Val d’Aran

Dawn breaks in Val d’Aran. The Atlantic orientation of this valley, with almost a third of its land above 2,000 metres, shapes the climate and typology of its forest species, which are different from those found in other parts of the Pyrenees. We soon find that here, things are noticeably different from what we have seen so far. In Vielha, capital of the Val d’Aran, a poster advertising a craft fair hèt a man, hèt aciu (handmade, made here) reminds us that, first of all, here another language is spoken: Aranese. The architecture is also unique, with stone villages growing around a church and others hanging from the hillsides of the mountains, with panoramic views of the valley.