Bossòst

Bossòst is a lively Baix Aran town with shops that attract many visitors, mainly from the neighboring country, since it is a few kilometers from France, through the beautiful Portilhòn Port.

Beyond its commercial activity, Bossòst is home to a magnificent example of Aranese architecture, the church of Mair de Diu dera Purificacion. A reliable visual document of 12th century Romanesque architecture, this beautiful parish church is a perfect compendium of the main characteristics of this Romanesque art with its basilica plan with three apses decorated with arches and Lombard bands. Its bell tower, its windows and the great iconographic richness of its covers stand out. Inside, a detail that does not go unnoticed is the testimony of a fragment of mural painting located in the central apse, where the representation of the Epiphany scene can be sensed: according to the latest studies, these scenes are from around the 14th-15th centuries..

It is worth visiting the seven Romanesque chapels that surround the town and which, according to legend, were built by its inhabitants in the 19th century to protect themselves from the plague. Those of Sant Cerat, Sant Joan Crisòstom, Soala Casteràs, La Pietat and Sant Antoni stand out, where every June the residents carry out a pilgrimage. However, the patron saint of Bossòst is Sant Ròc, and the town's main festival is celebrated for his name day, on August 16.

A pretty tree-lined promenade, Eth Grauèr, runs through Bossòst on the banks of the Garonne, around which there is usually a lot of entertainment in shops, bars and restaurants. The river in this section is especially wide and powerful, which is why it offers ideal conditions for practicing rafting and other adventure sports. Furthermore, in Bossòst we find the only sawmill left in the Val d'Aran, the last testimony of which was a key activity in the Valley's economy.

Another of the activities that had great specific weight in this area of Baix Aran was mining. You can see this by seeing the remains of the Margalida mines going up an unpaved track that enters the forest of the same name, a place recently frequented by the brown bear and in whose waters the Pyrenean newt breeds every summer. You will reach this track by crossing the river over the new bridge and taking the paved track on the left that continues towards Arres, while on the left it deviates towards the forest.

But without a doubt the most spectacular itinerary that can be done from Bossòst is the climb to Port del Portilhòn. This is a particularly famous and tough stage within the Vuelta Ciclista a España, which runs through a lush fir forest. On this tour you cannot miss making a stop at the Coth de Baretja from whose balcony-viewpoint there is a spectacular view of the Baix Aran: Bossòst on the slopes and the Margalida forest in front. If you follow this road, you reach France entering through the famous town of Luchon.