Escunhau: Romanesque Architecture and Routes to Lac d’Escunhau

Culture and Architecture

In Escunhau, the Church of Escunhau is part of the Ruta Románica de Arán, the Romanesque route of Val d’Aran. The portal of Sant Pèir d’Escunhau is structured by three concentric arches and two archivolts supported by columns. In a small side chapel serving as a baptistery, Sant Pèir d’Escunhau preserves a large Romanesque marble baptismal font, supported by a simple cylindrical base. During the summer months, guided tours of Sant Pèir d’Escunhau are offered as part of the Ruta Románica de Arán. The centre of Escunhau consists of intersecting streets and numerous stone houses in the purest Aranese vernacular architectural style. The portal, chapel and baptismal font belong to different parts of the same church building: the arches and archivolts shape the entrance on the outside, while the Romanesque marble font is located in the small side chapel.

Routes and Landscape

The forest track to the hiking trail at Lac d’Escunhau begins in Escunhau. Access to Lac d’Escunhau is via an 8 km-long forest track leading to a small car park and a hut; from there, the lake can be reached via a comfortable ascent of less than one hour. La Tuca, at 1,800 m, stretches along the right-hand side of Vielha, Betren, Escunhau and Casarilh. From these places, forest tracks and hiking trails of varying difficulty lead through dense fir forests. The Camin Reiau follows paths that once connected the various villages of Val d’Aran and were already used by the Romans in ancient times. The Pueblos de Castièro route follows part of the track ascending to the former La Tuca ski resort through a shady forest of ash, maple and oak trees to Escunhau and Casarilh. The routes around La Tuca include forest tracks and hiking trails of varying difficulty. The Pueblos de Castièro route passes through ash, maple and oak trees, while the routes from Vielha, Betren, Escunhau and Casarilh are described as passing through dense fir forests. The routes refer to different starting points and sections: the forest track to Lac d’Escunhau begins in Escunhau, while the routes towards La Tuca start from Vielha, Betren, Escunhau and Casarilh. Along the Pueblos de Castièro route, the named forest types therefore also alternate between fir trees and ash, maple and oak trees. The route to the lake combines the long forest track with a short subsequent ascent, while the routes around La Tuca lead through the landscapes described above and vary in difficulty.

Geographical Setting

Monte Calvo is a mountain in the immediate vicinity of Escunhau. Tuc de Sarrahèra is a peak in the vicinity of Escunhau. Tuc Nere is a peak in the vicinity of Escunhau. Tuc de Somont is a peak in the vicinity of Escunhau. Esglesia de Sant Esteve de Ginast is a church in the wider regional surroundings of Escunhau. Pilaret de Sant Urbà is a church in the wider regional surroundings of Escunhau.

Other places on this page are Casau, Betlan, Arròs and Aubèrt.

For the higher-level travel overview: Vielha.