Logbook · 10 places

What to see and do in Les

What to see and do in Les (Val d'Aran, Lleida): 10 places across monuments, nature, activities and curiosities, with a photo and a Google Maps location.

1 Villages · 4 Monuments · 2 Activities · 1 Curiosities · 2 Historical milestones

How far each place is from the centre of Les

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Spain › Catalonia › Lleida › Val d'Aran › Les

What to see and do in Les

Les
Village
Les is a town and municipality of the Val d'Aran, on the banks of the river Garona, and the only settlement in the valley to hold the title of Barony. It sits at 634 metres above sea level; the old quarter, presided over by the parish church of Sant Joan, rebuilt in the early 19th century, lies on the right bank, while the modern extension has grown up on the left, the two sectors being joined by the pont de Lana. On the south side stands the Banys de Les spa, with sulphurous waters known since Roman times and the origin of the settlement; to the north rises the old residence of the barons of Les, Era Baronia, from the 17th century, with an attached Romanesque chapel. Les is also known for the tradition of the Haro, a fir trunk burned on St John's Eve.
La Baronia of Les
Monument
La Baronia de Les is a building in Les (Vall d'Aran) declared a bien cultural de interés nacional (Catalonia's highest level of heritage protection). It is the modern residence of the barons of Les, located north of the town, at the foot of the old castle of Les, with the chapel of Sant Blai on the other side of the road, surrounded by gardens and meadows. Its most characteristic feature is the corner tower, square in plan and three storeys high, topped with a hip roof. The barony, an inheritance of Augèr de Berbedà, was one of the few noble seats in the Val d'Aran: it passed from the March family (1473) to the Cao de Benós family (1630), a lineage that still holds the title; during the Guerra dels Segadors (the Reapers' War) the castle of Les is said to have been burned (1650), after which the barons built this residence, a palace with a square tower from the 17th and 18th centuries.
Castle of Les
Monument
Castle of the barons of Les, on a granite base on the mountain overlooking the village, made up of the square tower called "Pijuert" and a stretch of wall to the west. King James I rested there during his visit to the valley in the summer of 1265; it was destroyed in the wars of the 15th century. A Bien Cultural de Interés Nacional (Catalonia's top heritage-protection category).
El Casteret
Monument
A medieval fortification in the municipality of Les, in the Val d'Aran (Lleida), also known as Castell de Les or Castell de Pijoèrt, built on the Castere rock at 726 metres above sea level. It is a rectangular keep, with the door on the first floor facing west, arrow-slit and gun-loop windows and an enclosing wall; its irregular stonework points to a late medieval construction, later reinforced in the modern era. After the Battle of Muret (1213), the Val d'Aran remained the only Occitan territory of the Crown of Aragon, and in 1261 James I stayed at the castle. In 1238 the Aranese burned it down after the treachery of the lord of Les. A square tower and remains of walls are preserved; it was the residence of the barons of Les and is declared a Bien Cultural de Interés Nacional (Catalonia's highest level of heritage protection).
Les Main Festival
Activity
The Festa Major of Les begins on the night of 23 June, the feast of Sant Joan, with the Crema deth Haro: the beech-wood trunk is blessed and lit in the Plaça deth Haro amid dances by Es Corbilhuèrs de Les and the burning of halhas made of cherry bark.
Festivities of invierno de Les
Activity
In Les, Christmas Eve revolves around the Soca de Nadau: the largest beech log from the forest, which can weigh up to two tonnes, is set up in the square and solemnly lit that night, with mulled wine shared by the whole village.
Town Hall of Les
Monument
The historic town hall of Les.
Spas of Les
Curiosity
The spa tradition of Les, in the Val d'Aran, with sulphurous waters known since Roman times.
French occupation during the crusade against the Crown of Aragón
Historical milestone
During the Crusade against the Crown of Aragon, a war from 1283 to 1285 declared by Pope Martin IV and the king of France Philip III the Bold against Peter the Great in retaliation for his intervention in Sicilian affairs against the pope's will, French troops occupied the valley in 1283 and opened a dispute over sovereignty that dragged on for decades. Most of the conflict unfolded on Catalan soil, with a crusader army made up mainly of troops from the kingdom of France, the kingdom of Majorca and the republic of Genoa, which Peter the Great faced without the support of the Aragonese nobility. The dispute was not settled until the kings of France renounced their claims over Aran.
1717 occupation and Treaty of Madrid
Historical milestone
In the War of the Quadruple Alliance the French troops again occupied the valley in 1717. The return was formalised with the Treaty of Madrid of 1721, which restored Aran to the Hispanic monarchy without altering its privileges for the time being.