Pyrenees – more than just Spain and France

I’d like to introduce you to the next “bite-sized” region” – the Pyrenees mountain range. Geopolitically divided between 2.5 countries (Spain, France and Andorra), the Pyrenees actually host several partially overlapping historical small countries and regions – Catalonia, Aragon, Basque country and Gascony.

Col du Tourmalet – a Tour de France classic

The Atlantic coast, San Sebastian, Spain

Romanesque fresco, Vall de Boí, Spain

Wine is sold here by the barrel

These will be your water taps while hiking

Toria village, Spain

Edelweiss – not only in Switzerland

A mountain monastery in French Catalonia

Ordesa valley, Spain

• Why go there?
  Stretching between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean sea, the Pyrenees are home to magical valleys, mountain lakes, fortified cities of ancient cults, unique village architecture and even some bears. The best about the Pyrenees is – if the weather doesn’t suit you on one side of the range, most probably its better (hotter/cooler/dryer/wetter) on the other side! The food’s amazing, too, and wine is cheap and sold by the barrel.
• What’s it best for?
  If you’re planning a romantic getaway – this is the place to go. Whether your idea of romance is dinner by the candle light in a cafe of a mountain village on a warm summer evening or skinny dipping in a mountain lake – the Pyrenees is the place to be for a couple.
• When is the best time to go?
  The mountains and the seas make for pleasant summers. Nevertheless, July and August can be pretty hot here and the popular spots get crowded. Going in June or in September will make sure you have all the Pyrenees you can have mostly for yourself.
• How to get around?
  Public transport is… let’s say challenging. Having a car makes travelling the Pyrenees much easier.
• Why is it best to avoid?
  I can’t think of a reason. Honestly, I can’t. It’s a region I plan to keep coming back to again and again.
• Where to go if you just have one week?
  Catalonia, and not just because of the capital, Barcelona. Its a relatively small region, where you can get a good taste of the Pyrenean life.