Rupit

       As a rule, when speaking about Catalonia, people remember such famous tourist cities and towns as Barcelona, Sitges, Girona, Tarragona. However, Catalonia is much richer in beautiful and extraordinary places of interest, than it is usually mentioned in guide-books. If you deviate a little bit from the main road, you are going to come across the most interesting places.

       Rupit is a small village, situated in the mountains, 800 metres over the sea level. You can reach it by your own vehicle as well as by bus or by train. There is a requiring payment parking place for cars. On arriving here on some day off you can see rather a big quantity of tourists. But do not be startled, please: lovers of quiet, solitary walks will not be prevented from enjoying the peace and silence of catalan nature.

       When starting to know the village, first of all drop in at the tourist centre, where you will be given a detailed map and you will be explained the route.You may follow it or walk along occasional paths. In any case you will first enter the territory of the very village, consisting of typical medieval stone houses with tiled roofs and decorated with the most beautiful flowers. There are flower pots everywhere: on window-sills, near porches, along small terraces, thus giving festive and smart appearance. After walking along the paved road-way past a small square with restaurants and tourist shops, you will come to one of the main sights of the village – a huge stone bridge. From its height you can have a wonderful view on the settlement and its houses squeezed to each other as well as on a small mountain river, that gives pleasant freshness while passing by.

       Each one chooses the route he or she likes. If you are an active rest fan, come to join like-minded people on bicycles, as soon as you find an asphalted road going along the forest. Having remained inside the village, you will get a lot of pleasure from walking along its narrow streets and getting to know the medieval architecture: the church of St. Miguel, the castle of Rupit, a forge shop, mills. Or go deep into the forest and ramble along its paths, covered with leaves and entangled in tortuous roots of the trees; walk along the river, that being still in some places, soon starts running rapidly and later falls with small cascades. Thus breathing in the aroma of fresh and pure forest air under the sound of the mountain river you will reach a small waterfall, surrounded by basalt rocks. You can rise on top of small stone mountains, from where there is a stupendous view on abyss, sunk in the forest.

       If you have come by your own vehicle, you are strongly advised to visit the dam, that is 18 kilometres away from the village. Here you will enjoy the silence of calm and quiet water, the surface of which is gently touched by the wind, thus forming small ripple.

       So one can say with certainty, that a lot of people are going to find something special for themselves in Rupit. It is an excellent place for having rest with children as well as for romantic walks of loving couples. Here you will be able to go hiking, cycling or peacefully rest from eternal fuss near the waterfalls or in the quiet of the forest.

       You will broaden your outlook in the sphere of architecture or you will try yourself in photography art, if you are just a beginner and you will shoot beautiful impressive photos, if you are already a professional.

       In any case you are going to spend your time in an excellent way and you will probably wish to return here again and again.

Alexandra Minakova