardona extended over a vast territory about 60 km long and about 50 km wide. Read more about the history of the region here.

Tourism and attractions in Cardona

Today Cardona with a population of 5,000 is one of the tourist centers of Catalonia. Every year more than half a million tourists visit the city, mainly from Spain and France.

Among the main attractions is the Castle of Cardona (El Castell i la Colo • legiata de Sant Vicenç).

Since ancient times, man has sought places on high ground to build fortresses that would allow him to control a territory. In Cardona, the geographical location of the castle corresponds to the need to protect access to the salt deposit and control over the valley of the Cardener River.

Built on top of a mountain to control the land around the Cardener River Basin, Cardona Castle was from the 11th to the 15th century the main residence of the Lords of Cardona. The castle complex is divided in half between the majestic pavilions and the canonical Romanesque chapel of Sant Vicenç. The architectural complex includes the Tower of Minion (Torre de la Minyona), the Ducal Palace (Pati Ducal), and numerous defensive bastions.

Cardona Castle is an excellent example of military fortification, which shows the evolution of military art from the Middle Ages to the modern era. The castle was home to one of the country’s most important noble families, and protecting the exploitation of salt mines meant that its fortification was impregnable. The power of the castle as a military fortification is proved by the fact that the castle was taken only once during the war for the succession of the Spanish king, Felipe 5 (1711-1714).

The chapel of Sant Vicenç is original, dating from the 11th century, and was consecrated between about 1029 and 1040. This is a magnificent example of Romanesque architecture which has a three-nave basilica plan. In the chapel there are also several tombs and pantheons belonging, in particular, to Duke Ferran I and Count Joan Ramon Folt I.

Currently, the castle is a four-star hotel, restaurant and cafe with a great view over the valley.

The castle is open to the public; however, guided tours are possible only on Saturdays and Sundays (tel. 93 869 24 75).

Among the museums of Cardona is the medieval center (Center Cardona Medieval) – another attraction of the city. Located on the Plaza de la Fira (plaça de la Fira), opposite the Cardona Town Hall, this center helps to highlight the city’s history and cultural heritage. The permanent exhibition with extensive graphic and audiovisual accompaniment explains the emergence and evolution of the city, and the construction of the fortress of Cardona, which has defended the city for over five hundred years.

A virtual tour offers a visit through the most significant historical sites, including visiting the parish church of San Miquel with its magnificent Gothic nave. The Church of Sant Miquel is an example of Catalan Gothic architecture. The church was consecrated in 1397. Inside the temple there are two side altars and crypts of holy martyrs.

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The Catalan city of Puigcerda – famous for its horse fairs and skiing

The Catalan city of Puigcerda – famous for its horse fairs and skiing

Puigcerda (Catalan Puigcerdà) is the capital of the Catalan comarca of Cerdanya, in the province of Girona, Catalonia, northern Spain, near the Segre River and on the border with France (it borders directly the French city of Bourg-Madame).

Puigcerda is a city with a population of 9,100 people. Puigcerdà is located on the banks of the river Segre, at an altitude of 1215 metres. Translated from the Catalan “puig” means “hill”. From the hill you can see the beautiful Cerdanya valley – the largest in the Pyrenees. On its territory there is a nature park Cadí-Moixeró, where you can come across rare species of animals and birds.

The city has its own media stations: two radio stations (the state-run “Radio Puigcerda“ and private “Radio Pyrenees”), a TV channel, a newspaper, and a free monthly magazine.

History of Puigcerda

The city was founded in 1177 by the king of Spain, Alfonso. The city has been famous for its fairs since 1182, in particular, its horse fairs which are famous throughout Spain.

It is worth recalling that since the days of Napoleon in France, the division of territories was into departments in France, and in Spain – in the province. So, from 1813 Puigcerdà was one of the four provincial capitals of Catalonia (along with Barcelona, Girona and Lleida).

In 1833, Spain was divided into two warring parties. One supported don Carlos and his heirs, the Carlist party. The other stood on the side of Isabella and her mother, Mary Christina, she was called the party of Christinos. Political strife has triggered three wars, called the Carlist wars.

These wars had a significant impact on the development of Puigcerdà. The city ceased to be the capital (Tarragona became the fourth capital), but this did not prevent it from developing dynamically – mainly due to agriculture, and later, from the beginning of the XX century, due to tourism.

