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Montgarri

Naut Aran, Val d'Aran, Lleida

1 Villages · 9 Monuments · 5 Nature · 4 Activities · 2 Curiosities · 2 Historical milestones · 1 Food and drink

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Montgarri

Nature · Naut Aran, Val d'Aran, Lleida

Montgarri is a hamlet in the municipality of Naut Aran, in the Val d'Aran, situated at 1,645 metres above sea level at the head of the Noguera Pallaresa. Its last inhabitants abandoned their houses - called bordes, now in ruins - in the 1960s because of the harsh winter conditions; by 2009 it had barely 4 registered inhabitants. It is considered the coldest settlement in Spain, with an average annual temperature of around 5 degrees and an average of 180 frost days a year, a result of its altitude and its location in a valley of thermal inversions surrounded by higher mountains. At its centre stands the sanctuary of Montgarri, built in 1117 beside the river, square in plan with a tall octagonal bell tower. Today the site, close to Baqueira Beret, is the meeting point for the pilgrimage of the Mare de Diu de Montgarri.

Photo: Jordiferrer (CC BY-SA 3.0)

What to see and do in Naut Aran