The former settlement of Tiurana was completely submerged beneath the waters of the Rialb Reservoir; in 2007, the new town re-emerged. The guided tour “Tiurana monumental” visits relocated features from the vanished village and the Romanesque chapel of Mare de Déu de Solés, which contains Baroque wall paintings. The tour brings history and architecture together.

Relocated Monuments and Romanesque Buildings

The Romanesque chapel of Sant Ermengol dates from the 11th century. Another architectural feature is the relocated façade of the parish church of Sant Pere Apòstol. It was restored in 1980 and has a round-arched portal and a central oculus. The details of its restoration and architectural features place the façade in its own historical and architectural context.

The Museu dels Antics Oficis also explores the rural past. Its open-air area displays tools that earlier generations used for farming in rural areas. The sculpture El Foc del Pelegrí serves a different cultural purpose: it was created to convey to visitors the human warmth of the people of Tiurana. The RS2 Ruta del romaní leads to the sculpture and then back to Tiurana. The Trialera de Solés, in turn, was an old path connecting the former village with the chapel of Mare de Déu de Solés.

Botanical Garden and Tiuranatura Routes

Tiurana’s Botanical Garden features more than 80 special species of trees, shrubs and plants. On a walk, you can observe birds, butterflies, insects, bumblebees and bees, as well as smell aromatic plants. The garden also features Col de Tiurana and Bitxo de Tiurana, along with the bean varieties mongeta d'emparrar and mongeta de ganxet, which were once grown here. The garden brings nature watching together with a reminder of locally cultivated plants.

The Tiuranatura hiking routes are designed to help visitors discover wild plants, wildlife and the waters of the Rialb Reservoir. They also feature Romanesque chapels, the Sant Sebastià wayside shrine oratory, and remains from the Spanish Civil War. The routes are geolocated: you can follow them on Wikiloc or download GPX tracks.

When choosing a route, the character of the trail matters as well as the destinations. Tiurana’s hiking routes include short downhill sections and genuine trialera tracks; some are shared by mountain bikes and motorbikes. The RS3 Ruta de les trialeres includes a descent along the Trialera de la Drecera and an ascent along the Trialera de Solés. These specific sections help distinguish this route from the other hiking options.

Bike Tour, Reservoir and Events

The Rialb BTT Tour starts and finishes in Tiurana. It follows numerous tracks and trails offering views of the Rialb Reservoir and the mountain ranges around the northeast of Noguera and the south of Alt Urgell. The zip line over the reservoir is described as about one kilometre long, with an elevation change of around 100 metres and a height of 30 metres above the water.

The Astronòmic Starlight Tiurana Festival was launched in 2020 and returns. Its multi-day astronomy programme includes observations of the sun and night sky, guided tours, photography workshops, a mobile planetarium and family workshops. The activities on offer vary from one edition to the next. The Festival de Contes is associated with Tiurana: stories are performed in the streets and at iconic locations. It is held annually on the third weekend of August or, when August has five weekends, on the fourth; the programme also varies from year to year.

The Itinera Festival features concerts on the town stage on Saturdays in July. Dinner on the terrace of the Gastrobar Solés is available as an option. If you are planning your trip around a festival, check the specific event dates and programme in advance.

Discover more destinations: Sant Serni de Llanera, Les Avellanes, Vielha, Cervera, Montornès De Segarra, Burg, La Plana De Mont-Ros, Preixens.

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