Lleida and its surroundings
Destination
Attractions
Sustainability
How to get here
Accommodation
Food
Impressions
Others
Destination
The city of Lleida has a series of spaces that allow its inhabitants to be in contact in a very fast and ecological way with nature. The same council of Lleida organizes a series of activities that teach you to understand and respect the various ecosystems that surround the city. In addition, there are also public and private spaces dedicated to promoting the landscape, fauna and flora that are close to the city. Lleida is not a big city, but its environment and heritage are.
Attractions
The Lleida Water Museum: It’s a territorial museum that explains the links between the city and water, delving into the different uses that have been given to it over time, and custody of the city’s water heritage.
It consists of four spaces:
- The La Canadiense camp: old houses of the workers of the La Canadiense company, located next to the Seròs channel, which carries water from the Segre River to the hydroelectric power station. Today it houses the museum’s headquarters, with the educational classroom, the documentation centre, the multipurpose room and the exhibitions.
- The Pla de l’Aigua reservoir: the first drinking water tank in the city. It was filled with water from the Pinyana canal, and the water was distributed through a set of monumental springs. Today it is a fascinating visitable space.
- Ice wells: old semi-underground wells where ice was stored in the winter for disposal all year round. Built in 1611 on the northern slope of the Turó de la Seu Vella. The ice wells of Lleida are among the best preserved in Catalonia: they consist of two wells with common access, and there are traces of their old use. They are attached to the walls, in the shade of the castle.
- The Sant Anastasi mill: an old flour mill of medieval origin that moved with the water from the Fontanet canal. It is the last vestige of the old village of Vilanoveta de Fontanet or Horta, located in the current district of La Bordeta. It is known by the name of Sant Anastasi by the relief of this saint but also by the name of Vilanoveta mill, in memory of the old village.
It is currently in the process of rehabilitation.
La Mitjana:
La Mitjana is a green area of the city of Lleida. It is located northeast of the city and along the Segre River. In 1979 it was declared an area of natural interest and was named Mitjana de Lleida. It has an area of 90 hectares, its flora and fauna correspond to the type of riparian forest.
There are many points of interest in the Mitjana:
- Interpretation centre: The interpretation center provides information to park visitors. We will be able to see a permanent exhibition and an audio-visual about the forest of La Mitjana, which will help us to better understand the formation and history of this space.
- La Carbonera leisure area: La Carbonera is a leisure area where we can find a playground, a bar and benches and tables to sit on. It gets its name because in the past the railways dumped the coal they had used to move the machines. When La Mitjana became a municipal park, all the accumulated coal had to be removed, although today, if we look around the area, we can still find some remains.
- Sant Miquel Wells: The wells of Sant Miquel are underground water wells installed by the company San Miguel to use this water for brewing, although they are not currently in use. They are located between the river Segre and the Balaguer canal.
The Balaguer Channel Water: It was built in the 1960s to ensure a regular flow of water to the Utxesa hydroelectric power station. The channel, when it passes through the Mitjana, is naturalized, that is, it does not circulate between cement edges. This allows water to seep into the ground and reach the vegetation, contributing to the formation and maintenance of the forest.
- Large bass: The large pond occupies an excavation carried out during the 70s and 80s to extract aggregates. Later, the excavation was naturally filled by the waters of the river Segre, it was naturalized and now, thanks to the natural screen formed by the reeds and the different riparian trees that surround it, the pond is very suitable for so that the migratory birds, that come to the Mitjana, can rest there. There are two observatories, located on either side of the pond, from where we can observe the animals without being seen.
Arborètum:
The Arboretum is a botanical garden located in the Ciutat Jardí neighbourhood. The Arboretum combines research activities with informative and recreational use as the city’s green space.
It has an area of 6.9 hectares and four of the largest biomes in the world. There are approximately 4,500 trees and shrubs that recreate the different wooded landscapes of each biome.
The main purpose of the Arboretum is scientific (a space for research and analysis for groups of researchers, teachers and pedagogues) but it also has a pedagogical aspect, aimed at schools and institutes, and a tourist aspect.
The Arboretum obtains the trees and shrubs in its own nursery from seeds supplied as material for exchange with other botanical gardens.
Els Alamús:
Bathed by the Urgell Water Channel, the Alamús are characterized by a flat landscape in which irrigated fields predominate. It preserves some signs of its medieval past, the parish church of Sant Martí and the sanctuary of the Virgin. The name comes from a Germanic anthroponym, Alamurs.
The route proposes you to reach the Tossal de la Moradilla, where we find archeological remains of the Castell dels Alamús and its fortifications, with the remains of a bunker.
