LA RIBERA D’EBRE A DOSSIER OF REGIONAL TOURIST INFORMATION HANDBOOK * www.turismeriberaebre.org . CONTENTS THE RIBERA D’EBRE - MYTHICAL LANDS ALONG THE BANKS OF A RIVER ................ 4 HISTORY AND MYTHOLOGY CLIMATE AND LANDSCAPE PRODUCTS OF THE LAND AND LOCAL GASTRONOMY, TRADITIONAL CRAFTS AND FAIRS INDUSTRY THE RIVER HIKING, BIKING AND NATURAL RESERVES LOCATION AND HOW TO GET THERE ............................................................................... 14 TOURIST INFORMATION CENTRES ................................................................................... 16 TOURISM PRODUCTS ........................................................................................................ 17 TOURING, CULTURE AND GASTRONOMIC ROUTES ................................... 18 Route of the 3 C’s The Route of the Templars Guided Tours of Miravet Castle Guided Tours of Miravet Miravet: The Knights Templar Móra d’Ebre: Rediscovering the noble city Route of the Battle of the Ebro A Weekend in Flix A Long Weekend in Flix and Miravet The Scene of the Battle of the Ebro Oil and Wine Tasting in Móra d’Ebre Cellars and Tastings Environment and Local Products Wine and Cuisine in Ribera d’Ebre Walking back through history in Vinebre ECOTOURISM .................................................................................................... 26 Enjoy Sculpted Scenery by the Ebro River The Terres de L’Ebre through a Lens The Trades of the River and Delta Introduction to Birdwatching Birdwatching aboard a canoe on the River Ebro Discover Nature: Photography and Painting Project Tivissa Mountains in Bloom: Almond and Cherry Trees BOATING, HIKING, CLIMBING… - ACTIVE TOURISM ................................... 30 Experience the Ebro First Hand aboard “Lo Roget” and Discover the Town of Ascó Holidays Afloat on Riba-roja Reservoir Fishing in the Riba-roja Reservoir Active Weekend in Ribera d’Ebre: “Via Ferrata”, Hiking and Kayak Flix to the Mediterranean in Kayak Biking along the Towpath and Canoeing in the Ebro River Basin 2 Terre de L’Ebre on Land and Water Canoeing on the Ebro Pick and Mix from Different Stretches on the River Ebro, on Foot or by Canoe “Via Ferrata” in Tivissa Trail-running HIKING ............................................................................................................... 36 Hikes along the Serra de Llaberia for all ages Routes from the book “The Tivissa-Vandellós Mountains” Terres de L’Ebre: Mountains, Valleys and Trails A Trip Back to Iberian Times in Tivissa Getaway in the Land of the “Dips” Paths near the Mas D’Alerany, in La Serra d’Almos Trails in Miravet BICYCLE TOURING ........................................................................................... 40 Pedal the GR-99 From Miravet to the Mouth of the Ebro Cyclist Accommodation Ribera d’Ebre Cycling Routes FAMILY HOLIDAYS ........................................................................................... 42 Houseboat Breaks Family Activities on the Ebro River A Week of Legends, Mystery, Nature and Wine The Ribera Castles Family Activities at the Flix Meander Climb aboard the history train STAYS FOR SCHOOLS AND YOUNG PEOPLE ............................................. 45 Guided Tours in Miravet including Legends, Nature and History Learning on the Ebro: Kayaks and Bicycles Learning on the Ebro: The Sebes Nature Reserve EVENTS .............................................................................................................. 47 Ribera d’Ebre Fairs Symbolic Olive Harvest Running in Tivissa and Llaberia Hills Móra d’Ebre Racing Circuit Motor Racing and La Ribera d’Ebre Homemade cheesemaking: Try your hand at cheesemaking in Rasquera POTTERIES ........................................................................................................ 51 Ribera d’Ebre Pottery Miravet Josep Fabregat Ferran Segarra Josep Papaseit The Ventura Brothers Montserrat Pedrola Benissanet Jordi Avante 3 THE RIBERA D’EBRE - MYTHICAL LANDS ALONG THE BANKS OF A RIVER It can be said that a territory is not formed exclusively by the surroundings and its people but also by its mythology. The Ebro River Basin, an irrigated region crossed from north to south by the Ebro River, has cultivated a rich collective imagination. Iberians and the wolves, the moors and the waterwheels, Templarian treasures, Carlists and bandits; the barges and the men on the towropes, all form part of the riverside region, its visible and hidden corners. From the Iberian cult of the wolf in the archaic legend about the city of Iltirca, to the skill of the river boatsmen guiding their wooden cargo ferries 'Llaguts,' along the waterways, the local mythology is clearly an additional attraction of the area. The Ebro River Basin is a region of visual contrasts. The