Tourism and what to do

Tourism in Puigcerdà forms the main income of the budget, which currently stands at 13.5 million euros.

Lovers of active leisure and tourism in the mountains are main tourists. After the Spanish Civil war (1936-1939) the first ski resorts appeared here. The closest are La Molina and Masella, there are also ski resorts from France-Pyrénées 2000, Les Angles, etc.

A distinctive feature of the ski resorts of the Cerdanya plateau (Baixa Cerdanya – Spain, Alta Cerdanya – France) is the meteorological conditions. There is often good sunny weather and a lot of snow. It is also important that the ski slopes are on the sunny side of the Pyrenees. Here you can engage in all winter sports: Alpine and cross-country skiing (in the mountains), hockey, curling, figure skating (in a sports complex located in the city, which also has a large stadium, climatic pool, football pitch and tennis court).

The sports complex belongs to the city. The price for a subscription and a single visit is the cheapest in Catalonia.

In summer, mountain sports are also available in the region (mountaineering, climbing, hiking of different levels of difficulty, mountain and road biking).

There are also three Golf clubs near the town.

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Font-Romeu

Font-Romeu is located in the Languedoc-Roussillon region of the Eastern Pyrenees (Pyrénées-Orientales) on the Cerdagne plateau, 40 km from Andorra, 87 km from Perpignan (France) and 170 km from Barcelona (Spain, Catalonia). The city is “the heart of the Catalan Pyrenees” with panoramic views, clean air, and bright light. It is located at an altitude of 1800 m above sea level.

The city has about 6,500 inhabitants, with about 2,050 of those being permanent residents.

Font-Romeu is well-known for its high reputation in the world of sports and tourism since it was here in the early 20 s and was one of the first ski resorts in France.

Font Romeu is known as “the land of champions”. The city is famous for the fact that outstanding athletes lived and trained here: Martin Fourcade, a French biathlete who won four Olympic medals (two gold and two silver), 10 world champion titles, 10 crystal globes and 63 individual victories; Kilian Jornet, who is known as a “heaven rider”, a professional mountaineer and athlete, a long distance runner who made history thanks to the fastest ascent and descent of the Matterhorn, Mont Blanc, Denali, and Everest; the famous French swimmer Camille Lacourt, French athlete Colette Besson.

In 1920-1930, Font-Romeu was called the “Winter Sports Palace”, where the world elite loved to come, as it was here that one of the first and most prestigious ski resorts in France appeared. At present, it has 103 km of cross-country skiing tracks (22 runs: 7 “green”, 10 “blue” and 5 “red”), 41 downhill ski slopes (15 “green”, 10 “blue “, 7” red “and 9” black “). It is about 50 km in total. The slopes are maintained by 500 snow cannons, and the resort has one snow park and four ski schools. The resort also has three separate slopes for slalom skiers and a stadium for biathlon. The resort also provides the opportunity to go night skiing – both for amateurs and for competitors with the participation of, as a rule, the Northern European countries.

By looking at the number of ski passes that were sold, we can see, as I said, during last year’s 2016-2017 season almost 700 thousand tourists visited. In general, in winter and summer, the city recorded up to 1 million people who spent at least one night here.

The Town Hall of Font-Romeu is one of the oldest buildings that has recently been completely renovated. Mayor of the city – a former journalist, politician Jean-Louis Demelin.

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Cities of Catalonia: “Good luck city” as mark of the best European rafting city Sort (Lleida Province)

Cities of Catalonia: “Good luck city” as mark of the best European rafting city Sort (Lleida Province)

Sort is the capital of the provinces Pallars Sobirà, Lleida, Catalonia, Spain. The city is located at an altitude of 692 m above sea level, near the Noguera Pallaresa River, a tributary of the Segre River.

Population: 2.113 (in 2005). Population density: 20.4 / km²

Area: 105.13 km²

The name “Sort” in Catalan means “good luck”. The lottery ticket shop “La Bruixa d’Or” (“Golden Witch”) is the most famous in Catalonia. They say that this shop sells a lot of winning tickets – according to statistics, those who buy tickets from this shop are more likely to win.

