A wild natural landscape dotted with old Romanesque buildings is what welcomes you to La Baronía de Rialb, a charming town ideal for enjoying rural tourism.
Extending through the Rialb Valley, Baronía de Rialb is made up of eleven communities: Sant Cristòfol de la Donzell, Pallerols, la Serra, Bellfort, Sant Martí, Politg, Vilaplana, Palau, el Puig, la Torre, Politg and Gualter. Gualter serves as the town’s capital and while being one of the largest in Catalan geography it is also one of the least populated.
It is located in the region of La Noguera, also forming part of the natural region of Segre Mitjà, a space close to the western Catalan Pyrenees, settling between the Rialb Valley and the Cogulló de Sant Quiri.
Shall we begin the story? What we know today about La Bornía De Rialb, without a doubt, is it's Romanesque history, shown by the innumerable churches or towers and some monasteries, as well as old farmhouses and farmhouses, are part of the traditional architecture. You are able to find even older traces such as the Dolmen de Sòls de Riu, in which remains of a Chalcolithic tomb were found. In the same area, named Área del Dolmen, you can find the church of Santa Eulàlia de Pomanyons and a stone cistern dating from the 11th-12th century.
On the banks of the Segre River, is the most relevant Romanesque complexes, the Monastery of Santa María de Gualter (10th -11th century), which is made up of a church with an interior cloister. It is currently being rehabilitated as during the Civil War the site was actually used as an ammunition store which left it in a state of ruin.
Another Romanesque jewel deserving of a visit, is the Church of Sant Martí de Terrassola, a 10th century church nestled in nature, which is part of the Inventory of Archetectural Heritage of Catalonia.
Now crossing the Segre River, we arrive at the Church of Sant Iscle and Santa Victoria, which, in the past, on its main altar exhibited a spectacular triptych from the 14th century. This triptych can now be seen in the Church of Sant Josep, located in Politg.
The church of Santa Maria de Palau, which forms part of the Santa María de Meiá, is one of the best examples of Catalan Romanesque art. In 2018 they began restoring some of the Renaissance art and the site has recently been declared a Cultural Asset of National Interest.
Some smaller churches are also part of Baronía de Rialb´s landscape, such as Santa María de Ramoneda, San Miguel de Vilaplana, Sant Vicenç de les Cases de Rialb, San Salvador de Mas Barrat or Sant Ponç de Martimà, without forgetting Sant Esteve de Pallerols, a very remarkable example of Lombard architecture.
Would you like to know about the regions celebrations? Although several festivities are distributed throughout the year, some of the most notable are la Fiesta de la Cereza (the cherry tasting festival) on the first Sunday of June and the Cultural Trobada al Monestir de Santa María, both of which are in Gualter. The Pilgrimage of Sant Josep Maria Escrivà takes place in Pallerols during November.
As a general rule, in regards to the local economy, agriculture and livestock are the main livelihoods and, to a lesser extent, forestry.
On the other hand, thanks to its natural environment, the tourism sector is an emerging opportunity for Baronía de Rialb. Rural tourism is the main base of accommodation and it offers a unique experience for travellers.