Tossal de la Moradilla
Urgell Water Channel
Timoneda d’Alfés:
Timoneda d’Alfés is the last remaining dry land in Catalonia. It has an area of approximately 107 hectares and retains the characteristics of a flat and extensive territory, with a plateau geomorphology and a soil rich in carbonates.
The creation of this natural space is due to the cessation of agricultural activities from 1933 to the present to allow aeronautical use, these agricultural activities were carried out on the land occupied by the aerodrome, which is currently out of service.
Sustainability
The Mitjana Interpretation Centre offers workshops and exhibitions that makes known the fauna and flora of the Mitjana urban park. There are also guided tours for groups and schools that allow you to get to know the natural environment of the city of Lleida. With these activities we want to show how this wetland located at the gates of the city of Lleida has a great natural and social relevance.
Throughout the year, the Water Museum organizes dissemination activities in its own spaces and in the territory to disseminate the uses, landscapes and cultures of Lleida’s water. It also offers experimental workshops, dynamic tours and discovery routes around the territory for schools and institutes.
The mission of the Arboretum is to contribute to increasing knowledge about the plant world and spreading this knowledge to society. The basis on which the Arboretum is structured is the collection of documented living plants, especially trees, arranged according to the biome of the Earth in which they live. Priority lines are biodiversity studies, sustainable gardening techniques and genetic resource assessment. In addition, the Arboretum is a green space in the city, integrated into the urban network and, as such, aims to be a space for citizen participation in issues related to plants.
La Timoneda d’Alfés area has been included in the Plan for Areas of Natural Interest since 1992 and in the European Natura 2000 network since 2003 as a Site of Community Importance and it’s also a Special Protection Area for Birds. It’s the only location in Catalonia where you can find the alosa becuda or lark.
How to get here
All locations in the city (Mitjana, Water Museum, Arborètum) can be reached by bike or on foot. In Timoneda d’Alfés, on the other hand, it is better to go by bike (on the LL-12) or by public transport as the distance between Lleida and La Timoneda is about 12 kilometres. There is an alternative route by dirt roads, but you have to be fit because the journey is longer, and you must have also a mountain bike. To go to Els Alamús it is also recommended to go by bike (on the LL-11) or by public transport with the L-0893 bus line.
Accommodation
The El Xop Friends of Nature Association, located in Partida Grenyana, is a rural house managed by a non-profit association that promotes a variety of educational, cultural and leisure activities. In all activities that take place, nature is the axis and the approach of people to nature is the goal. This rural house has a site called the “Herb Corner”, a health garden that combines trees, shrubs and herbs, with more than a hundred varieties.
Food
To enjoy healthy and sustainable cuisine you can go to the Teresa Carles vegetarian restaurant, located in the upper part of the city. It is an establishment where they can always grow their own seasonal fruits and vegetables. The rest of the products are chosen with criteria of proximity, sustainability and respect for tradition and the environment.
To visit these places there is also the option of preparing a basket with different products or dishes from the area. It is an economical and sustainable way.
There are food and dishes typical of the area. This whole region is a land of apples, pears and peaches. It is also the region of snails that are prepared in the brutesca, in the tin, in the gormanda, in the stone, with ratatouille and romesco.
The cassola de tros or casserole is also traditional. Lamb meat is highly prized.
The pineapple soup made with meat and vegetables, slices of bread, egg and finally gratin cheese is very good. As sweets there is the covered cake scented with anise and stuffed of a mixture of sugar, flour and oil.
And meringue and almond sweets are also typical.
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ESTANY D'IVARS I VILA-SANA
Destination
Attractions
Sustainability
How to get here
Accommodation
Food
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Destination
The Estany d’Ivars and Vila-Sana is a lake located between Ivars d’Urgell and Vila-Sana. The distance between the city of Lleida and the lake is 32 kilometres.
It has an area 156,84 hectares, being the biggest lake of Catalonia. The Estany gets the water from the Urgell canal and flows into the Corb river.
In 1951, during the Franco dictatorship, the promoters of the Proyecto del Saneamiento, a project to obtain more farmland, carried out the drying and finally the disappearance of the lake, against the will of the people.
After a long process, they managed to recover the lake in 2009, this caused an increase in the flora and fauna of the lake.
Attractions
In the lake there are six viewpoints from where you can observe the fauna and flora.
You can also go hiking around Ivars Lake and its surroundings or also rent a horse-drawn carriage. Besides you can see grazing around the lake the horses from the Delta de l’Ebre Natural Park. These types of horses, called Camarga horses, are perfectly adapted to live in soaking, semi-wild and do not require any kind of shelter.