The administrative division of Sort includes the traditional district of Sort, as well as the settlements of Llessui and Enviny that were joined in 1970. In 1976, Altron was also attached to the municipality. The territory of the municipality extends along the shores of the Sort, Barran de Montardit valley (Mall del Barranc de Montardi), Barranc de Santa Anna valley (vall del Barranc de Santa Anna) and almost all of the Val d’Asua valley (Vall d’Àssua).

In the north, the land is bordered by the municipality of Espot, in the north-east by Rialp, in the south by Soriguera, and in the west by Baix Pallars and Torre de Capdella.

Architectural sights and what to see

Sant Feliu de Sort is the parish church of the city, in the old municipal district, the Pallars district of Sobir. It is located in the city center, in the Plaza Mayor, opposite the C13 national highway. This monument of Romanesque architecture belongs to the objects of cultural significance and is protected by the state.

The church has three naves and a rectangular “back” facing the west. Tts facade is located at the foot of the nave. In the north-eastern part of the tower stands a powerful bell tower.

Sant Esteve de Castellviny – a parish church, is also included on the list of Spain’s architectural heritage sights. The church was built in a strictly Romanesque style. It is located in the suburbs of Sort.

The ancient fortress of the Counts of Pallars was presumably built in the 11th century. In the Middle Ages, the fortress served as a defense mechanism. In the era of civil wars in Spain, there were prisons in the citadel. Only in 2007, the local municipality opened a museum in this area. Museum expositions are devoted to the Catalan wars, including the era of the Second World War.

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Foix – the most touristy city of Ariège (France)

Foix – the most touristy city of Ariège (France)

Foix is a city in which (2018) 9,721 people live. It is part of an agglomeration called Country Foix Varilhes (32,000 inhabitants), which, in turn, is part of the Ariège department, with a population of 160,000 inhabitants.

About 90,000 tourists visit the city annually.

The political structure (as of November 2018): the Municipal Council of Foix is made up of 29 municipal councilors, most of whom (24 councilors) are socialists associated with the Europe-écologie-les Verts (left) party. There are 3 elected Republicans (right) and 2 representatives of France’s insoumise (extreme left). Members of the municipal council are elected for a term of 6 years. The next elections will be held in March 2020.

Initially, on the rocky hill where the Château de Foix castle is now located, the Romans built the first defensive fortress. The city of Foix owes its origin to the construction of Charlemagne’s chapel, which later (849) became the abbey of Saint Volusien.

The founding of the abbey in 849 caused an active city life to begin in the town and its surroundings in the 10th century up to the 12th century. The city reached its peak in the fourteenth century.

In 1536, the first sermon of the Reformation began in Foix, and in 1579 the church of Montgauz was destroyed. The same fate awaited the abbey and its church in 1581.

The following year, Foix was restored by the Catholics, and in 1589, Count of Foix, Henry the Great, King of Navarre, was crowned king of France and became Henry IV.

Sights and what to see?

Among the main attractions of the city is the castle (Chateau de Foix). The documented history of the castle begins in 987. From 1034, it became the main citadel of the county of Foix, which played a prominent role in the history of medieval France. Since the 1890s, it has been one of France’s monuments of history and culture.

Today, the Chateau de Foix is one of the most interesting sights in the Southern Pyrenees. This majestic citadel, towering on a rocky hill above the city of the same name, is listed by the French Ministry of Culture on the list of monuments of national importance. The three towers – the main architectural elements of this castle – are examples of fortification art from different periods. The two square towers belong to the XII century, and a large round tower was built in the XV century.

Chateau de Foix, whose foundation dates back to the tenth century, was a strong fortress that withstood Simon de Montfort IV’s repeated attacks between 1211 and 1217 during the Albigoi crusade.

In 1272, when Count Foix refused to recognize the sovereignty of the king of France, Philip “Bald” personally took over the leadership of the expedition against the city, after which the count gave up.

In 1290, at a meeting in the Béarn district and the county of Foix, the city was practically abandoned by the counts. Gaston the Third was the last to live in the castle, and by the sixteenth century the castle had lost its military purpose.

Subsequently, the castle was used as a prison until 1864.

Other interesting attractions to see include:

The court building (1811) – the governor’s palace of Foix, which then became the property of the state.
Arget Square: an 18th century stone fountain (made of sandstone)

Street Rue des Chapeliers – in house number 23 the hotel Sere-Treville (belonged to the family of Treville, captain of the musketeers of the king, a friend of D’Artagnan) was previously located.

