The border between Spain and France is home, in the heart of the Pyrenees mountains, to some of the most charming enclaves on the Iberian Peninsula. Thus, the mountainous border between the two neighboring countries stands out as a territory containing wonders to explore.
At the northwest end of the Val d’Aran, in Lleida, there is a village with black houses, camouflaged in the vegetation and mountainous landscape. It is none other than Bausén, on the banks of the Garonne, on the border with the French country.
The town, with less than 100 inhabitants, is one of the territories that has best succeeded in preserving the architecture of the valley, keeping its cobbled houses and historical monuments unchanged for decades.
The smallest cemetery in Spain
The town of Bausén is marked by a legend which has spread over the years by the different generations who have inhabited the valley. It is the love story between two young people from the beginning of the 20th century who, when deciding to get married, the priest allegedly demanded a large sum of money, using as an excuse that the lovers were very close relatives. distant. The couple, according to legend, did not agree because they did not have such financial amount, continuing the relationship regardless of non-marriage.
When shortly afterwards the woman – named Teresa – fell ill and died at just 33 years old, the priest would not have agreed to bury her in the town cemetery either. After that, the neighbors, outraged by the decision and confronted with the despair of his companion, dug a grave in the civil cemetery. The tomb, located on the outskirts of the city, is still famous today thanks to an ancient legend. Currently the space is called El Coret and stands out for being the smallest cemetery in Spain, with only one grave.
Historical monuments
Besides the civil cemetery, another of the most important historical monuments of the city is the church of San Pedro ad Vincula, included in the Inventory of the Architectural Heritage of Catalonia. Although it is a Baroque construction, it also has several elements from other periods and styles, such as neoclassical or Romanesque.
On the other hand, throughout the territory it is also possible to enjoy the chapel of San Roque, dedicated to the pilgrim of the same name. Its location, at the top of the hill, offers superb views of the valleys surrounding the enclave.
Carlac Forest
Near the town of Baurén, the Carlac forest stands out for its spectacular expanse of century-old beech trees of multiple colors and sizes. The appearance of its unique trees, which form different disturbing figures with their branches, have given the space the popular name of magic forest.
Throughout the territory it is possible to carry out a simple hiking route lasting less than three hours during which you can enjoy the trees in all their splendor. To do this you will have to start from the Bausén parking lot, from where a road with several bends starts where you can enjoy the Maladeta massif.
Then you will have to take Sant Pere Street and continue to the outskirts of the village using a well-marked path. As you progress, it will be possible to enter the Carlac Forest, where more and more trees will appear.
Once inside the enclave we will have to cross the river along a footbridge until reaching a fork. We will have to go left, where the climb is steeper. It will then be possible to descend to a narrower area of the river that can be crossed on foot. A few meters further, it will be possible to see the unique roofs of the town of Bausén again, thus closing the route.
How to get to Bausen
Getting to Bausén is somewhat complex, as it is in the deepest part of the Pyrenean border. So the journey from Lleida will take almost three hours by the N-230, or three and a quarter hours from Huesca or four hours from Zaragoza by the same road.
On the other hand, the enclave is four and a half hours from Barcelona by the A-2 and five hours from Girona by the C-25, although the two routes meet at some point along the way to continue by the N-230. .
