In the protected area “Parc Natural de les Capçaleres del Ter i del Freser” in the north of Catalonia, where we headed to escape the strong wind, we discovered a valley that can be considered a hidden gem of the area. It is called Vall de Núria. We spent more than 24 hours in the area, riding the cogwheel train through the entire valley, taking the cable car up, climbing the two-thousander peak Pic de l’Áliga, and finally admiring the beauty of the local basilica Virgin of Núria.
Basilica Virgin de Núria
We also spent the night in a beautiful place below the village of Queralbs, from where we took the mentioned cogwheel train to the valley. However, parking was limited to a maximum of 24 hours. We think that we could not have done more in that time. Judging by the fact that we didn’t hear any language other than the local one (Catalan or Spanish) and that we didn’t see any sign other than “E” in the parking lot… we think that foreign tourists are still missing this gem.
Motorhome parking in Queralbs
There are no roads to access the valley of Vall de Núria. The place is historically notable for the 1931 drafting of the first Catalan Statue of Autonomy, in the Sanctuary of the Virgin of Núria. The name Núria is now a popular girl’s name in Catalonia. The valley offers many marked hiking trails in this part of the Pyrenees. In winter, it is a ski resort. All official information can be found here: https://www.valldenuria.cat/en
The train return ticket includes the cable car Coma del Clot and entry to Basilica Virgin de Núria. There are many hiking trails from the top station of the cable car.
We chose the trail to the Pic de l’Àliga:
