In the Pyrenees
Why did I have to do this to me? On the left the brittle wall full of frozen rock avalanches. Right the abyss. No way. No railing. On all fours we crawl around in friable boulders.
Awe we stared at the rugged limestone colossus above us, the tip in the form of a two-pronged fork. The Pedraforca. Even we could go up there, said Jordi, the Catalans and his eyes rested on our desk calves. The mountain: rather brittle, but with charm and many faces, just as the Pyrenees are. All right then. Still around the next corner. And suddenly everything goes by itself: on narrow trails, past dark firs, fragrant meadows, babbling springs.
Bold three thousanders
Who knows that Spain, this beach-sun-sangria country next to Switzerland is the most mountainous in Europe? That the Pyrenees are twice as broad on the Spanish side as in French? They extend for 450 kilometers as the crow flies across the upper peninsula, from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean Sea. In the east, where the Catalans live, they show up modest and quite complacent as low mountain ranges, but then quickly turn to wild and bold 3,000-foot peaks in the Aragón. Gentle hilly, it continues in the Basque Country. There are hikers who voluntarily cross the Pyrenees in six weeks. On our east-west route, we prefer the car and the simple attitude of walking and lingering where we like it.
Santa Pau: Bizarre mountains
Already at the beginning of our trip we could have got stuck in Santa Pau. In Margaritas Hotel, just two and a half hours drive from Barcelona. Wonderfully we slept in this old farmhouse. In addition, this box seat in the upper ranks: 11500 years ago, the volcanoes hissed here, now they watch as 40 friendly velvet green giant pointed caps around the village. The castle sits enthroned above the sandstone houses and the arcades, which are nestled against each other - in the evening sun they shine like honey. After dinner we make our way to the next fire mountain, which is just around the corner. It will be an easy hike under shady beech trees up to the 160 meter high edge. In the crater, the surprise: instead of black rubble thousands of butterflies fluttering over grasses and flowers.
The next morning we drive up into the bizarre mountains - leaning backwards in an ancient cog railway. It brings pilgrims and hikers to Núria at 2,000 meters in half an hour. On top of the secluded Hochalm, a saint once guarded a portrait of the Madonna in a cave. Today there is an oversized, cold pilgrimage site with a three-star hotel and an artificial lake with rowing boats.
Nature Parks & Hippies
We drive in the Natural Park Cadí-Moixeró towards Ossera. Dusty gravel roads, deserted. There! A discarded orange-red striped bus. And behind it, a woman with henna hair and pierced nose is shoving goats down the slope. "We call ourselves Neo-Rurales, New Ländler," says Eulalia. She is the owner of 42 goats. Swiss, Spaniards and Dutch have settled in Ossera and saved the Pyrenees village from decay. They are herb gardeners, artists, all-round helpers in building houses, and Eulalia from Barcelona produces award-winning cheese.
Further west, there are more people in the mountains. "The sheltered mountains of Ordesa, the filet of the Pyrenees in the High Aragón", it roars from the speaker. The Japanese are ready to go. With umbrellas and picnic bags they run frantically up the serpentines. Where the Rio Arazas pours in cascades, they want to unbuckle. Each level is already filled with Spanish and French bread knives. But then people spread out and we walk in amazement with the spectacle of nature: waterfalls on several levels. Lilies, orchids, thistles, gentian, never-seen magic candles, troll blossoms on an alpine meadow. Above the holey cliffs above bright yellow Geißenklee.
The obligatory tapas bar
Jaca, the pretty town has only 1200 inhabitants, but is the largest place far and wide and has even applied several times for the Winter Olympics. Satisfied we sit at canapes with pickled peppers, meatballs, anchovies and crabmeat in the tapa bar, opposite us the massive cathedral with the pilgrim's mark.
On the way back we see 15 eagles rising from rocky outcrops, gently sailing through the air, carried by the thermals. Let's see what awaits us behind the next corner!
Travel Tools
The wild mountains of Spain PHONE Area code for Spain: 00 34. BEST TRAVEL TIME Between late spring and early autumn. Snow until the beginning of June and from the end of September. STAY Cal Sastre in Santa Pau: small hotel in old, quiet farmhouse, each room individually furnished, beautiful garden in green volcanic landscape; Double 90 Euro (Carrer de les Cases Noves 1, Tel. 972 68 00 49, Fax 972 68 04 81).
