Catalonia’s medieval village beauties: The Spanish region of Catalonia is known for a lot: on the one hand the beautiful scenery, which resembles that of Italian Tuscany, on the other hand the impressive coast with its steep rocks and the endless Mediterranean Sea… and also for its multitude of charming places, which inspire with their history.
Medieval idyll
This includes, for example, the small village of Pals. With almost 2500 inhabitants, it is also dubbed one of the ten most beautiful villages in Catalonia. After a visit to an early autumn, sunny September afternoon, I now understand why.
that on a small hill pals, which descends from the Latin word “palus”, in German swamp area, was – as the name suggests – surrounded by lakes and swamps in earlier times. Nowadays, on the other hand, the village is surrounded by trees in rich shades of green and rice fields. The typical Spanish paella rice is also produced here. First we leave the car at the entrance to the city, because in the quiet town center you are only on foot. Because the hilly, narrow streets would not allow anything else!
Time travel in the Catalan village
After a few steps we reach the gates of the place and immediately feel transported back a few epochs. If you are even looking for a touch of modernity, you look in vain here. Thanks to the immaculate restoration, the whole village is still in its basic medieval structure. You can almost hear the rattling of the horse’s hooves on the bumpy cobblestones of the small alleys. Thoughts go into the past… what life in the medieval village used to look like in the past?
We wind our way along the old stone walls, along which in many places the ivy climbs picturesquely, and we reach the landmark of the village. The Torre de les Hores – a towering Romanesque-style tower – towers majestically on the top of the hill and shapes the outline of the city. Then we move on and reach a small square with a viewing platform from which you can marvel at the beautiful surroundings including the deep blue sea. On beautiful and clear days, the view extends to the Medes Islands.
After we’ve had enough of the panoramic view – although, is that really possible? – we walk along the old stone stairs back to the center of the medieval village. If you want to strengthen yourself afterwards, you have a nice selection – after all, you have pals Less than 3000 inhabitants. From charming cafes to small restaurants… you definitely don’t have to go hungry here!
After this first little journey back to the Middle Ages, one thing is certain: we are definitely curious to see what the remaining nine villages have to offer us!
More: Vibrant Nativity Scene at Christmas Time – Pessebre Vivent in Pals, White Summer Festival in Pals.
