In Pau, discoveries range from a Romanesque church and medieval paths to megalithic sites and wetlands. This gives you a choice of different themes for your stay: the town’s architectural history, cultural trails or the landscape of the plain. Taking a closer look at the routes and their themes can help you plan excursions to suit your interests.
Church, houses and castles
The village is grouped around the church and square, with paths running along the routes that lead there. The Església Romà nica de Sant Martà stands on Plaça Major. It is a single-nave Romanesque church with a semicircular apse. Its location also provides a useful reference point for finding your way around the village.
The houses also shape Pau’s architectural character. These include vaulted cellars and terraces attached to the façades by round arches. Together, the buildings form a particularly interesting architectural ensemble. If you are interested in architectural history, there is also a connection to the former castle: Cal Marquès stands on its medieval site. The building dates from the 17th and 18th centuries and features older elements. Historically, Pau’s old castle became the centre of the Barony of Pau.
Cultural trails and traces of the past
The “Camà de Peregrins. La Creu Blanca” is a cultural trail that follows a medieval path from Pau to La Creu Blanca. It starts at Sant Martà Church and follows a wide, well-paved path that has served people and livestock for a very long time.
“Pedres i Dolmens” explores a different theme: this cultural trail leads to the megalithic and geological heritage of the Serra de Rodes. It includes various prehistoric burial sites and cultural expressions from the Neolithic period. The megalithic monuments preserved in Pau show that settlement in the area dates back several thousand years. Dry-stone construction is another characteristic feature of the landscape. These trails thus bring together historical paths, archaeological evidence and the built environment as different ways of exploring cultural history.
Castell de VilaĂĽt offers another historical point of interest: the surviving remains include two towers, possibly dating from the 13th or 14th century, as well as remnants of water-filled defensive moats. The date of the towers remains uncertain.
Plain, wetlands and former lakes
The “cortals, estanys i closes” route crosses the plain and leads to the former lake, through a landscape of great natural and scenic interest. It passes through Pau’s wetlands, where ponds that hold water seasonally, pastures for cows and horses, and farmhouses on the shores of former lakes alternate. In the northern part of the plain, the seasonally flooded Estanys de Pau are remnants of the former large Estany de Castelló.
Pau is also one of the municipalities that includes the Aiguamolls de l'Alt Empordà area, which is protected under PEIN. If you are weighing up nature and cultural themes for your days in Pau, the routes offer a clear distinction: “Pedres i Dolmens” focuses on megalithic and geological heritage, while “cortals, estanys i closes” places the wetlands and plain centre stage.
Orientation and local character
A useful landmark is the location of the Empordà lia farm shop: there are bicycle parking spaces and a bus stop in front of it in Pau. To learn more about the area’s history, it is also worth looking at its agricultural tradition. Agriculture in Pau was based on the Mediterranean trilogy of wheat, oil and wine. This historical influence complements the architectural and landscape themes.
If you are considering Pau as a place to stay, you can choose according to the focus of your trip: Romanesque architecture and local history, cultural trails to medieval and prehistoric sites, or the wetlands of the plain. The topics described offer different perspectives on the same place and can help you plan your days around the discoveries that interest you most.
Discover more destinations
Discover more destinations: VilaĂĽt, Guils De Cerdanya, Sant JuliĂ del Llor, Llers, Pont De Molins, Beget, Bellcaire D'empordĂ , Sant Joan De Les Abadesses.
For the main travel overview: Girona.
