Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.
Vilac joins the Viles florides of the Val d'Aran
La Val d’Aran has its fourth Vila Florida this summer. Vilac, the first village we found at the exit of the mouth of the Vielha tunnel, has just obtained its certification. The location of the village is very good, at an altitude of 1,047 m to the right of the Garonne, 3 km from Vielha and 15 km from the ski resort of Baqueira Beret.
Located right in the middle of the valley, hence the saying : “S’era Val d’Aran seguuesse un ueu era vila de Vilac serie eth mijò deth ueu” which reads “Si la Vall d’Aran fos un ou, la vila de Vilac en fóra el rovell”. A Romanesque church from the 12th century with a bell tower (the only one in the valley) has the oldest bell in the Pyrenees and a very special bell ringing instrument.
The bell tower is one of the remains of an old castle, with a landscaped square (the former main square of the castle) and a spectacular view. The whole village is a balcony with magnificent views. Its streets are cobbled like typical Aranese constructions that perfectly unite the past and the present.
Bagergue, the others vila florida of the val d’Aran
Bagergue, Canejan and Arties, the three Aryan towns that are part of the Viles Florides project yet, promoted by the Confederation of Ornamental Horticulture of Catalonia (CHOC) with the support of the Catalan Tourism Agency, are once again flourishing with the arrival of spring. At present, 74 Catalan municipalities have already been awarded the “Vila florida” award in recognition of their work in improving the urban space.
The three Aranese towns have done a good job, both in the public spaces dependent on the consistory and in the private ones, for which they have obtained the involvement of the majority of the neighbours. Each in their own way, they have been planting flowers in the streets.
According to Marc Tarrau, Mayor of Bagergue, a pioneering Aranese town, “Viles Florides has been a driving force in the improvement of green spaces in Catalonia, an initiative that has motivated many towns and cities to improve their urban space. And also the improvement of the quality of life of the residents of the different municipalities that make up the Viles Florides movement. Transforming this movement into a tourist attraction for our towns is a primary objective, a seal of quality that serves as a magnet to attract more visitors. (Source: https://vilesflorides.cat/entrevista-marc-tarrau-alcalde-bagergue/ )
Bagergue is one of the few Catalan municipalities with four flowers of honour. The villa is filled with flowers that give life and color to the stones of the characteristic Aranese construction houses.
The highest village in the Val d’Aran, situated at an altitude of 1,419 metres, is characterised by its streets decorated with all kinds of flowers.
The enthusiasm and involvement of the neighbours in reading the beautification tasks stand out above all. In addition, last summer the “Route of the flowery spaces of Bagergue” was created. For the people the participation in this project has contributed to the increase of more than 50% of the tourist attraction.
Canejan, vila florida de la Val d’Aran
In March 2017, Canejan joined the Viles Florides project and at the end of the summer it was catalogued with a flower of honour. At 906 metres above sea level, it is the northernmost 
village in the Val d’Aran. High above the Val de Toran, it enjoys one of the best views of the whole Baish Aran. For the city council, being part of Viles Florides is another tourist attraction. “Viles Florides is one more step in the task we are carrying out so that visitors and neighbours can walk along clean, neat and flowery streets”, explains Noemí Lastera, councillor of Canejan City Council.
Arties, vila florida of the Val d’Aran
Arties is the third Aranese town to join the Viles Florides last year. The village is located at an altitude of 1,143 m, at the confluence of the river Valarties with the Garonne, in a small stretch of the valley. Arties has always devoted great attention to floral ornamentation and adorns its streets and gardens with different flowers, with the mobilization of the locals for the 
ornamentation of their houses, which earned him, in his first year in the project, the cataloguing of three flowers of honor. For David Torres, Mayor of Arties, joining the “Viles Florides” project aims to “encourage the neighbours and make them participate in the care and floral decoration of the village and private spaces”. The mayor believes that becoming a “vila florida” should also be a “tourist incentive” for the population.
honor flowers
The “viles florides” stand out for their real, conscious and long-lasting action in terms of landscaping, urban landscape and improving the quality of life of their citizens. Its cataloguing is decided by a jury specialized in nursery, gardening, landscaping, street furniture and other related fields.
The Flor d’Honor – ranging from one to five – is the recognition that certifies them as “vile florides”. Among the most highly valued aspects are the plant and landscape heritage, the resources allocated to its maintenance, the diversity of the region and the functionality of the green spaces, among others. It also takes into account respect for the environment and sustainability, as well as the social use of the environment and the synergies with tourism.
