La Noguera: Holiday Apartments and Holiday Homes

The Parc Astronòmic del Montsec in Àger offers guided tours of L’Ull del Montsec and the Parc dels Telescopis, as well as a self-guided visit to the astronomy exhibition. During night visits, visitors can observe the Moon, planets, nebulae and galaxies.

Anyone wishing to rent a holiday apartment in La Noguera can make the accommodation a separate part of their travel planning.

Starry skies and location

The Parc Astronòmic del Montsec is located in the municipality of Àger, 3.5 kilometres from the town centre, on the road to Coll d’Ares. It cannot be reached by public transport, only by private vehicle or chartered bus.

Culture and history

The Museu de la Noguera was founded in 1983 to manage the archaeological heritage of the city of Balaguer. Guided tours are offered in Catalan, Spanish, English, French and Arabic; advance reservation is required.

Pla d'Almatà is the largest preserved archaeological site from the Andalusian period in Catalonia. The Parc Arqueològic del Pla d'Almatà comprises four excavated and musealised houses, as well as two sections of street. Approximately 700 metres of the wall have been preserved.

Balaguer Castle has been known as Castell Formós since the late Middle Ages. In the mid-11th century, a palace was built there and decorated with sophisticated, polychrome stucco executed in plaster.

The megalithic complex of Seró has been dated to the middle of the first half of the 3rd millennium BCE. The Seró statue-menhir is seven metres high and is considered the tallest statue-menhir in Europe. The rock paintings of the Cova del Tabac in Camarasa, La Noguera, are a World Heritage Site.

The Centre d'Interpretació de l'Or del Segre is located in an extension of the Molí de l’Esquerrà mill. There, visitors can pan for gold in a practical activity using an Ábaco. Espai Orígens conveys archaeological heritage through hands-on activities for visitors of all ages, offers tours of the Roca dels Bous archaeological site and runs the “Archaeologist for a Day” activity at the Sant Llorenç de Montgai Archaeological Park.

The Camarasa hydroelectric power station can be visited through Espai Orígens. Tours of the El Merengue memorial site at Cap del Pont de Balaguer are also organised by Espai Orígens.

Natural areas

The cliffs of Montsec reach heights of up to 500 metres; plants such as Petrocoptis montsincciana, which is found only on Montsec, grow there. The Serra del Montsec was formed from a former marine basin and reaches an elevation of 1,676 metres above sea level.

The Reserva de Fauna Salvatge de Sant Llorenç de Montgai wildlife reserve covers 468 hectares across the municipalities of Camarasa and Os de Balaguer and includes the Partidor de Gerb and the Sant Llorenç reservoir. The Reserva Natural Parcial de la Noguera Ribagorçana-Mont Rebei partial nature reserve encompasses 11 kilometres of river and was designated a nature reserve because of its otter population.

Regional specialities

Bodegas Costers del Sió near Balaguer offers the visitor experiences Siós Tour and Siós Experience. The Fira-Tast del Prèssic in Ivars de Noguera includes an exhibition of local peaches, various other fruits and organic produce, a presentation of preserved peaches, sales stands and a free tasting of peach ice cream, cake, peach juice and toast with jam.

Other places in the surrounding region: Montan De Tost, Figuerola de Meià, Vilamòs, Ivorra, Iran, Pradell, Sensui, Alcarràs.

To the higher-level travel overview: Lleida.