''La Vall de Núria'' (, "The Valley of Núria") is a south-opening valley coming down from the crest of the

Pyrenees The Pyrenees (; es, Pirineos ; french: Pyrénées ; ca, Pirineu ; eu, Pirinioak ; oc, Pirenèus ; an, Pirineus) is a mountain range straddling the border of France and Spain. It extends nearly from its union with the Cantabrian Mountains to ...

within the

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

Queralbs Queralbs () is a municipality in the ''comarca'' of the Ripollès in the province of Girona, Catalonia, Spain. It is situated in the Pyrenees to the north of Ribes de Freser, near the peaks of Puigmal (2909 m), Infern (2896 m) and ...

province A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman '' provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...

Girona Girona (officially and in Catalan , Spanish: ''Gerona'' ) is a city in northern Catalonia, Spain, at the confluence of the Ter, Onyar, Galligants, and Güell rivers. The city had an official population of 103,369 in 2020. Girona is the capital ...

community A community is a social unit (a group of living things) with commonality such as place, norms, religion, values, customs, or identity. Communities may share a sense of place situated in a given geographical area (e.g. a country, village, ...

Catalonia Catalonia (; ca, Catalunya ; Aranese Occitan: ''Catalonha'' ; es, Cataluña ) is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a '' nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy. Most of the territory (except the Val d'Aran) lies on the nort ...

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

. The floor of the valley lies about above sea level and is accessible from the south via a

rack railway A rack railway (also rack-and-pinion railway, cog railway, or cogwheel railway) is a steep grade railway with a toothed rack rail, usually between the running rails. The trains are fitted with one or more cog wheels or pinions that mesh with th ...

(the Vall de Núria Rack Railway) or by foot, and from

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

to the north by footpaths. There are no roads to access the valley. The place is historically notable for the 1931 drafting of the first Catalan Statute of Autonomy, in the

Sanctuary A sanctuary, in its original meaning, is a sacred place, such as a shrine. By the use of such places as a haven, by extension the term has come to be used for any place of safety. This secondary use can be categorized into human sanctuary, a sa ...

of the

Virgin of Núria Virginity is the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. The term ''virgin'' originally only referred to sexually inexperienced women, but has evolved to encompass a range of definitions, as found in traditional, modern ...

The Virgin of Núria

According to tradition, Saint Giles (

Catalan Catalan may refer to: Catalonia From, or related to Catalonia: * Catalan language, a Romance language * Catalans, an ethnic group formed by the people from, or with origins in, Northern or southern Catalonia Places * 13178 Catalan, asteroid #1 ...

: ''Sant Gil'') arrived in the valley in approximately 700 AD and lived there for four years. He crafted an image of the

Virgin Mary Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother of ...

and hid it in a cave when forced to flee from persecution by the

Romans Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

against

Christians Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words '' Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρ ...

. Along with the image of the Virgin, he left a pot used for cooking, a cross, and a bell for calling shepherds to meals. According to tradition, a

pilgrim A pilgrim (from the Latin ''peregrinus'') is a traveler (literally one who has come from afar) who is on a journey to a holy place. Typically, this is a physical journey (often on foot) to some place of special significance to the adherent of ...

named Amadéu began searching for the image in 1072, after having a prophetic dream. He built a small chapel for pilgrims, and found the image seven years later, next to the pot, the cross, and the bell, and he brought the objects to the chapel to be venerated. The image has been dated to have been made during the 12th or 13th century. It is a wooden Romanesque carving. The primitive-looking polychrome statue retains its painting intact. The shepherds regarded the image of the Blessed Virgin as a patron saint of fertility. The canonical consecration of Our Lady of Núria was made in 1965. Her feast day is September 8.http://pirineos.com/article/articleview/1063/4/ ''El Santuario de Nuria'' in ''Pirineos.com'' (in Spanish) The name Núria is now a popular girl's name in Catalonia.

