Prades

Prades is a village in the county of Baix Camp. The town is also known as the Red Villa by the reddish sandstone that characterizes much of its buildings.

Its height above sea level (950 m) makes you enjoy an Atlantic climate that has become a busy summer resort. Winter, however, is cold and snow is present almost every year. With a census of 650 inhabitants, in summer you can see its population increased 6 or 7 times. The Villa was listed as a Cultural Interest (BIC) in 1993, for its historical sites.

Almost the entire term of Prades is affected by the PEIN (Plan for Areas of Natural Interest) and the Natura 2000 Network Prades Mountains and also found part of the Partial Natural Reserve of Barranco del Titllar and Tossal of Baltasana.

Very close, but in other municipalities, we find the Natural Park of Montsant, the PENIN Valley Monastery of Poblet bordered on the north by Pagès Plains and Sierra del Bosque, and the Partial Natural Reserve of the Altiplano of Motllats the southeast.

The square, the church, the castle and the walls are the main elements that determined, since medieval times, configuration and internal organization of the villa. The church of Santa Maria Maggiore, documented since 1194 is an eclectic construction, transition from Romanesque to Gothic and a main facade with Renaissance elements. The castle, which unfortunately we have very little, was located in the extreme northwest of the population. Its poor condition makes it very difficult to correct interpretation. It was the seat of the Counts of Prades until the chancery moved to Castle Falset. The item has been better preserved set the castle church, dedicated to St. Michael, which are few visible traces, only the apse around in ruins, a section of the ship and an old side chapel at the east end of north wall.

L 'Hermitage de l'Abellera possiblement dating from 1570 tot i fet Moltes reformes posteriors are n'han presents a força disposal all estranya ha that s'assenta in which he had servit Cova d'aixopluc. La Cova d'una form part Cinglera that assoleix els d'alçada 1,020 meters. Aquesta fa situació the view that s'albira des de l'indret NEXT extraordinary amb la vall riu Brugent. It diu that imatge de la Mare de Deu de l'Abellera the trobar is a pastor at a alzina to find qual anava mel, i segons the llegenda, will be the imatge Endur-cap vegades home i dues every cop's Mare de Deu retornava the seu lloc of descobriment. Parla També is going to be a former chapel on current l'a s'hauria retirat Queen Margarida de Prades. A l'Hermitage will viure hi ch to 1484, fra Bernat Boïl first Apostolic vicari of them going acompanyar Cistòfor Indies Colom in segon seu viatge to America.

In the village where two paths GR (Grand Tour), the GR 171 from Montblanc by Mola Estat, and variant GR 65-5 Camino de Santiago, which comes from the Albiol by Motllats, both out of town with one traced by Segalassos the west.

Around Prades find numerous roads, trails and tracks that will delight fans of trekking, mountain biking or family outing, the Natural Way and Route Oak Reboll, are an example, well marked. La Ruta del Roble Reboll, well signposted, shows a didactic walk on the Reboll oak (Quercus pyrenaica), unique copies in Catalonia, an exceptional biogeographical roughly grouped around the Tossal of Baltasana (Natural Reserve Partial Barranco del Titllar and Tossal of Baltasana). Near the Natural Way of Prades are listed as monumental tree Perelloner of Sisteré (Pyrus Spinosa), 12 meters high and 3.17 meters of glass.

As festivals include the Feast of the Potato, the following September 11 Sunday, which begins the campaign Potato Prades (or "trumfos" as they are known locally), recognized as Protected Geographical Indication (PGI), with a popular lunch with sausage, herring, grapes and potatoes baked delicacies market and competition stews and potato tortillas. Prades potato is a product of high quality with white flesh, sweet taste and good cooking, with pale yellow, smooth skin and a slight smell of chestnuts.