riverbanks are lush with vegetation and crops of sweet fruit; full of the characteristic flavour and colour that makes them so attractive at the markets. But as we move away from the river the scenery gradually transforms into a landscape of olive trees, vineyards, almond trees and crops adapted to more arid terrain. The Mediterranean pine forests leave almost no record of the great leafy oaks of the past and the valley terrain becomes steeper at its limits, as if to emphasize its streamlined silhouette. The region’s natural wealth of water and good communication with the rest of the country has attracted industry to the area over the last century. The friendly character of the river basin people was forged most significantly during the mid-nineteenth century period of grain trade that made use of the river as a major commercial route. This commercial fever led traders from the inland to settle in villages along the river. Great grain stores were constructed and even some deserted hamlets like Masos de Mora ended up becoming important towns, that one being known today as Mora la Nova. The bridge of Móra d’Ebre joins la capital of the Ribera d’Ebre, to Móra la Nova spanning the Ebro river. Opened in 1943, it replaces the old iron bridge built by La Maquinista Terrestre i Marítima in 1918 that was destroyed by the Republican Army in 1938. 4 Years ago, wooden barges or cargo ferries travelled the river laden with grain, while the boatsmen 'sirgadors' and 'llaguters' demonstrated their expertise at guiding these peculiar vessels along the fabulous meandering river; the mythical Ebro. The figure of the sirgador, rough men made strong by years of tugging the towropes along the river to advance the boats, is present in many of the literary pages written by the waterfront people. Artur Bladé or Biarnés Carmel, two literary classics from the Ribera d’ Ebre region, are full of references to the exploits of these people. The historical heritage that the region treasures is very rich and is nourished by ancient history of great importance. It's no secret, for example, that as a result of some inscriptions found in the cell where the last Templarian master Jacques de Molay was held captive in Paris, searches are being carried out in the Ribera d’Ebre region near Ascó for the Temple Treasure. Support for such a hypothesis can be found in the castles of Miravet and Ascó, the first of which was the last remaining bastion of the Order in Catalonia. The historical and mythological heritage of the area is an additional redeeming feature, as are the scenic beauty and the nectar sweet regional agricultural products. All in the region is embraced by the river, which, like a scar of life and its desires, splits the county almost symmetrically. HISTORY AND MYTHOLOGY The oldest archaeological findings of human settlements in the Ribera d’Ebre date back to the Upper Palaeolithic Era and can be found in the villages of Vinebre and Rasquera. From a later period, examples of Levantine cave paintings can be seen in the dry riverbed of Font de la Vilella (Tivissa). Highlights can be found in the Ramat cave, the Cingle cave and the Font del Pi cave including five, small, stylized figures. The most important findings however, are from the Iberian period. Two major points of Iberian culture in the region are Castellet de Banyoles in the municipality of Tivissa and San Miguel in Vinebre. These were both important fortified enclosures complete with towers, and were located in strategic points. Interesting archaeological remains have been found in both sites. The Iberian culture is the first great civilization of which we find true remains. Here the Iberians of the river lands, known as the “ilercavons” had reigned. Another long gone but important civilization of the region is Roman. The amphorae found at the Roman villa Aumedina in Tivissa, where they had been made, demonstrate that agricultural products from the region, like oil and wine, had been traded and regarded in high esteem since ancient times, by the Romans of the Mediterranean. Centuries later, the Moroccan Arabs left their mark on the Ribera d'Ebre. Some of the town's names are an example of this, like Benissanet or Miravet. The wells and the generalised irrigation systems of an industrious people are evident all along the valley, where the green leafy riverbanks were claimed by settlers with an eye for cultivation. 5 Early in the 12th century, the river basin territory was divided between the province of Tortosa and that of Siurana, which included much of the current municipalities of Tivissa, Móra d’Ebre, Móra la Nova and Garcia. Later these strongholds would fall under the protection of the cross when Count Ramon Berenguer IV granted Miravet to the Templars. There, after a monumental