El Valle de Arán is located in the Central Pyrenees, where the Catalan Pyrenees ends and the Aragonese Pyrenees begins. It is a region that borders France and Aragon, well known for having the famous Baqueira Beret ski resort. But the Aran Valley is much more than ski slopes, as it has beautiful villages and natural landscapes.
We will discover everything that we can see in the Aran Valley area, since it is a place that has a lot of influx in winter, but also begins to be a tourist destination in summer due to the charm offered by the small mountain villages that it houses.
Baqueira Beret Station
One of the main attractions that the Arán Valley region has is precisely the Baqueira Beret ski resort. This mountain area has more than 150 kilometers of slopes, children's areas, restaurants, luxury hotels and all kinds of services. During the winter it is one of the most visited places to enjoy snow sports and it is the main tourist motor of the population. However, more and more people also come to the valley in search of beautiful mountain landscapes during the summer, to visit its charming villages.
Villages of the Aran Valley
These small towns have a large influx during the winter, as many are close to the ski areas and host tourists. But it is a great idea to visit them outside of this season which is considered the peak season. So they can better appreciate the mountain villages with their tranquility and its landscapes without snow. In addition, in the Arán Valley there are a large number of small towns that can be seen in an interesting route, since each one will not take us more than a day to visit it.
Vielha
Vielha is the town that concentrates the most services and population, since it is also the capital of the Aran Valley in Lleida. In the center of the city you can see the old church of Sant Miquèu, of which the tower stands out, with an octagonal bell tower. Inside the church is the carving of Cristo de Mijarán, which was originally in the church of Santa María de Mijarán, destroyed in the Civil War. In the city you can also visit several museums such as the Ethnological Museum, to learn more about its history, and the Wool Museum, located in an old factory.
In the surroundings you can enjoy a beautiful natural environment. Nearby is the waterfall Saut Deth Pish. It is easy to get there and a few meters before there is a parking lot, so you can easily drive to appreciate this waterfall of about 35 meters.
Artsies
In this town, which many consider the most beautiful in the valley, you can see the church of Santa María from the XNUMXth century, built in the typical Romanesque style of this area. Inside there are some baroque-style altarpieces. It is also possible to enjoy two outdoor thermal pools with natural thermal water at 39 degrees. This town closes to traffic at night to enjoy walking through it.
Salardu
This town is one of those that many tourists choose when they want to go to Baqueira Beret but want to have a slightly cheaper accommodation. In its Plaza Mayor you can see a beautiful picture of the old area from town.
Canejan
In the town of Canejan you can see different places of interest. The church of Sant Joan de Toran in Romanesque style or the church of Sant Sernilh, also of Romanesque base. Do not forget that the Aran Valley is a place where there are many Romanesque buildings. We can walk the Camin des Creus, where there are crosses until we reach a metal cross. A path that symbolizes the Calvary of Holy Week. From the viewpoint we will have great views of the town.
bossost
This town it is located to the left of the river Garonne. In its historic center, the parish church of the Asunción de María stands out, which belongs to the 7th century Romanesque. In this area you can do an excursion called the Route of the XNUMX Protective Hermitages. These small hermitages were centuries ago a protection against the plague. In the heart of the town we can also see an old laundry that was a meeting place.
Nail
This town near Salardú has great wine bars. During the visit we can see the Eulària church, also belonging to the XNUMXth century Romanesque. From the church in the area of the cemetery there are great views of the town. The Strong House of Unha is one of its most interesting buildings, with old defensive bastions.