Pedraforca i La Pobla de Lillet, #1, Catalunya, 2024
“Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting, So…get on your way!”
—Dr. Seuss, 1904-1991
Is it a “normal town”, or just another overvisited “tourist town”?
This little mountain village (population: about 1,100, counting dogs and cats), nestled in the foothills of the pre-Pyrenees (that is, in the foothills of the foothills of the still bigger peaks) is, perhaps, a lurking, hidden gem. It has not yet been completely restored to the nth degree for the tourist trade as, say, such a heavily trammeled and internationally famous place like Peratallada, but nor is it a simple farm village still half asleep. Here, there are still a number of houses, store fronts, and buildings that are not… uh… well, lets say not in the best of condition, but there are also an apparently growing number of structures in the town center that have been recently and beautifully restored. So, there is definitely a trend here… and there is a grocery store, a few bars, a handful of places to eat or stay the night, and, to top it off, a nice, clear, bubbling creek which splits the town in half–which you can walk across via four footbridges including the classic, restored, 12th/13th century “Old Bridge” (Pont Vell).
I’d say this place is sort of in transition from being just another quiet Catalan burg in the hills, to being yet one more popular destination for both local and foreign tourists. Visit while you can!
It’s location is key. It is less than two hours from Barcelona by car, in the mountains yet still at an elevation low enough to be accessible in the snowy winter months, and…
…you are surrounded by miles of relaxing forest greenery, the double summits of the rocky and imposing Pedraforca (the “Pitchfork”, at 2,506 meters, or 8,223 feet) loom above, the nearby headwaters of the Riu Llobregat happily gush out of holes in the side of a limestone mountain, and then there’s the curious abandoned cement factory which you can explore after a brief ride uphill via a very cute and historic narrow gauge train.
So, plenty to do: hang out at one of the cafes beside the main road, walk the narrow streets, take the aforementioned trencito to the cement factory, visit the monastery and castle “ruins” (the latter a superb viewpoint but with just a small wall of the edifice remaining), spend an hour meditating in the Jardins Artigas (designed by a very young Antoni Gaudí i Cornet), drive up the switchbacks a bit to see the Fonts del Llobregat and the definitely restored, immaculate, and touristy village of Castellar de n’Hug (sheep dog trials in August!).
The most popular sports around these parts? Farming, cattle and sheep husbandry, sheep dog training and trials, exploring rough dirt roads, hiking, road cycling, mountain biking, rock climbing, paragliding, skiing (La Molina), photography, church/chapel/monastery sleuthing, general sightseeing and riding of giant luxury tourist buses, relaxing with a beer, coffee, or ice cream cone at an outside cafe, and, of course, watching soccer (futbol) with screaming fans at the village bar.
Some Local Images:
Your mission, should you decide to accept it, is to detect which images were made with the 45 megapixel Nikon D850, and which were made by a mere iPhone 15.
La Pobla de Lillet from the Castell, #2, Catalunya, 2024
Dawn near La Pobla de Lillet, #3, Catalunya, 2024
Dawn near La Pobla de Lillet, #4, Catalunya, 2024
Dawn near La Pobla de Lillet (Castell), #7, Catalunya, 2024
La Senyera i La Lluna al Castell (castle ruins), La Pobla de Lillet, Catalunya, 2024
Random Remote Farm House, near La Pobla de Lillet, Catalunya, 2024
Early Summer at the Monestir, La Pobla de Lillet, Catalunya, 2024
L’Església de Sant Miquel de Lillet (12th century, and windowless!), La Pobla de Lillet, Catalunya, 2024
Another day and another angle at L’Església de Sant Miquel de Lillet, La Pobla de Lillet, Catalunya, 2024
El Castell i La Senyera (from below), #2, La Pobla de Lillet, Catalunya, 2024
Around Town
Weathered Doors, #1, La Pobla de Lillet, Catalunya, 2024
Porta del Castell, La Pobla de Lillet, Catalunya, 2024
Carrer de Nord, La Pobla de Lillet, Catalunya, 2024
Catalan Culture, La Pobla de Lillet, Catalunya, 2024
Cine Llobregat, #4, La Pobla de Lillet, Catalunya, 2024
Cine Llobregat, #7, La Pobla de Lillet, Catalunya, 2024
Pont Vell (12th/13th centuries), La Pobla de Lillet, Catalunya, 2024
Pont Vell Archway (12th/13th centuries), La Pobla de Lillet, Catalunya, 2024
Eusebi Güell i Bacigalupi Memorial Fountain, La Pobla de Lillet, Catalunya, 2024
Entrance to the Forest, Pobla de Lillet, Catalunya, 2024
Trailside Geology, #1, Pobla de Lillet, Catalunya, 2024
Ajuntament, #2, La Pobla de Lillet, Catalunya, 2024
The Narrow Gauge Train and the Asland Cement Factory (Portland Cement!)