Ski resort

The

ski resort A ski resort is a resort developed for skiing, snowboarding, and other winter sports. In Europe, most ski resorts are towns or villages in or adjacent to a ski area – a mountainous area with pistes (ski trails) and a ski lift system. In Nort ...

in the valley is operated by the same company that operates the Vall de Núria Rack Railway. The resort has 10

alpine ski ''Alpine Ski'' (アルパイン・スキ一) is an Alpine skiing arcade game, released by Taito in 1981. The player controls a skier, who can move left, right, or increase forward speed. The aim is to maneuver a skier through a downhill ski cour ...

piste A ''piste'' () is a marked ski run or path down a mountain for snow skiing, snowboarding, or other mountain sports. This European term is French

s (three green, three blue, two red and two black), and a special slope for sleighs, totalling of marked pistes. In summer 2006, 18

snow cannon Snowmaking is the production of snow by forcing water and pressurized air through a "snow gun", also known as a "snow cannon". Snowmaking is mainly used at ski resorts to supplement natural snow. This allows ski resorts to improve the reliabilit ...

s were installed, making a total of 73 cannons. A quad

chair lift An elevated passenger ropeway, or chairlift, is a type of aerial lift, which consists of a continuously circulating steel wire rope loop strung between two end terminals and usually over intermediate towers, carrying a series of chairs. They ...

from the resort base at , goes up to its highest point, at 2,252 m.; two platter lifts serve the beginners' area; and a

gondola lift A gondola lift is a means of cable transport and type of aerial lift which is supported and propelled by cables from above. It consists of a loop of steel wire rope that is strung between two stations, sometimes over intermediate sup ...

("''telecabina''") accesses the Pic de l'Àliga

youth hostel A hostel is a form of low-cost, short-term shared sociable lodging where guests can rent a bed, usually a bunk bed in a dormitory, with shared use of a lounge and sometimes a kitchen. Rooms can be mixed or single-sex and have private or shared ...

Gallery

File:La vall de Núria.jpg, ''Vall de Núria'' - Southern access to

mountain resort A mountain resort is a place to holiday or vacation located in an elevated and typically at least relatively isolated area. The term resort implies integral hotel or inn accommodations, restaurants, and either or both sports facilities or scen ...

File:Coma de Noucreus.jpg, ''Vall de Núria'' - ''Coma de Noucreus'' (

Kettle A kettle, sometimes called a tea kettle or teakettle, is a type of pot specialized for boiling water, commonly with a ''lid'', ''spout'', and ''handle'', or a small electric kitchen appliance of similar shape that functions in a self-contained ...

of Nine Crosses) File:Nuria16.jpg, ''Vall de Núria'' - Calvary by the southern access File:Santuari-Nuria004.jpg,

of the Virgin of Núria - Facade File:Nuria04.jpg,

of the Virgin of Núria - Interior of the

nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...

File:Nuria06.jpg,

of the Virgin of Núria - Stained glass File:Crem nuria.jpg, Vall de Núria Rack Railway File:La_antiga_locomotora_elèctrica_E.1_del_cremallera_de_Núria_reposa_a_dalt_de_tot_de_la_Vall.jpg, Vall de Núria Rack Railway Station - Old E.1 electric locomotive (Dec. 2006) File:Estació vall de Núria.JPG, Vall de Núria Rack Railway Station from the

platform Platform may refer to: Technology * Computing platform, a framework on which applications may be run * Platform game, a genre of video games * Car platform, a set of components shared by several vehicle models * Weapons platform, a system or ...

File:Funicular Núria 1960.jpg, Vall de Núria Rack Railway -

Train In rail transport, a train (from Old French , from Latin , "to pull, to draw") is a series of connected vehicles that run along a railway track and transport people or freight. Trains are typically pulled or pushed by locomotives (often ...

at ''Coma del Clot'' (Dec. 1965) File:Cremallera de Núria RN4.jpg,

on Vall de Núria Rack Railway at ''Vall de Núria'' Station (Jul. 2010) File:Vies Cremallera.JPG, Vall de Núria Rack Railway -

Rail tracks A railway track (British English and UIC terminology) or railroad track (American English), also known as permanent way or simply track, is the structure on a railway or railroad consisting of the rails, fasteners, railroad ties (sleeper ...

File:Nuria32.jpg, ''Vall de Núria'' -

Mountain resort A mountain resort is a place to holiday or vacation located in an elevated and typically at least relatively isolated area. The term resort implies integral hotel or inn accommodations, restaurants, and either or both sports facilities or scen ...

sanctuary A sanctuary, in its original meaning, is a sacred place, such as a shrine. By the use of such places as a haven, by extension the term has come to be used for any place of safety. This secondary use can be categorized into human sanctuary, a sa ...

and

reservoir A reservoir (; from French ''réservoir'' ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam. Such a dam may be either artificial, built to store fresh water or it may be a natural formation. Reservoirs can be created in a number of ways, including contro ...

File:Vall de Núria.jpg, ''Vall de Núria'' -

and

References

External links

Official Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vall de Nuria Geography of the Province of Girona Valleys of Catalonia

The Virgin of Núria

Ski resort

Gallery

See also

References

External links