Only 90 minutes’ drive northwest of Barcelona, the idyllic valley of Cerdanya lies in the rugged Pyrenees. After passing through the Cadí Tunnel, you are confronted by a line of jagged 10,000-foot peaks rising directly from an alpine valley. The Segre River winds its way through a picture-postcard landscape of forested slopes and flower-strewn meadows down to the dignified old town of La Seu d’Urgell, dominated by its majestic 12th-century cathedral. High above stand the extensive remains of a huge 16th-century fortress.

Join Andrew Harper today to continue reading our exclusive content.