Rue du Palais de Justice is the first residential street of the city where the first church of Foix was built.

Rue de l’Arget street – here there are two medieval towers

Rue de la préfecture street – a house with caryatids

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The cradle of Catalonia: Ripoll and its tourist attractions

The cradle of Catalonia: Ripoll and its tourist attractions

Ripoll (Catalan version – Ripoll) is a municipality in Spain, which is part of the province of Girona in the autonomous community of Catalonia. The municipality is part of the Ripollès district.

The city is located in a picturesque green mountain gorge where you can find the confluence of two rivers: Ter and Freser.

The first mentions of the presence of people in Ripoll belong to the Bronze Age (1500-600 BC). This information refers to small, disparate settlements near the Ter and Freser rivers, surrounded by mountains. The findings of bronze objects and tools confirm these assumptions.

In the IX century, residents of the surrounding areas began to concentrate around the place that today is called the city of Ripoll. The initiator of the settlement in this area was Count Guifré el Pelós (840-897).

Ripoll, because of its strategic location at the crossroads and because of its early industrial and business activities — the cradle of Catalonia’s industrialization — has always been the focus of French and Spanish military conflicts throughout history.

Throughout its history, Ripoll served as a major industrial center, primarily associated with metallurgy and iron processing. For example, in the 16th and 18th centuries, the city was known throughout Europe for its connection with the production of firearms, mainly cannons and muskets.

However, the equally important role of the city is the cultural heritage of Catalonia. Not without reason, at the end of the 19th century the phrase “Ripoll – the cradle of Catalonia” appeared. And one of the best Catalan writers of all time, Jacint Verdaguer, in his Canigó poem describes the city in the 11th song:

“In Ripoll, we discover the quintessence of modernism in architecture, created during technological progress and industrialization in the vicinity of the Ter and Freser rivers”.

Major tourist attractions and what to see:

The main architectural landmark of the city is the monastery of Santa Maria de Ripoll. This is one of the most famous and memorable historic buildings in Catalonia. Gothic basilica, vaults and arches make it a must-visit for art lovers. Many famous names in Catalan history are associated with the monastery: Count Gifre the Hairy (Guifré el Pelós), considered as one of the fathers of the Catalan nation, Abbot Oliba, Count Ramon Berenguer III and IV, Bishop Josep.

Opening hours:

Summer schedule (from April 1 to September 30)

Morning: from 10:00 to 14:00.

Afternoon: from 16:00 to 19:00.

Sunday and public holidays: from 10:00 to 14:00

From June 26 to September 11

On Sundays from 10:00 to 14:00 and from 16:00 to 19:00.

Winter hours (from October 1 to March 30)

Morning: from 10:00 to 13:30.

Afternoon: from 15:30 to 18:00.

Sunday and public holidays: from 10:00 to 14:00.

December 25 and 26 and January 1 and 6: CLOSED

December 24 and 31 and January 5: from 10:00 to 14:00.

The Ethnographic Museum of Ripoll is also a must-visit as it is considered to be the main ethnographic museum in Catalonia.

The museum, in particular, features the L’Scriptorium Archive, an important tourist attraction in Ripoll. The archive contains the original manuscripts written by the Benedictine monks of the monastery of Santa Maria. Many of the documents date back to the 10th, 11th, and 12th centuries. The archive in Ripoll is named as one of the most important artefacts of Europe from a paleographic, textual and artistic point of view. In particular, in the archive you can see the originals of two great handwritten Bibles from the 11th century.

The L’Scriptorium Archive is a permanent exhibition that, interactively and didactically, makes it possible to discover the cultural past of the Monastery of Santa Maria.

Opening hours:

September to June

From Tuesday to Saturday: from 10:00 to 13:30 and from 16:00 to 18:00

Sunday and public holidays: from 10:00 to 14:00

July August

From Tuesday to Saturday: from 10:00 to 13:30 and from 16:00 to 19:00

Sunday and public holidays: from 10:00 to 14:00

* Mondays of August: from 10 to 14 hours

Prices: 4 euros. The last Sunday of every month is free.

Address: Plaça de l’Abat Oliba s / n 17500 Ripoll, telephone: 972 703 144

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