Ascó () is a large village in the

comarca A ''comarca'' (, or , or ) is a traditional region or local administrative division found in Portugal, Spain and some of their former colonies, like Brazil, Nicaragua, and Panama. The term is derived from the term ''marca'', meaning a " ...

Ribera d'Ebre Ribera d'Ebre () is a comarca (county) in Catalonia, Spain. in the Terres de l'Ebre, and that extends to both sides of the river Ebro between the reservoir of Riba-roja and Miravet. It belongs to the province of Tarragona and its capital is M ...

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 no ...

, Spain, on the right bank of the Ebre river at the feet of the

Serra de la Fatarella Serra de la Fatarella is one of the isolated mountain ranges of the Catalan Central Depression located off the southern end of the Catalan Pre-Coastal Range between La Fatarella and Ascó in Spain. The ridge's highest point is 563.5 m; another impo ...

range. The village of Ascó is known for its

nuclear power station A nuclear power plant (NPP) is a thermal power station in which the heat source is a nuclear reactor. As is typical of thermal power stations, heat is used to generate steam that drives a steam turbine connected to a generator that produces ele ...

, and for excellent fishing in the river. The local economy is based upon agriculture and work at the power station. The local area is studded with groves full of almonds, olives, grapes, and occasionally citrus fruits. It is approximately from

Mequinenza Mequinenza (Aragonese and ) or Mequinensa () is a town and municipality of the province of Zaragoza, in the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain. It is located beside the river Segre, close to its confluence with the river Ebro between the Mequ ...

, from

Flix Flix () is a town in the ''comarca'' of Ribera d'Ebre, Catalonia, Spain. Situated on a promontory by the Ebro river, the town occupied an important strategic position. Situated on the Madrid–Barcelona railway line, it expanded in the early ...

, from

Riba-roja d'Ebre Riba-roja d'Ebre is a municipality in the ''comarca'' of the Ribera d'Ebre in southern Catalonia, Spain. It is the site of a large hydroelectric power station, on the Ebro , name_etymology = , image = Zaragoza shel.JPG , ...

and from

Gandesa Gandesa () is the capital of the '' comarca'' of Terra Alta, in the province of Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain. History In the place known as ''Coll del Moro'' there is an ancient Iberian archaeological site belonging to the Ilercavones tribe t ...

, in the area where the

Battle of the Ebro The Battle of the Ebro ( es, Batalla del Ebro, ca, Batalla de l'Ebre) was the longest and largest battle of the Spanish Civil War and the greatest, in terms of manpower, logistics and material ever fought on Spanish soil. It took place between Ju ...

was fought during the

Spanish civil war The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlism, Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebeli ...

. The terrain is a mixture of flatland, hills, mountains, forests and farmland.

Attractions and amenities

Ascó has shops, a bank, a post office, a restaurant, several

tapas A tapa () is an appetizer or snack in Spanish cuisine. Tapas can be combined to make a full meal, and can be cold (such as mixed olives and cheese) or hot (such as ''chopitos'', which are battered, fried baby squid, or patatas bravas). In some ...

bars, a bakery, pharmacy, news stand, cafés, etc., all within a 3-minute walk from the river bank. There are also schools, a college, and a railway station on the main line to

Valencia Valencia ( va, València) is the capital of the autonomous community of Valencia and the third-most populated municipality in Spain, with 791,413 inhabitants. It is also the capital of the province of the same name. The wider urban area al ...

Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ...

, and

Zaragoza Zaragoza, also known in English as Saragossa,''Encyclopædia Britannica'"Zaragoza (conventional Saragossa)" is the capital city of the Zaragoza Province and of the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain. It lies by the Ebro river and its tribut ...

. It is less than an hour drive from

Reus Reus () is the capital of Baix Camp, in the province of Tarragona, in Catalonia, Spain. The area has always been an important producer of wines and spirits, and gained continental importance at the time of the Phylloxera plague. Nowadays it is k ...

airport and

Salou Salou () is a municipality of the ''comarca'' of Tarragonès, in the province of Tarragona, in Catalonia, Spain. The city is approximately 10 km from Tarragona and Reus on the Costa Daurada and 112 km from Barcelona. Founded by the Gree ...

. The village is built on the side of a hill overlooking the river and has the remains of a ruined castle on its summit. There are cycle paths and walking paths known as Vias Verdes (green ways) which follow the river and which offer views of the Ebro valley.

Fishing

Zander The zander (''Sander lucioperca''), sander or pikeperch, is a species of ray-finned fish from the family Percidae, which includes the perches, ruffes and darters. It is found in freshwater and brackish habitats in western Eurasia. It is a popu ...

carp Carp are various species of oily freshwater fish from the family Cyprinidae, a very large group of fish native to Europe and Asia. While carp is consumed in many parts of the world, they are generally considered an invasive species in parts of ...

catfish Catfish (or catfishes; order Siluriformes or Nematognathi) are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, catfish range in size and behavior from the three largest species alive, ...

, mullet, and

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range: ** Bass (instrument), including: ** Acoustic bass gui ...

fishing is available in the river which has easy access and low banks. There are fishing guides who specialise in fishing this area. The fishing is not free and night fishing is banned. A fishing licence for Catalonia is required. Carp fishing is best in winter when the carp form huge shoals. Catfishing is best in summer when the catfish go on huge feeding frenzies. Local catfishing guides at Ascó usually stock bait and tackle.

Demography

Notable people

* Peter Sanz (Ascó, 22 September 1680 - Fuzhou, 26 May 1747) (Catalan: Pere Sans i Jordá, Spanish: Pedro Sans i Jordá) was a Catalan Dominican friar who was sent as a missionary bishop to China.

References

* Panareda Clopés, Josep Maria; Rios Calvet, Jaume; Rabella Vives, Josep Maria (1989). ''Guia de Catalunya'', Barcelona: Caixa de Catalunya. (Spanish). (Catalan).

External links

Official website

Government data pages
{{DEFAULTSORT:Asco Municipalities in Ribera d'Ebre Populated places in Ribera d'Ebre