South of the Pyrenees, Spain

The picturesque city just north of Barcelona has a very different character of the famous and overvisited neighbour. Girona has preserved its medieval character although the first city was founded here by the Romans in the 1st century BCE. 

Rising from the tangle of the narrow streets in the old town, are the impressive Romanesque Cathedral and Basilica of Sant Feliu (and the original cathedral until the 10th century). 

  Just over half an hour’s drive or train trip north or Girona, is Figueres. Today famous as the birthplace of surrealist painter, sculptor, designer Salvador Dalí. Dalí created the museum of his art from the old Municipal Theatre, which he thought was the perfect place for three reasons: he considered himself as a theatrical painter, he was baptized at the church opposite of the theatre, and it was here that he hosted his first exhibition. 

Strictly speaking, Andorra is not south of the Pyrenees as this itinerary suggests. It is right in the middle of the mountain chain, a tiny state bordering France on the north and Spain on the south. 

The main attraction, not surprisingly, is nature. Hiking in summer and skiing in winter are the biggest drawing cards. For an art lover, Andorra has over 40 Romanesque churches and even some older than that, thanks to the Christians finding refuge in the mountains during Moorish invasion. They are small, single nave structures with belfries in Lombard style, in some cases added in the 12th century to the pre-Romanesque church. Church of Santa Coloma is a beautiful example of pre-Romanesque architecture. Its frescoes can be admired in the church itself, as well as at the nearby Columba Space you can learn about the significance of the Romanesque art in Andorra.

La Seu d’Urgell was named after the cathedral. The construction of the Cathedral of Saint Mary started in the 12th century and is a beautiful example of Catalan Romanesque art. Unlike the mountain churches, the Cathedral was built as a basilica with three naves and a transept that finishes at each end with a square tower, which gives the whole complex a fortress-like appearance. 

 Mont-Rebei Gorge is possibly the most dramatic gorge in the foothills of the Pyrenees and certainly not the kind of landscape we usually associate with Spain. The walk is not a difficult one and you will enjoy the dramatic cliffs above the Noguera Ribagorçana river whether you do a full 16km walk, or just a portion of it. The path changes from being carved into the mountain face to a staircase system suspended from the rock. Every part of the walk is breathtaking, with the cliffs 500 m high and the gorge being only 20m wide at its narrowest point 

Start the day with another spectacular walk: the Wall of Finestres. The amazing limestone formation of two parallel walls is commonly referred to as “Finestres Wall of China” although this one is a natural formation. The wall is actually two parallel walls formed by erosion and tectonic shifts. To make the site even more appealing, the Wall crosses the Canelles Reservoir, built in 1960.

Huesca gave the name to the province, but the city itself tends to get overlooked by people travelling to the Pyrenees. The city is easy to visit on foot and certainly worth the effort. The name derives from the Roman Osca, founded on the site of the Iberian settlement of Bolskan. The remains of the Roman period is el Coso, the town wall which was rebuilt in medieval times.

The must-see places include Cathedral of Santa Maria de Huesca, a gothic structure with an impressive ornate façade. The interior is quite austere, which makes the high altar, a masterpiece carved in alabaster, stand out beautifully.

In Jaca, we join the Way of St James, better known as “Camino”. The city is the first stop after crossing the Pyrenees from France, the trade corridor that has existed for centuries.

The Citadel is the most remarkable structure in Jaca. The pentagonal fortress was built under Philip II in late 16thcentury and is extremely well preserved to this day. The former barracks house a number of exhibitions, related to the military history and in the moat you can see a herd of deer.

This itinerary visits a few abandoned sights in Spain. But the list is not complete without the visit to Canfranc, a medieval village with the most magnificent (and disused) train station. 

In the mountains just south of Jaca, is one of the most important historic sights in Aragon, San Juan de la Peña. The origins of the monastery are wrapped in a legend of San Voto, who, believing St John the Baptist saved his life while deer hunting, built a small church and dwelling next to it. The history tells us the first church, now referred to as the lower church, was built here in the 9th century. The new church and monastery, now dedicated to St John was built in th3 11th century by Sancho III, king of Navarra.