With a license you can practice sport fishing, a method where you must return the fish to the lake.
Camarga horses.
You can also visit Cal Sinén, an emblematic farmhouse in the old lake, located in a privileged panoramic position. The building, which has been restored, offers the services of:
- Information point.
- Lake Interpretation Centre.
- Point of sale of local products.
- Start of routes and guided tours of the lake.
- Picnic area.
Bird watching área
With the artistic project called Enciclopèdia Mural you can take guided tours of the village and the lake. The tours are led by artist Swen Schmitz Coll and ornithologist Enric Morera. The aim of these visits is to show the variety of birds that live in the area and, in addition, to make known the urban environment of the town of Ivars.
Sustainability
The Ivars-Vila-sana Pond has a recharge ratio with the underlying river aquifer. Since the start of the pond’s recovery, numerous entities and the Consortium have carried out actions to restore ecosystems, inventory and monitor biodiversity, research and promote public use.
In the protected area of the Ivars and Vila-sana Pond more than 400 species of plants have been identified.
Examples of trees we can see poplars, ash, tamarius, oms, verns i sauces.
Figures of animals from the Ivars and Vila-sana Pond numbers more than 250 species of birds, 31 species of mammals, 6 species of reptiles, 5 species of amphibians and 7 species of fish. However, there is surely a part left to know and discover, especially invertebrates.
This is a natural environment of great ecological interest and ready for pleasant walks and bicycles.
The return to the pond: This race has the peculiarity that the route takes place in an incomparable environment, enjoying at the same time the sport and the nature. It is a circuit of 10 kilometres.
The pond has two jetties where you can sail on boats without powerboats.
How to get here
By public transport the following traffic routes are close to Estany d’Ivars and Vila-sana.
By Train (R12) or by bus (L0399).
You can also go by hybrid car or taxi, but it could be expensive. If you are fit you can also go by bike because the distance between Lleida and Vila-sana is less than 30 kilometres.
Accommodation
There are rural houses where you can accommodate both the village of Vila-sana and Linyola. You can live a great rural experience both in La teuleria de Linyola and in Ca l’Andorra in Vila-sana.
Food
A curious game dish is prepared almost all over the region, which consists of covering a partridge with a layer of mud before cooking it.
The herring with grapes is also a representative dish of the area. As in the neighbouring regions les escudilles, les cassoles del tros and les coques de recapte are also consumed. In the season rabbits and partridges are hunted that are used to make exquisite plates. A typical food of the region is the calçots, a variety of tender onions that are eaten roasted. Mushrooms also abound in the region.
Calçots
As a typical dessert we have the orelletes. It is a round flour and egg cake with spices, round in shape that, when fried, curves, remembering the appearance of an ear.
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Almatret
Destination
Attractions
Sustainability
How to get here
Accommodation
Food
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Destination
Almatret is located at the western end of the Segrià and is very close to the Ebro River. It is a village where you can enjoy incredible natural landscapes, cycle routes, follow the old trenches or discover the coal mines.
The Tossals “(or small mountains) of Almatret are located on the wide waters of the Ebro, at the southern limit of the Aiguabarreig -the confluence of three rivers: the Segre, Cinca and Ebro. There are several water activities available, including sport fishing. You can also enjoy this environment by hiking or biking to discover the memories of the Civil War. It is an area of natural interest protected in 1992 by the government of Catalonia.
Attractions
There are a few local attractions in Almatret.
Tossals of Almatret and its viewpoints: The Tossals of Almatret are located on the wide waters of the Ebro, at the southern limit of the confluence of the Segre, Cinca and Ebro. It is a natural space of pronounced buttresses covered in Aleppo pine with undergrowth of continental machines.
GR 99 route of the Ebro: A network of roads of approximately 1,150 km will run along the Ebro from its source in Fontibre (Cantabria) to the island of Buda, at the mouth on the south coast of Tarragona; Almatret is the final point of stage 36 and the starting point of stage 37. The course of the Ebro is a traditional itinerary for lovers of the open air and rural tourism. The Catalan section of the Ebro path has a first stop at Almatret, the only town in the province of Lleida that is bathed by the river Ebro and arrives from Mequinenza.
Old Almatret prison: The old prison of the village is in the main street, 24. Above the door you can see the coat of arms of the house of the Montcada.
The well of the village: At the end of the street Pou you can find to the right a way that takes us until this Well that already consists in the ordinances of the year 1558. Tradition attributes it to the Saracens.
Creu de Terme: The Creu de Terme of 1608, in Gothic style, presided over the town’s Plaza Major until the 1920s when it fell and was deposited under the Almatret bell tower. During the Civil War it was taken out by the sculptor Apel·les Fenosa, to protect it from the effects of the conflict, and deposited in the Monastery of Sant Cugat.
Sant Miquel Paris Church: The Parish Church of Sant Miquel is of baroque style (18th century) and one of the most remarkable within this aesthetic in the Segrià and Garrigues, the front is framed by two columns of compound capitals.
Viewpoint of Cingle de la Pena: On the road that goes to Lleida we find a dirt road which is recommended to go on foot or by bicycle. At 4.9 kilometre you can arrive at the viewpoint from where you can enjoy a magnificent view.
Sustainability
Tossals of Almatret were protected in 1992 by the Catalonia Government to safeguard these forest communities so scarce in the Ebro depression, the fauna and flora of great biogeographical importance that welcome and, particularly, landscapes of extreme beauty where the green of the steep slopes and inaccessible forests falls on the blue meanders of the Ebro on its way to the Delta.
The GR 99 route of the Ebro is carried out in the most respectful way possible with the environment, without major earthworks, with the aim of recovering the traditional road heritage closest to the river. The work consists of restoring, cleaning and signposting the entire route that connects public roads to incorporate it into the European network of long-distance paths.
The village of Almatret is involded in two projects, called Almia and Hybuild, to put on the table, intrinsically linked to the territory, holography and climate of the municipality. The town hall sees in these two projects a way of understanding the relationship of small municipalities with their energy needs and how they can contribute to changing the rhythm of the planet.
Almia is a project that is committed to renewable energy, pollution reduction and environmental sustainability, which is working to create new systems for harnessing energy. The aim is to make Almatret the first energy-self-sufficient municipality in Catalonia.
Hybuild is an-EU project, which will develop two innovative compact hybrid electrical/thermal storage systems for stand-alone and district connected buildings.
Hybuild aims at developing cost-effective and environmental-friendly solutions, while ensuring comfort conditions in residential buildings located in Mediterranean and Continental climates.
Its agriculture is exclusively based on dry farming. The almond occupies 41% of the cultivated land (43% of the municipal total) and it is currently increasing, while olives, combined with the almond and barley represent the main crops. The land is fairly distributed and mostly exploited by the same owners. There are 1974 ha. of forest land, private and communal property, with permanent pastures, fully exploited by the local livestock (cattle, sheep, pigs and poultry). The industrial activity focuses mainly on the production and processing of olive oil.
How to get here
The distance from Lleida to Almatret is 48 kilometres. The bus journey takes approximately one hour. There is also the option to go by hybrid car. The journey time with this option is about forty-five minutes.
To get to Almatret you have to take the LL-12 road, in the direction of Flix, and take the exit on the road from Alfès to Alcanó / C-12.
Accommodation
The Neus i Sisco rural house is located in an old restored house preserving its original structure from the 18th century (1762). It has a patio with an outdoor fountain and barbecue area, plus an outdoor kitchen and bathroom.
Food
There are two typical dishes of the area, the oil cooker and the mantecados. Here you have the recipes in case you want to cook them.
The ingredients for cooking the oil cooker are 4 or 5 handfuls of beans, olive oil, cabbage and potatoes. Take 4 or 5 handfuls of beans and put them in a pot with water in the fire until it boils. Add a jet of water and then a jet of olive oil. When the beans are cooked, put cabbage and potato in pieces and leave to cook. When it is cooked it can be served.
For cooking the mantecados you need these ingredients: 6 eggs, 400 grams of sugar, 400 grams of almonds, 250 grams pork lard, a glass of aniseed, 15 drops of vanilla, 1 pack of yeast and flour. Peel the almonds and crush them. Beat the eggs and add the sugar, the butter, the almonds and the flour the aniseed, the vanilla and the yeast. Work it with your hands until you get a pasty consistency. Let it rest for a while. Cut out the dough according to the chosen shapes. Grease a tray with oil, place the shapes on the tray and bake in the oven.
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LES GARRIGUES
Destination
Attractions
Sustainability
How to get here
Accommodation
Food
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Destination
La Granadella, Torrebesses and el Cogul are villages near the city of Lleida which are few known but are sustainable villages with agricultural life. These towns are very interesting to visit to know the character and traditions from the people of Les Garrigues, the region where are located these three villages.
Attractions
Cal Pere is an old house located in Granyena de les Garrigues that has been rehabilitated and transformed into an escape room. In this way, a three-story house next to a church of the 12th century is now a tourist attraction for people of all ages who enjoy solving mysteries. The structure and façade of the house and many of the objects and buildings inside that are part of the game have been maintained. It is a good example of sustainable tourism.
You can also visit the Granadella Oil Museum which is in the highest part of the town of La Granadella, in the remains of a church in transition between Romanesque and Gothic. It seems that the building, of which the structure of the church is clearly identified, was built on the remains of an old castle. During the last decades of the twentieth century, the building was used as a chicken coop and as a warehouse for the agricultural cooperative. The museum offers guided tours to schools and families.
Granadella Oil Museum
Half a kilometre from the village of Cogul is a unique rock art complex, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1998. It is a stone mill that stands on the side of the road and preserves engravings. and painted images, made in different eras. Everything seems to indicate that we are in a sacred space, destined for the cult of fertility.
La Roca dels Moros from Cogul is in a territory full of testimonies of rock art and is the ambassador of what we know as Levantine art. The pictorial ensemble consists of 42 painted figures, and 260 elements engraved on the rock of Iberian and Latin epigraphy. If you like modern art, you can see in the same village the graffiti by the artist Lili Bric.
Self-guided route with electric bike: There is the possibility of a circular route that connects the municipalities of Granadella and Torrebesses. Depending on the pace, it may take a full day.
The landscape we find is olive groves, almond groves and stone ledges, although the real travel companion will be silence and tranquillity. In this valley we will return to a past where people were the ones who set the pace in time, and not the other way around as it is today.
We will arrive in the town of Torrebesses where we will be able to visit the Dry-Stone Interpretation Centre, to continue towards the Vall de les Tapiades where we will be able to admire the Aljub del Ribot, an old artisanal dry-stone construction that was used to store water.
Sustainability
In the territory of Les Garrigues, covered by endless agricultural fields, you can find windmills with which it is produced wind energy (renewable and therefore sustainable). With the flowering of the fields and the trees you can enjoy a particular landscape that often is visited by the tourists specially during the spring.
If you want to stay healthy you can go hiking or trekking through the irregular territory but at the same time so characteristic of Les Garrigues.
Farmers in the area sell their production of almond and oil to cooperatives, but if you want you can also buy by your own different kind of products in the warehouses they have enabled.
Many of the farmers produce food without any products chemicals and that makes it organic farming.
How to get here
You can go to Les Garrigues from Lleida by bus with lines 119, 121 and 123. The ticket price is between 5 and 7 euros. The distance between the city of Lleida and Les Garrigues is 37 kilometres. Despite the short distance, the route of the road makes the journey take more than thirty minutes.
There is no train connection.
If you are fit, you also can go by bike. The last and quickest option would be to go by hybrid car.
Accommodation
If you like rural tourism, you can stay at Torrebesses Castle. This castle, which was built by the Arabs of the Taifa of Lleida around 1149, has become a rural hostel. Guided tours of the Castle are offered on Saturdays and Sundays.
Torrebesses Castle also offers accommodation with a restaurant, free WiFi, a 24-hour reception and a shared kitchen. It has four separate bedrooms, a bathroom and a seating area. After a day of hiking or cycling, guests can relax in the garden or in the shared seating area.
A different experience is staying at Ca la Ignàsia, a village house from the 60’s located in the old town of La Granadella.
The house consists of living-dining room with fireplace, a terrace and balcony,and equipped kitchen, two full bathrooms, a double bedroom, two double bedrooms, a games room and small library with a sofa bed. Ca la Ignàsia is part of the Oil Route.
Food
Garrigues cuisine offers a wide variety of dishes in which the extra virgin olive oil made in the region is the main ingredient. The typical products are the usual ingredients when preparing the representative dishes in the region. Almonds, sweet fruit and honey are some of the representative products from Garrigues. Arbequina olives are a very popular aperitif. The most cultivated olive variety in the region is the Arbequina olive, which is named after the village of Arbeca.
The typical Garrigues peasant dishes are olla barrejada (broth with meat and vegetables), faves (broad beans), caragols bullits amb allioli (boiled snails with garlic mayonnaise) and a wide array of salads which are drizzled with the excellent olive oil produced in the region.
The homemade butifarra negra sausage, cansalada amb mongetes (bacon with beans) or escudella (soup with meat and vegetables) are other common dishes in every Garrigues village, in the same way as caragols a la llauna (grilled snails).
Pa de ronyó (a kind of bread) was also typical in all the Garrigues villages.
Cassola de tros (a stew with typical products cooked in an earthenware pot) is a popular gastronomic tradition which is held in some villages of the region.
Orelletes are the distinctive sweet dish in the region.
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