Villages of the Val d’Aran

We have seen that the Val d’Aran is a place of deep superstitions, fire festivals that are an Intangible Cultural Heritage and artisans who spend hours making ceramics, wrought iron and sausages such as the fuet, known here as langoisa seca. The day begins with visits to the towns of Arties, featuring notable Renaissance houses in its old town, and Salardú, where we see one of the aranese Romanesques, Sant Andrèu, a church with an octagonal tower, stunning wall frescoes and its wooden Christ. Arties and Salardú can also be reached via E-BTT, electric mountain bikes. There are other options for getting to known the valley’s quirks, such as the nearby villages of Escunhau, Bagergue and Tredòs, but we believe that the landscapes of the area are best experienced slowly and on foot, so we choose to take another easy hike. If you’re looking for a little more relaxation, you can opt for a visit to the Banhs de Tredòs, the highest-altitude thermal spa in Europe, with a stunning location in the heart of nature.