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator
Festive june in the Val d'Aran
During the second half of June, from Sant Antoni to Sant Pere, the main festivals and pilgrimages take place in different villages of the Val d’Aran. On the 13th in Bossòst they celebrate a pilgrimage up to the Porth d’Eth Portilhon, where the Capèla de Sant Antoni is located, one of the six that surround the village. A mass and traditional dances are held there.
This is followed by the local festival of the Val d’Aran on the 17th, which commemorates the re-establishment of the current Conselh Generau d’Aran. An institutional ceremony is held at the headquarters of the Conselh Generau d’Aran and a parade to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Mijaran, with a religious ceremony and a performance of Aranese dances.
A week later, it is San Juan, in whose vigil the central acts of the Hèstes deth Huec take place, in La Crèma deth haro in Les and la Crèma deth taro in Arties, the Aranese peoples who preserve this ancient tradition so deeply rooted in the Pyrenees. Thanks to their designation by UNESCO as Intangible Heritage of Humanity, the Hèstes deth huec 2017 have become one of the main attractions of the Aranese summer.
The celebration has an ancestral origin, closely linked to the agricultural and solar cycles. It is related to the primitive rites of regeneration of natural life, of fecundity and gratitude to the gods for the success of the harvest and the arrival of the good weather.
Finally, on the 29th, through San Pedro, the “Quilha deth haro”, that is, the planting of the new Haro, took place in Les. The newlyweds have the honor of distinguishing it with a wreath of flowers, as a rite to ask for fertility. This tree presides over the old square of Les for a year, until the next night of San Juan. Around the same time, the towns of Escunhau and Gessa also celebrate their main festivals.
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator
Status of the routes of the BTT Center
Check here the status of the routes of the Mountain Bike Centre of the Val d’Aran, as some of them are still affected by snow. (Information as of 09-06-2018).
Booking a getaway through the website VisitValdaran
The website of Torisme de Val d’Aran facilitates the booking of accommodation, services and activities in connection with the Baqueira Beret reservation centre through which you can book hotels, excursions or restaurants.
Baqueira Beret’s online booking centre, which can be accessed directly from the Torisme dera Val d’Aran website, includes a programme to speed up and facilitate reservations, either by telephone or by going directly to través on the website.
The user has easy access to a customized reservation system with more services and more competitive rates. The online centre includes databases of accommodation, catering, equipment rental companies, courses and classes with a monitor. It also offers the possibility of contracting packs with special prices for groups.
Booking a weekend, a getaway, a bridge or a holiday in the Val d’Aran at the click of a button is becoming easier and the possibilities are simply endless.
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator
“Sons e silencis. Lums e ombres”, Xavier Playà photo exhibition
Tomorrow, Thursday 10 May, the inauguration of Xavier Playà’s photographic exhibition “Sons e silencis. Lums e ombres.” The inauguration will be attended by the Aran union, Carlos Barrera.
The evolution of photographic cameras has made us forget their origin as a camera obscura. In the darkness we impress the senses and create our own images, as well as in the silence we hear the sound of still bells.
In this exhibition we invite you to build memories, to visit impossible architectures and to feel the passage of time. Like the lightning that in the middle of the night transforms darkness into light and silence into noise, these photographs show plays of light and shadow that turn the known into the unknown; the daily into the strange; what we had as solid and lasting turns out to be delicate and fleeting; what is closed and impregnable invites us to enter.
The fluttering of the birds, the slow movement of the fog or the echo of the bells speak to us of the passing of time and of those who are no longer there. Sounds and silences, lights and shadows of a time that does not stop.
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator
Pilgrimages, a tradition to be preserved
The pilgrimage to the chapel of Sant Joan d’Arròs on the first Sunday of May opens the season of pilgrimages in the Val d’Aran, which takes place throughout the spring and summer, ending on 20 September with the pilgrimage of the Mair de Diu des Bahns de Tredòs.
This Catholic tradition consists of the pilgrimage of the villagers to a nearby sanctuary or chapel, where a saint or virgin is found. Once there the term is blessed, people and animals and ends with a small popular festival.
One of the most popular is the Montgarri pilgrimage, which is held on 2 July. Throughout the day there are cheese offerings, a concert, traditional dances, a popular meal, mass and a dance with orchestra.
Consult here the list of pilgrimages that are celebrated in the Val d’Aran..
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator