There are a lot of places in the world to get lost in, places rich in history and beautiful landscapes.
Miravet is one of those authentic places if you want to break the routine and relax.
A treasure for sharing by word of mouth …
Miravet, a charming small town
in the south of Barcelona;
the lands of the river Ebro.
Miravet is a charming small town 160 km far from Barcelona (1 h 40 min) in the region of the river Ebro Lands (Terres de l’Ebre, Costa Daurada).
The castle of Miravet and its old quarter with the church and the houses hanging over the red rock on the river surrounding an outstanding landscape, is really picturesque.
Theirs is a story of Moors, Templars and Hospitallers; sailors, merchants and numerous battles of the Ebro…
Miravet’s pottery is also famous as the ferry, the “pas de barca”, the last original of the Ebro, and the artwork of the great painter Joaquin Mir.
+ Info de Miravet
The Templar castle of Miravet
On the steep rock, the Moors built the old town. Crowning the crags there is the imposing Templar castle, which was converted into their headquarters after the conquest in 1153.
This complex is considered one of the finest examples of Romanesque, religious and military architecture of the Templar Order in the whole western world. It is also the most popular monument in the Terres de l’Ebre region.
Stands out the sober and well proportioned Romanesque church and the refectory with other rooms as the winery, the tank or the stables.
Between 1307 and 1308 it suffered a long siege at the hands of James II, during the campaign against the Templars, being the last resistance of the Order.
* You can visit all year except non-holiday Monday, December 25 and January 1 and 6.
The historical town and the Old Church
The mediaeval design of the Muslim alquería (farm) has been preserved, as you can see in the arcades and the hanging houses, as well as the dock, the mill and the Aljama (the old Jewish-Moorish quarter).
The Old Church, a Renaissance temple of the Hospital Order, was affected by the Battle of the Ebro River, and today is a cultural monument. Inside are three exhibits: local pottery, pictures from the Spanish Civil War, and Roman pieces with iconography from the three cultures that coexisted in the town.
Pottery and local crafts
In the Raval dels Canterers neighbourhood, craftsmen still use their hands and the pottery wheel to make their traditional local crafts: earthenware pitchers, drinking jugs, jars, basins and cadufos (containers).
* Open daily, except Sundays, from 9:30 to 13:30 h and from 16 to 19.30 h.
The ferry and the river
Miravet is located in the county of La Ribera d’Ebre, nestled between the Cardó and Cavalls foothills and the Ebro river.
A ferry takes you across the river, offering a panoramic view of the town surrounded by the majestic landscape and leafy fringing forest.
The ferry boat of Miravet is the only one all over the Ebro which cross the river using only the waterforce. It is documented by the Templars since the twelfth century.
Originally there was a single boat placed under the castle but in 1946 the location changed and a new ferry was built with two boats Isaac Peral and Monturiol.
* It is open all year from 9 AM to 19 PM in summer and from 9 AM to 18 PM in winter.
Nature Reserve of Miravet
The Natural Reserve of Miravet, the Tamarigar meander, offers a spectacular image from home and the viewpoint of the Sanaqueta (in front of the Old Church), on the left bank of the Ebro.
The site takes its name from the abundance of tamarind, one of the largest in the country, comprising three of the four species living in Catalonia (Tamarix africana, T. anglica and T. canariensis).
In this protected natural area, declared a Natural Wildlife Reserve, we can see herons, cormorants, and many birds that take advantage of this area as biotope bridge between the coastal wetlands (mainly the Ebro delta) into the Iberian Peninsula and during migration periods.
Aurelio, your guide in Miravet
My passion for travel and photography led me to Miravet in 1995 and my enthusiasm for history and the Templars made in 1997 I decided to undertake this initiative in the world of tourism.
Since then I have been sharing my knowledge and experience through guided tours with a very personal approach views: my eagerness to get the story, to convey unique sensations difficult to describe in words.
Let me guide you into the adventure of History.
“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
– Maya Angelou –
The TOP ONE !!!
The essential no to be missed
Crossing the river with the ferry
Discovering the castle with Aurelio
Live the adventure of history with one of my tours.
A fascinating journey to discover about daily life in the castle in time of the Templars, the key episodes in its history and the secrets of its construction inspired by the Temple of Solomon…
| +Information: +34 656 266 398 (Aurelio) |
To visit a pottery workshop
I recommend you to visit one of the 8 potteries in the Raval of Canterers district where master craftsmen still work this traditional office in Miravet.
Some workshops, such as Ferran Segarra private collections are worthy of admiration, or the very original workshop of Papaseit, highly recommended.
Ask out for the Pitxell of Moixó, the most curious piece and famous.
| Opening times: 9,30-13,30 + 16-19,30 h |
| Closed on Sunday afternoons |
Follow the Route 3 Cs
It is the most famous and curious route. This triangular route property integrates three interesting places to visit on three different counties, the three begin with the letter C and equidistant from each other about 12 km:
| – Castle of Miravet: +34.977407638 |
| – Wine Cathedral in Pinell de Brai: +34.977426234 |
| – Wonderful Caves of Benifallet: +34.977267800 |
Canoeing on the Ebro river
The calm waters of the Ebro and the spectacular scenery between Miravet and Benifallet make this stretch of the river a paradise for canoeing lovers.
There are several companies that organize routes all the year outing from Miravet and they will lead you back in Miravet:
| – Duration: 2 h 30 min (Miravet-Benifallet) |
| – Prices from 25€/person |
| • Rogles Aventura: +34 607 775 712 (Raul) |
| • Beniemocions: +34 619 334 384 (Luís) |
The path of the Ebro (GR99)
The path GR99 or Camino del Ebro passes under the house and is perfect for a walk and discover the bank forest and attractive river landscape. The stretch between Miravet and Benifallet is one of the most common for walkers coming from everywhere, especially northern Europe.
4.5 km away is the famous Pass of Barrufemes, a gorge with spectacular cliffs.
There are many others PRs or small paths leading into the mountains and every February the association La Cameta Coixa of Miravet organizes a race through them.
And for fans of birdwhatching the Ebro is a paradise, not only in the delta, especially the meanders like Miravet’s Tamarigar (in front of the house) and the nature reserve of Sebes (in Flix).
Hiking the Valley of Cardó
Cardó Mountains are one of the most charismatic mountain ranges of the Ebro and hide the mythical and mystical Valley of Cardó with its great beauty and unique historical and cultural heritage.
We often like to walk the route of the chapels and hike the Cruz de Santos (941 m). Some surprises are the old monastery-spa hung over the cliff, the chapel of the Rock, the Luminous cave and rock Foradada but his treasure is the botanical diversity that protects the Valley such as the Forest of the Devil (oaks, oaks , