CATALONIA: VALL DE CAMPRODON AND RIPOLL

La Vall de Camprodon belongs to the province of Girona and it's really close to France. The most important town of this valley is Ripoll, where you can visit the fantastic Santa Maria de Ripoll monastery, one of the cradles of Catalan culture together with Montserrat Monastery and the nice monastery of Santa Maria de Poblet.

In this beautiful valley we spent two nice days in 2008 visiting the next lovely villages:

• Camprodon
• Setcases
• Molló
• Sant Joan de les Abadesses
• Ripoll

Camprodon

Camprodon medieval bridge called Pont Nou

Overview of Camprodon from the Pont Nou. As you can see, the day was really lovely

Setcases

Typical stone houses in Setcases, a really lovely small village of La Vall de Camprodon, located near the sky resort Walter 2000

Pyrenees snow-capped mountains from Setcases

Landscape of Vall de Camprodon near Setcases

This place in La Vall de Camprodon was really peaceful and beautiful

Col d'Ares

We had our hotel reservation in a small village of France near the border, so we had to drive through el Col d'Ares. This picture shows a landscape just before arriving at the border

We stopped at El Col D'Ares to have a break

and to enjoy the fantastic views :)

Molló

Coming back from France we stopped at Molló to visit its lovely Romanesque church



A closer view of the apse and the bell tower of the Romanesque church of Molló

Sant Joan de les Abadesses

In Sant Joan de les Abadesses there is one of the most important monasteries of Catalonia

Ripoll Monastery

Ripoll monastery, cradle of Catalan culture

Church of Ripoll Monastery. I was surprised because this monastery is really well preserved

Tomb of Guifré el Pilós, one of the Catalonia first kings, inside the church of Ripoll Monastery

Bell tower of Ripoll Monastery from the cloister

Overview of the two-storey cloister of Ripoll Monastery

Typical romanesque arches, style in which the Ripoll Monastery was built

Finally, if you liked these landscapes, clicking on the next links you will find links to other fantastic places in the Pyrenees of Catalonia, Andorra and France, like:

- Catalonia:

• Vall de Camprodon
• Aigüestortes National Park and La Vall de Boí
• Aigüestortes and Llac de Sant Maurici National Park
• Vall de Núria
• Castellar de N'Hug and Fonts del Llobregat
• Medieval village of Beget
• Olot and Vall de'n Bas
• Santa Pau
• Port del Comte
• Puigcerdà

- Andorra:

• Andorra and La Seu d'Urgell
• Andorra Vallnord Ski Resort
• Andorra Vallnord Arinsal and Arcalís
• Andorra Grandvalira Grau Roig Ski Resort

- France:

• Carcassonne
• Canal du Midi and Pays Cathare
• Gorges de la Fou and Coustouges
• Villefranche de Conflent

Besides, if you like religious buildings like the Ripoll Monastery, the next link will show you more interesting monasteries in Catalonia.