Les Valls De Valira: Mountain Landscape and Romanesque Heritage

Les Valls De Valira combines mountain scenery, Romanesque architecture and protected nature. Compare the location of any hotel you are considering with the places you plan to visit during your stay.

Mountain Landscape and Protected Nature

The western part of the municipality lies within the Parc Natural de l’Alt Pirineu. On the eastern edge, Mount Bescaran is part of the Tossa Plana-Puigpedrós Natura 2000 site. The protected areas are therefore on different sides of the municipality. In the Ars–Asnurri–Civís sector lies Ras de Conques, an extensive grazing area. Between Argolell and Sant Joan Fumat, large south-facing Devonian limestone cliffs rise up. They are around 385 million years old.

The Collada de Conflent also gives the landscape a clear geographical orientation: the natural pass lies between the valley of Os de Civís and the valley of Santa Magdalena. The route from Os de Civís to the Collada de Conflent runs entirely within the Parc Natural de l’Alt Pirineu. The pass and the route are distinct points of reference: one marks the crossing between two valleys, while the other describes the way there from Os de Civís.

Romanesque Architecture and Cultural Heritage

Sant Martí d’Ars is an 11th-century Romanesque church and is protected as a cultural asset of national interest in the Historic Monument category. Its bell tower has a circular ground plan. Bescaran is home to another Romanesque building: the bell tower of Sant Martí de Bescaran dates from the 11th and 12th centuries and is also protected as a cultural asset of national interest in the Historic Monument category. The municipality is thus home to two protected buildings from similar, though differently specified, periods; the circular ground plan of the tower is also a distinctive feature of Sant Martí d’Ars.

Anserall preserves the remains of the former Benedictine monastery of Sant Serni de Tavèrnoles. The monastery is a cultural asset of national interest; its ancient origins are linked to the Christianisation of this part of the Pyrenees. Alongside churches and monastic remains, traditional bordes also form part of the municipality’s cultural heritage. Notable groups include, among others, the bordes of Civís, Conflent, Cortvassill, Escàs and Pudovern. When finding your way around, you can distinguish between religious buildings, monastic history and the traditional bordes spread across several settlements.

Os de Civís: Village Walk and Access

Os de Civís is a mountain village with typical mountain architecture. A guide published in 2021 describes a self-guided walk through the village, which passes through its oldest quarter. Os de Civís is also home to the “Tierras de Frontera” visitor centre. The only road access to Os de Civís is from Andorra via the CS-110 towards Bixessarri and Os de Civís. For planning purposes, you can distinguish between the journey and the village walk: the road information describes access from Andorra, while the walk is a self-guided route within the village.

Two viewpoints are also named. The park list, updated on 13 May 2014, records two panoramic information panels at the Mirador de la Collada de Conflent and one at the Mirador de Borda Cremada; both viewpoints are in Os de Civís.

Discover more destinations: Calbinyà, La Pobla De Segur, Peramola, Fórnols, Sort, Balaguer, Toloriu, Guils del Cantó.

For the wider travel overview: Lleida.