Na Ture Trail Terra Alta
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[Catalonia] Arnés - Lledó station to Pinell de Brai Brai de Pinell to station Lledó - Arnés NIPO: 05 50 43 977 0034 : Joan Sant de Horta of Council City • TELEPHONES OF INTEREST: OF TELEPHONES TERRA ALTA TERRA DL: NATURE TRAIL NATURE bloodiest episodes of the Spanish Civil War. Civil Spanish the of episodes bloodiest pathways is also your responsibility. responsibility. your also is pathways and later the scene of the Battle of the Ebro, one of the the of one Ebro, the of Battle the of scene the later and leave everything as you found it. The conservation of these these of conservation The it. found you as everything leave a source of inspiration for Pablo Picasso during his youth youth his during Picasso Pablo for inspiration of source a perience. We only ask one thing of you: do not forget to to forget not do you: of thing one ask only We perience. through deep canyons with incredibly beautiful scenery, scenery, beautiful incredibly with canyons deep through - ex this of most the make to recommendations with along res twenty tunnels and five viaducts. They lead the visitor visitor the lead They viaducts. five and tunnels twenty res of the Terra Alta Nature Trail and the map for the journey, journey, the for map the and Trail Nature Alta Terra the of - featu (Tarragona) Tortosa with Teruel, of province the in joy the trip. In this brochure you will find a brief description description brief a find will you brochure this In trip. the joy which connected the area from which it took its name, name, its took it which from area the connected which - en to keys the you offer and them visit to you invite We This intermediate section of the old Val de Zafán railway, railway, Zafán de Val old the of section intermediate This part of the unique cultural landscape of our country. our of landscape cultural unique the of part discover the villages, sights, traditions and people that are are that people and traditions sights, villages, the discover diversity and beauty of our precious natural heritage, and and heritage, natural precious our of beauty and diversity - bio the discover to countryside the to us take routes These BETWEEN GORGES AND CANYONS AND GORGES BETWEEN le trails and traditional routes, for public use and enjoyment. and use public for routes, traditional and trails le - catt tracks, railway as such infrastructures transport former and the Environment’s Nature Trails Program aims to restore restore to aims Program Trails Nature Environment’s the and Since 1993 the Ministry for Agriculture and Fisheries, Food Food Fisheries, and Agriculture for Ministry the 1993 Since of Spain of Trails Nature Guide to the to Guide NORTHEASTERN PENINSULAR NORTHEASTERN SECTOR SECTOR NORTHEASTERN PENINSULAR NATURE TRAIL TERA ALTA This Nature Trail is perfectly signposted and each of the old 4. Before reaching the next station, the valley comes into there is a carpark and recreation areas alongside the stations has a picnic area with information panels on the view, facing the Sierra de Bot with the village of Bot in Nature Trail picnic area. The area is located four kilo- route. Bollards have been installed at crossings to prevent the foreground. This is the only village with a water fou- metres downstream and among other charms features motorized vehicles from entering; ensuring the route is re- ntain along the route. Past Bot is a monument to the a unique building; the Celler Cooperatiu winery, a mas- served exclusively for excursionists. old railway, consisting of a ticket from its last journey terpiece of Cèsar Martinell, a student of Gaudí’s. and after another couple of tunnels, opposite the her- 1. The route begins at the old Arnés-Lledó station, close From this point it is also possible to continue along the mitage of Sant Josep, the trail enters the canyon of the to the River Algars. In fine weather visitors can take ad- Baix Ebre Nature Trail. River Canaletas, the most spectacular section along the vantage of the bathing area at the weir under the old route with its steep sided walls. railway viaduct, while the nearby medieval villages of Lledó and Arnés are also worth visiting. 5. This section of the course winds across mountain ran- ges, through tunnels and over viaducts and ledges over .2. The first section, towards Horta de Sant Joan station, in- ELS PORTS rivers. In a somewhat more open canyon is Prat de clines slightly thanks to the excavation of trenches and Compte station, from where a small road winds its way Els Ports is a vast limestone mountain massif loca- embankments in the vales of the terrain. After the first up the side to the village. Further on up the road, a mo- ted between the Catalan Sierra Prelotoral and the tunnel, the route reaches road T-334. Although the village dern iron sculpture invites travellers to take a break and Sistema Ibérico, straddling the municipalities of lies off the route, it is worth visiting. It has been decla- discover the Sierra de Bot in all its splendour. Baix Ebre, El Montsiá and Terra Alta in Catalonia, red a National Cultural Heritage Site for the impressive Matarraña in Aragon and theValencian municipality views it affords of the surrounding landscape, such as 6. Once again the canyon closes in, between the steep, of Els Ports. the neighbouring mountain of Santa Bárbara, with the sharp Sierra del Crestal mountains, which sink into This area is of great botanical and geological inter- Convent of San Salvador at its foot, itself declared an the river. Just beyond this narrow stretch is another est, as well as for its fauna, as it played an important Historical-Artistic Site and home to a Picasso Museum. gem: the Sanctuary of Fontcalda, with natural thermal role in the current ice age; becoming a refuge for di- springs that can be accessed via a path. 3. Resuming the trail towards Santa Bárbara mountain, a verse animal and vegetation species, some of them slight detour from the route leads to the convent. At 7. Beyond Fontcalda, part of the canyon still remains, while unique in the world. this point the flatlands are left behind as the trail enters the river rounds the Sierra de Pandols, tunnel after tunnel, the gorge of the River Canaletas where a series of tun- one of which has long since collapsed and must be skirted nels and viaducts offer spectacular views. The longest along a signposted path before reaching its mouth. tunnels feature automatic lighting, but it is recommen- ded that travellers always have a torch at hand. 8. The final section of the route is marked by the old Pinell de Brai station, located beside road N-230. At this point Aqueduct over the River Algars The springs and the Sanctuary of Vertical limestone ridges sink into the Fontcalda under the Sierra del Crestal River Canaletas MIDE . e d a p a Harshness of natural environment Upward gradient j 2 165 m a o M H Guidance along the route 1 Downward gradient 475 m Route difficulty 1 ROUTE LENGHT 22,6 km Amount of effort needed 3 TIME 5 h town point of interest Arnés-Lledó station Pinell de Brai station Picnic area Recreative area Horta de San Joan Bridge 500 Station Monument Puente Station Spa 400 Bot Station Bridge 300 Bridge 200 Camino Natural del Matarraña-Algars 100 Camino Natural del Ebro GR-99 0 m 0 km 2 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 22,6 Camino Natural de la Terra Alta 5 a t l 7 A a r r e 4 T 8 a l e d 6 l a r u t a N 2 o n i m a 3 C 1 Camino Natural del Baix Ebre Camino Natural de la Val de Zafán SECTOR NATURE TRAIL Starting point Rest area Tunnel NORTHEASTERN PENINSULAR TERRA ALTA End of trail Junction Monument Nature Train station Trails (abandoned) Bridge.