Walking through the Valley of Camprodon

Churches Valley

Strolling through ancient core mountain is always nice. Does not matter whether summer or winter, the refreshing warmth of the mountain helps pass the good weather and the icy cold of the Pyrenees does enjoy ice cream surrounding landscapes.

This together with the architecture of churches that often preside over these nuclei, makes these places unique spaces and often make us think we have come out of a story.

If we start from the northernmost population of the valley, we'll have to head for Espinavell we find the church of Our Lady of the Snows of Espinavell. This architectural work dates from the late seventeenth century and is characterized by a square tower, similar to Romanesque Catalan found in the Valle de Boi, although it is decorated with some unusual openings.

If we continue the road, the next stop will Llanars. There we will find the church of San Esteban de Llanars which was built during the XII century. It has several noteworthy elements in its construction: on the one hand, the tool cover and the whole forming the front door, on the other, the construction of two lateral chapels that have changed the shape of the plant turning it into Latin cross, despite having a single ship. However, the most notable feature of the church is undoubtedly the painting on wood there on the altar of the church and that is the only one we found in the region.

Continuing the way we arrive at Vilallonga de Ter. The church of San Martín is one that has received more modifications of the three we have cited. Although its construction dates from the twelfth century, are subsequent amendments which have given its current appearance are of the eighteenth century. It became a church with a single nave, with a cover of ribbed vault and cut apse and a handful of chapels attached to the side.

Small towns

Looking at it in perspective, one might consider that almost all the towns of the Valley of Camprodon are small. Now if we move, we will see in detail how not everyone can be put in the same boat and we need to discern some above the rest. In fact, if we begin our journey through the valley all the little things will look different...

If we look again at the northernmost part of the valley, we meet again in Espinavell, where the church of Our Lady of the Snows that crowns the group of houses that do not conform or a street is. They are located in a rough and staggered slope.

To see the small cores have to move to the municipality of Vilallonga de Ter where we find the nuclei of La Roca, Abella and Tregurà. Each of these cores has its peculiarity. To discover we go to La Roca where we can see built a set of townhouses on a large boulder along the remains of what was once the Castle Rock. These homes are also built in stages in the sunniest part of the rock.

The next core where we stop will Abella. Building houses is quite curious since they are grouped into four formations of irregular shapes and apart. From this point it is close to Valle de Ribes de Freser and Ripollès Valley.

To end the visit to the small nuclei, we will go to Tregurà. Input must know that Tregurà is subdivided into two nuclei. Tregurà Up and Down Tregurà of Your location, over 1400 meters, offers a great view of the territory to anyone who enters a stroll around the Lovely fabric.

Camprodon and their environments

Camprodon is one of the largest in terms of the valley. It also contains villages like Beget, Rocabruna, Colonia Estevenell and other nuclei scattered.

Its origin is due to the construction of the Monastery of San Pedro and the right market was granted in the first quarter of the twelfth century.

This makes it a core with a rich history and architectural elements of earlier times, such as resort areas affluent personalities of Barcelona. However, they have nothing to envy to its natural beauty.

The magnificent surroundings of the population give rise to a large number of routes from this point, plus provide a number of sources that concentrates this population, highlighting the Fountain of San Patllari accompanied by music where food and water is held Ter and makes sisfrutar younger.

The core of Beget is located on a freehold, near the river that bears his name. In the end we find a Romanesque church where we can see the Virgin of Beget about 2 meters high.

The core of Rocabruna is dominated by the remains of the castle of Rocabruna, located in the southern part of the territory, although the center is at the top of Beget river, which at this point is also called Rocabruna river.

The summits of the valley

As every valley, the valley of Camprodon is surrounded by several peaks. Among them is the Puig de Pastuira, Puig de Fontlletera, the Balandrau or saws as Sierra Cavallera and the mountains of the Alta Garrotxa.

Puig de Pastuira is located between the town of Setcases and the Vilallonga de Ter and has a height of 2,354 meters.

Puig de Fontlletera is part of the Sierra de El Catllar, border between the valleys of Camprodon and Ribes. Its summit of 2851 meters separates the Balandrau by the neck of Tres Picos.

The Balandrau is the quintessential mountain area, thanks to the height of 2585 meters of the summit and, in turn, separates the valleys of Camprodon and Ribes.

The Sierra Cavallera has several peaks. The higher the Puig Estela, of 2,013 meters; The following is the Stone of Three Bisbats with 1899 meters; then there is the Puig Pla of Pasteres of 1,894 meters; and finally, the port of Pal 1,779 meters.

Legends of the valley

The legends are common in the valley of Camprodon. They come to narrarr the history of villages, churches and other elements of the area.

One of the highlights is the legend of Setcases that explains the origin of its name. Although it is not known if true, legend has it that the family of a father and his seven children went to the mountain - where they had not been never- to graze their sheep.

When they had a good stretch of road, it started snowing. The seven children, as they had not been in any mountain did not know what was the snow, asked their father, who was blind man were those white specks falling from the sky.

His response was not very encouraging, since the father expected to continue to fall and that snow cover across the grass and then the sheep could not eat and would die, so the father decided to go back down to where they found an elderberry flowery.

At the point where he was found, the children felt very comfortable and each built his own cabin. Around those seven cabins is where the first houses of the people who know the name of settled Setcases.

Another legend tells how they got the remains of St. Patllari the monastery of San Pedro de Camprodon.

It seems that some monks traveled to a village in the Alps to steal the saint's remains. The hid in a barrel that loaded on a donkey and returned to Spain. When they reached the height of Camprodon, the donkey did not want to move and after a lot of stretching, the monk left him there. The donkey was wandering around the town, past the church of Carmen and Santa Maria, until he came to the monastery of San Pedro, where he stayed, along with the remains of the saint.