The Pyrenees - Nature, Heritage, and Belonging
The Pyrenees are an almost untouched space that must be cared for, as they hold immeasurable value both naturally and as a heritage site.
It is essential to maintain a balance between development that allows people to settle in the area and, at the same time, preserve the natural environment that gives the Pyrenees its identity and value.
Chronography of Change - Opening and Preserving
In 1948, the Vielha tunnel was completed, enabling year-round access and driving the economic and tourist development of the region.
In 1955, the Aigüestortes and Estany de Sant Maurici National Park was declared, the only national park in Catalonia, attracting half a million visitors annually.
In 1984, the Cadí tunnel was inaugurated, revolutionizing communications between the regions of Cerdanya and Berguedà, significantly reducing travel times and promoting a substantial increase in tourism and trade in these areas.
In 2000, the Romanesque churches of the Vall de Boí were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, noted for their unique architecture, frescoes, and sculptures dating back to the 11th and 12th centuries.
In 2003, the Alt Pirineu Natural Park was created, making it the largest protected natural area in Catalonia, covering nearly 80,000 hectares. Under the shadow of Pica d'Estats, Catalonia's highest peak at 3,143 meters, this unique territory is a reserve of Pyrenean natural and cultural heritage, with vast pastures and iconic animals such as the capercaillie, bearded vulture, and brown bear.
In 2015, UNESCO declared the summer solstice fire festivals in the Pyrenees, including the Falles and Crema deth Haro, as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
That same year, in 2015, the Natural Park of the Ter and Freser Headwaters was declared, located in the eastern Pyrenees, in Ripollès. Covering an area of more than 14,000 hectares, it includes the impressive landscapes of the upper valleys of the Ter and Freser rivers, as well as areas of great ecological and cultural value.
In 2024, the Val d'Aran was declared a UNESCO biosphere reserve, valuing its landscape diversity as well as its cultural and linguistic identity.
Few but Brave
The population of Pallars Jussà and Pallars Sobirà, combined, is around 20,000 inhabitants. This is similar to the population of towns like Tàrrega or Balaguer, but distributed across approximately 2,700 km², with an average density of 7 inhabitants per square kilometer. On the other hand, Andorra, with about 150 inhabitants per km², has a relatively high density. Nevertheless, this is still much lower than the density of the Barcelona metropolitan area, which reaches about 5,500 inhabitants per square kilometer.
