Ribes de Freser

The municipality of Ribes de Freser

• Did you know that…?

  Our town was inhabited by the golluts, goitre-afflicted dwarfs who were important to and strongly associated with its history. See where they lived!

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  Sant Pere Castle

  This 11th-century castle is an architectural remnant of the town’s medieval history. After it was abandoned it was taken over by a colony of unusual people, the golluts, goitre-afflicted dwarfs who were associated with a popular legend. Restoration work undertaken from the 1980s to 2019 has made it accessible for visitors.

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  Vall de Núria Rack Railway Exhibition

  Ribes Vila station is home to the old train carriages that were used on the ascent to Núria, including a luxurious saloon car decorated with the very finest materials! Free activity. This is the station where all the rack railway trains from Ribes Enllaç stop before continuing the climb up to Núria.

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  The Triadú Area and the Hydroelectric Power Plants Exhibition Area

  Learn all about Joan Triadú and his work in the exhibition “Reading as Living” based on texts from his memoir Memòries d’un segle d’or (Memories of a Golden Age). At the municipal library you can also learn how hydroelectric power started to be generated with water from the Freser and Núria rivers in 1903. Route 15 of the Itinerànnia hiking trail network, Vall de Ribes, visits some of the plants!

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  Gegants and Capgrossos

  See where our popular festival figures, the Giants and the Big Heads, sleep and become one of them! Visit us at Carrer de Núria, 3. Did you know that Manelic and Núria, our giants, are two characters that appear in Terra baixa? Àngel Guimerà, the author of the play published in 1897, lived in the valley for a period and included its people’s customs in his work.

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  Small villages

  Visit the small villages of Bruguera, Batet, Ribes Altes and Ventolà and discover their hidden treasures! They are home to extraordinary places where you can witness the everyday life of Pyrenean villages.

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  The game of El Met de Ribes

  Discover the legend of the popular figure by taking part in a scavenger hunt! It is a game that the whole family can play while discovering Ribes! You traverse the town following a game route on which El Met de Ribes is the protagonist of the challenge. You will discover the character of the townsfolk: calm, contemplative and tolerant. And learn about the municipality through its rivers, land, flora and fauna while having fun! Are you ready? https://metderibes.cat/

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  Via ferrata

  Views of Ribes from up high! A climbing route to discover Catalonia’s only outcrop of granophyre volcanic rock. It is a moderately difficult (K2-K3) route, which you should follow with mountain guides to fully appreciate it. Contact Oxineu and Ski&Mountain to hire material and guides! There is also a climbing wall under the rack railway bridge where you can practice your technique!