8 essential places to discover La Cerdanya with your dog: Routes and charming villages

We couldn't have found a better way to describe La Cerdanya than Roser Goular does in her travel blog.

Hello 4Pateros! In this post, we want to share with you seven places, including routes and charming villages, that we consider essential visits for those of you planning a getaway to La Cerdanya, a corner of Catalonia that is a must-see for lovers of nature and culture!

Before traveling, the first thing we did was secure and book our stay at Cerdanya Eco Resort. It was Christmas time and we knew we wanted to stay in a charming cabin with a fireplace. What a great choice!

At Cerdanya Eco Resort, they are animal lovers and are located in the heart of Cerdanya, in the municipality of Prullans, a charming village that we will mention below. The resort offers different types of accommodation with a clear ecological focus and services for all tastes and ages: swimming pools, wellness with spa, guided excursions, wellness programs, adventure activities, restaurants with local, organic, and quality cuisine.

Brief Introduction to La Cerdanya

To give you a rough idea of where it is... La Cerdanya occupies the upper valley of the River Segre, in the center of the Catalan Pyrenees. It is a region with significant tourist resources: ski resorts, excellent cuisine, beautiful natural landscapes, Romanesque monuments, and a group of high mountain villages with popular festivals that preserve the flavor of our origins.

Our 7 essentials for discovering Cerdanya with your dog

1. Puigcerda: A charming village

Next to France, at an altitude of around 1,200 meters, Puigcerdà is the capital of La Cerdanya. Surrounded by mountains, forests, and meadows, and bathed by rivers and lakes, it stands out for its white color in winter and infinite colors during the rest of the year.
We suggest taking a stroll through its old town, with its narrow, winding streets and beautiful, secluded squares. Puigcerdà is also a great place for shopping, with a wide range of stores of all kinds lining the main streets.

The city's lake is a fantastic place to stroll and relax within the town. It's a must-see!

2. Excursion to Prat del Cadí: A natural wonder

One of our favorite routes, and one that is very special to us, is the trekking route that goes from the village of Estana to Prat del Cadí. It is one of the most beautiful places in the Cadí mountain range and the Catalan Pyrenees.

A pleasant path takes us to the foot of the north face of Cadí, where we can enjoy beautiful views of this entire side of the mountain range, with its channels and rock walls. Prat de Cadí, a large meadow located at an altitude of 1,826 m, is a wonderful haven of peace beneath the magnificent walls of the north face of Cadí.
The entire route is marked with white and yellow paint marks on trees and rocks (PR-C 121).
In winter, if snow conditions allow, this is an ideal route for beginners to try snowshoeing. It is also a highly recommended excursion for families with children in spring, when the meadow is green and full of typical high mountain flowers. Outside of the peak winter season, when there is no snow, the route can be started a little higher up, at the Pallers pass, where you can leave your car.
Where to park? Once in the village of Estana, one option is to leave your car right at the entrance, where you will find a parking area next to a fountain and a table.

3. Camino dels Bon Homes: In the footsteps of the Cathars

This route allows you to immerse yourself in medieval history while admiring a landscape of breathtaking beauty. Excommunicated in the 12th century, the Cathars, who defended a Christianity based on spirituality and were known as Bons Homes ('Good Men'), were forced into exile from the south of France.
The Camino dels Bons Homes is a long-distance trail that links Montsegur Castle (Ariege) and the Sanctuary of Santa Maria de Queralt (Berga) over a distance of 200 km.

The route we propose is a small part of a 16km distance that runs through the Vall de la Llosa, passing by the Molí del Salt (a spectacular waterfall surrounded by magnificent fauna and flora typical of the Pyrenees).

4. The Reapers' Route

The village of Gósol is the starting point of the Reapers' Route, also known as the Cerdanya Way, as it leads to Bellver de Cerdanya.

This route was once used by reapers, mule drivers, mercenaries, bandits, musicians, and smugglers.
The painter Pablo Ruiz Picasso also traveled this route in 1906 during his stay in Gòsol. This historic route, now signposted, can be completed in about seven or eight hours, crossing the Cadí mountain range. Along the way, you will discover the unique landscape and wildlife of the Cadí-Moixeró Natural Park.

5. Devil's Bridge Route

The Devil's Bridge Route connects three small villages with a special rural charm: Músser, Aranser, and Lles de Cerdanya. These are three typical Cerdanya villages with stone houses, threshing floors, meadows, and pastures.
The Devil's Bridge is located in Músser and is a medieval bridge about which there are several legends, such as that the devil walks across it every afternoon to prevent pedestrians from crossing.  We will cross this bridge on our way back to Músser, crossing the Aransa River.

There we can read the legend of a love story between the Moor Músser and a witch.

6. Bellver de la Cerdanya: One of the most beautiful villages

Bellver is one of the largest and most beautiful towns in La Cerdanya. In addition to being a very pretty town to stroll around, it is a place where there are always many fairs and organized activities.
History has left many traces both inside and outside the nineteen villages that make up the municipality, such as the churches of Sant Julià de Pedra, Santa Maria de Tallò, and Santa Eugània de Nerellà, as well as the historic complex of Bellver.

7. Prullans

If you stay at Cerdanya Eco Resort, you will enjoy, as we do, magnificent views over the Cerdanya Valley and the Serra de El Cadí from its heated outdoor spa.
In addition to the excursions offered by the natural environment, the village is an ideal place to sample Catalan mountain cuisine and discover some of the area's specialties.
The most important architectural feature to be enjoyed is the Church of Sant Esteve, of Romanesque origin, built between the 11th and 12th centuries, with a single nave, an apse, and a bell tower added later in the 16th century.

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