An odd type of tourism…
Tren del Ciment, #1, La Pobla de Lillet, Catalunya, 2024
Museu de Ciment, #27, La Pobla de Lillet, Catalunya, 2024
Museu de Ciment, #18, La Pobla de Lillet, Catalunya, 2024
How it looked in 1930. Cement Plant, La Pobla de Lillet, Catalunya, 2024
Museu de Ciment, #21, La Pobla de Lillet, Catalunya, 2024
Museu de Ciment, #13, La Pobla de Lillet, Catalunya, 2024
Museu de Ciment, #2, La Pobla de Lillet, Catalunya, 2024
Museu de Ciment, #5, La Pobla de Lillet, Catalunya, 2024
Museu de Ciment, #9, La Pobla de Lillet, Catalunya, 2024
Museu de Ciment, #10, La Pobla de Lillet, Catalunya, 2024
Museu de Ciment, #19, La Pobla de Lillet, Catalunya, 2024
Museu de Ciment, #23, La Pobla de Lillet, Catalunya, 2024
Museu de Ciment, #26, La Pobla de Lillet, Catalunya, 2024
Jardins Artigas
Designed by Gaudí, can you tell? Blending in to Nature is the key…
Jardins Artigas, #1, La Pobla de Lillet, Catalunya, 2024
Jardins Artigas, #3, La Pobla de Lillet, Catalunya, 2024
Jardins Artigas, #6, La Pobla de Lillet, Catalunya, 2024
Jardins Artigas, #8, La Pobla de Lillet, Catalunya, 2024
Jardins Artigas, #10, La Pobla de Lillet, Catalunya, 2024
Jardins Artigas, #12, La Pobla de Lillet, Catalunya, 2024
Jardins Artigas, #13, La Pobla de Lillet, Catalunya, 2024
Jardins Artigas, #14, La Pobla de Lillet, Catalunya, 2024
Jardins Artigas, #16, La Pobla de Lillet, Catalunya, 2024
Les Fonts de Llobregat
Les Fonts de Llobregat, the source of the Riu Llobregat which flows into the Mediterranean Sea just south of Barcelona, is just a short drive up the curvy mountain road from La Pobla de Lillet, followed by a 10-15 minute walk on an easy trail from the parking area…
Les Fonts del Llobregat, #1, Catalunya, 2024
Les Fonts del Llobregat, #2, Catalunya, 2024
Les Fonts del Llobregat, #5, Catalunya, 2024
Les Fonts del Llobregat, #7, Catalunya, 2024
Les Fonts del Llobregat, #11, Catalunya, 2024
Les Fonts del Llobregat, #14, Catalunya, 2024
Les Fonts del Llobregat, #15, Catalunya, 2024
Castellar de n’Hug and the Serra del Cadí
Just a couple of kilometers above the Fonts de Llobregat you will find the proudly restored village of Castellar de n’Hug (say, “kasta-Yah dah noog”), famous for the sheep dog trials I mentioned in the blog intro. From there, continue farther up the road, above tree line, into the Serra de Cadí for some wonderful views. For me unfortunately, this particular morning was a bit hazy. Still, Montserrat was visible on the far horizon. Over the mountain to the north you’ll find the ski area La Molina, such are the winters around here…
Castellar de n’Hug, Catalunya, 2024
The Cat House (For Sale!), Castellar de n’Hug, Catalunya, 2024
El Refugi del Pastor (Sheep herder’s shelter), #2, Castellar de n’Hug, Catalunya, 2024
Castellar de n’Hug from above, #2, Catalunya, 2024
La Ermita de Sant Joan de Cornudell, #1, near Castellar de n’Hug, Catalunya, 2024
La Ermita de Sant Joan de Cornudell, #2, near Castellar de n’Hug, Catalunya, 2024
Near Coll de la Creueta, #1, Catalunya, 2024
Near Coll de la Creueta, #6, Catalunya, 2024
Near Coll de la Creueta, #9 (Montserrat in the distance), Catalunya, 2024
Near Coll de la Creueta, #11 (Montserrat in the distance again), Catalunya, 2024
Purple, near Castellar de n’Hug, #2, Catalunya, 2024
Early Summer Colors, #3, near La Pobla de Lillet, Catalunya, 2024
Leave a reply