Can Menció in Santa Pau: guesthouse in the historic center, house from the 16th century; Double room without breakfast 45 Euro (Placa Major, 17, Tel. 972 68 00 14). Hotel Vall de Núria in the valley of Núria: former monastery at almost 2000 meters altitude, good starting point for hikes (Estación de Montaña, Queralbs, Tel. 972 73 20 00, Fax 972 73 20 24). Hotel El Castell at La Seu d`Urgell: luxurious four-star hotel with pool and great breakfast on the sun terrace; DZ 215 Euro incl. Breakfast (Highway 260 direction Lleida, km 229, Tel. 973 35 07 04, Fax 973 35 15 74).
Hotel Roya in the center of Espot: family-friendly stone house with rustic rooms, in the Aigües-Tortes National Park, east access (Carrer Sant Maurici, tel. 973 62 40 40, fax 973 62 41 44).
Llanos del Hospital in Benasque: Comfortable hut in an old pilgrim hospice, surrounded by the highest peaks of the Pyrenees, young people (Tel 974 55 20 12, Fax 974 55 10 52). Torla Hotel Villa de Torla: simple, friendly atmosphere, pool with sweeping views, in the entrance village to Ordesa National Park; DZ 60 euros (Plaza Aragón, Tel. 974 48 61 56, Fax 974 48 63 65). Gran Hotel in Jaca: large semi-circular building, centrally located, garden, pool; DZ 71 Euro (Paseo de la Constitucion, 1, Tel. 974 36 09 00, Fax 974 36 40 61).
TO EAT AND DRINK Cal Sastre in Santa Pau: neatly dine under arcades on the medieval market square, cooked with products from the area (Placeta dels Balls, 6, tel. 972 68 04 21; closed in the evening and Mon.). Can Daina in Santa Pau: 500 years old house, younger crowd, inexpensive vegetarian cuisine (Calle Vila Vella, Tel. 972 68 04 42, Mon. closed). Santa Margarida in Santa Pau: simple pub at the foot of the volcano, inexpensive home cooking (road Santa Pau-Olot, km 6200, tel. 972 68 02 70, closed in the evening). Pont Vell in Besalu: Mediterranean-style restaurant under the arches of a Romanesque bridge in the listed town (Calle Pont Vell 28, Tel. 972 59 10 27, Mon. evenings and Tues. closed, except in July and August). El Castell at La Seu d`Urgell: refined ambience in the hotel restaurant overlooking the mountains, Michelin-starred cuisine (country road N 260 towards Lleida, km 229, tel. 973 35 07 04). Mas d? En Roqueta in Aravell: rustic mountain restaurant with good food (eight km from La Seu d`Urgell, behind the golf course, tel. 973 35 19 95). Restaurante La Parilla in Benasque: rustic family restaurant, award-winning cuisine with Aragonese recipes (Carretera Francia, tel. 974 55 11 34). La Fuenroya near Benasque: traditional former pilgrim hospice in a wild mountain landscape, changing daily menus (Llanos del Hospital, 11 km north of Benasque, tel. 974 55 20 12). Bar Fau in Jaca: opposite the cathedral under the arcades, a long bar full of delicious tapas.
The most beautiful tours
Núria: from the mountain station of the cog railway on old pilgrim paths (GR 11) through gorges and the wild and romantic landscape down to Queralbes, three hours (information center directly at the mountain station, tel. 972 73 20 20). Natural Park Cadí-Moixeró: Drive on the side road south of La Seu d`Urgell in remote (also viable) Pyrenees villages such as El Ges, Fornols, Ossera, then continue on Tuixén, Josa de Cadí, Gosól over the Pedraforca, back via Baga and the Túnel del Cadí (Information Center Park Administration in Baga, Calle la Vinya 1, Tel. 938 24 41 51, or La Seu d`Urgell in the Town Hall). National Park Aigües Tortes i Estany de San Maurici: there are two main entrances, to the west from the village of Boi, to the east from the village of Espot (information office in the thoroughfare, tel. 973 62 40 36), with jeeps from the parking lot to the summit-fringed lake Sant Maurici then continue in the park of the "winding water" to the mountain hut d'Amitges and back (four hours). Ordesa National Park: only accessible by bus in high season. Starting point is the large parking lot in Torla. A wonderful walk leads past waterfalls, alpine meadows and steep walls through the Ordesa Valley to the Circo de Soaso (six hours, well signposted, information point at the park entrance).
TRAVEL GUIDE The "Pyrenees Manual", with lots of information about history and residents, with detailed maps, accommodation and restaurant tips (Reise Know-How-Verlag, € 19.90). Only walking tours with detailed description, maps with itinerary and difficulty information offers "Hiking in the Pyrenees" (Dumont-active, 12 Euro).
INFO Spanish Tourist Office (Myliusstraße 14, 60323 Frankfurt, Tel. 069/72 50 38, Fax 72 53 13), sends information material.
