Puigcerdà
The capital of La Cerdanya with a population
of just 6500, the town of Puigcerdà dates
from the 12th century. A scenic town next to
a river, Puigcerdà’s porched Placa
Major is an atmospheric, arcaded old town square
which is the focus of activity in the town.
There is a man-made lake in the town that stands
as a testimony to 14th century engineering.
Built to irrigate the farmland in the surrounding
area, the lake freezes over in the winter and
it was here that ice-skating first became popular
in Spain. The town’s Ice Palace now holds
figure skating and ice hockey events. Puigcerdà
lake festival is held on the last Sunday in
August. There are some buildings of note in
the town, including the Gothic church of Sant
Domenec with its murals and the 40 metre high
bell tower in Plaça Santa Maria that
managed to survive the heavy bombing that Puigcerdà
suffered in the civil war. In the summer, Puigcerdà
is popular with day-trippers from France who
come to soak up the town’s atmosphere,
taking advantage of its numerous bars and restaurants.
The Real Cerdanya golf course is located just
outside Puigcerdà at Bolvir.
Puigcerdà has a range of services and
facilities for people living in or visiting
the surrounding areas. A market is held in Puigcerà
on Sundays.
Puigcerdà is 2km from France and 12km
from Andorra. The nearest city and airport is
at Perpignan in France, 65km away. Barcelona
is 90km from Puigcerdà on the E-9 highway,
via Manresa and the Cadi Tunnel. There is a
train station in the town.
Set in the amazing and beautiful Pyrenees,
the Cadí-Moixeró Natural
Park near to Puigcerdà is dotted
with villages and hamlets built against the
magnificent backdrop of mountains that remained
snowcapped for half the year. The Cadí-Moixeró
is an excellent area for walking and enjoying
the tranquility of the surrounding countryside.
Alp
Just south of Puigcerdà, Alp is where
La Cerdanya’s ski resorts are located.
The resorts of La Molina and Masella are both
popular with a large number of tourists over
the winter months. There are plans to join the
two resorts together to create one giant ski
complex which would be the largest in the Pyrenees.
In the summer, other types of mountain sports
are on offer.
A village of 1000 residents, there are a number
of hotels, restaurants and shops catering for
tourists in Alp. A market is held there on Thursdays.
Alp is a 5km south of Puigcerdà.
Fontanals de Cerdanya
South of Puigcerdà on the N-152 highway,
Fontanals de Cerdanya is a village of 370 inhabitants.
There is an 18-hole golf course in Fontanals
designed by Ramon Espinosa – Golf Fontanals
de Cerdanya. There are a couple of restaurants
in the village as well as a camping ground.
Fontanals is 6km south of Puigcerdà. |