Northern
Ripolles
There is a trail of beautiful Romanesque churches
leading northeast from Ripoll, the villages
becoming more remote as you continue north into
the Pyrenees mountains.
Sant Joan de les Abadesses
This town of 4000 people has a famous monastery
with a 12th century tower, which attracts many
tourists. The 12th century bridge, which is
an elegant construction with angular arches,
is also a prominent landmark in the town and
there are views of the terraced and farmed land
in the valley below from the bridge. There are
restaurants, bars and shops in the town. Sant
Joan is 12km from Ripoll.
North of Sant Joan is the village of Ogassa,
located in the mountains with 250 inhabitants
about 4km from Sant Joan.
Camprodon
A typical Pyrenean mountain town, Camprodon
has vestiges of its use by the Cataln gentry
in the 19th century as a holiday destination,
with finely decorated mansions set amongst manicured
gardens and town houses with distinctive modernist
embellishments. Situated at the meeting point
of 2 rivers, the Ter and the
Ritort, there are many bridges
in the town. On the 16th century Pont Nou Bridge,
you can still see the old defensive tower. In
the winter months, the Camprodon fills up with
skiers, on their way to the Pyrenean resorts.
The town of 2500 people has plenty of shops,
catering to the needs of its visitors. Many
of them sell ski wear and leather goods. There
is also an abundance of local sausages and cheese
available in the town. The street market is
held on Sundays.
A 9-hole golf course, Club de Golf Camprodon,
is located in the town.
Camprodon is 26km from Ripoll
Llanars
Further into the mountains is the village of
Llanars with a population of 450 and a nice
Romanesque church built in the 12th century.
Molló
Very close to the French border, the village
of Molló has 350 inhabitants. The Romanesque
church there, Santa Cecilia, is distinctive
due to its narrow, tall bell tower. There are
restaurants, shops and hotels in Molló.
Molló is 32km from Ripoll.
Villalonga de Ter
West of Molló, Villalonga de Ter is set
in gorgeous green surroundings. Well placed
for walking and hiking and enjoying the Pyrenees,
there is a year round campsite in the village
of 400 people. Villonga is
8km west of Molló.
Setcases
Set in a breathtaking location high in the Pyrenees,
Setcases is a village of 150 inhabitants. It
used to be an important agricultural centre,
but was gradually abandoned over the years until
it became almost deserted. With the increasing
popularity of skiing in the late 20th century,
people began to move back to Setcases, for working
or holidays, and second homes also became popular
there. The result is that the village is a mixture
of the modern resort hotels and the old, decaying
buildings of pre-ski Setcases. There are plenty
of hotels and restaurants in the village, which
is 11km from Camprodon.
Near Setcases is the ski resort of Vallter.
Located nest to the French border at the top
of the Ter valley, it is the most easterly resort
in the Pyrenees and the snow here can be unreliable,
although the resort has a number of snow-making
machines. There are 12km of piste at Vallter.
Northwest of Ripolles is the
arresting Freser Valley which
drops down to Ribes de Freser and back up to
Queralbs in the north of the region.
Just north of Ripolles in the Freser Valley
are the small villages of Gombrèn
and Campelles.
Ribes de Freser
Ribes is situated by a river and is an agricultural
town with a quiet atmosphere. There are many
shops in the town geared towards this agricultural
theme, selling bags of grain and seed. There
is a large Saturday market in Ribes, the most
important in the area.
Ribes is 20km from Ripoll. There is a RENFE
train station in the town and from here, the
spectacular train ride on the Cremellera track
follows the Pyrenean mountain range into France.
Near to Ribes are the small Pyrenean villages
of Planoles (270 inhabitants)
and Pardines (150 people).
The small village of Toses
(150 people) is located right next to the French
border in the far northwest of Ripolles.
Queralbs
High in the mountains Queralbs is an attractive
stone village located in a breathtaking gorge.
The village has been renovated and it attracts
many tourists in peak season. Queralbs has 200
residents, but its size increases in the summer
when the hotels fill up. There are restaurants
and shops in the village.
Just a few kilometres from the French border,
there is a train station in Queralbs and the
Cremallera track passes through it.
South of Ripoll in the lower
Pyrenean valleys are the villages of Les
Llosses and Vallfogona de Ripollès.
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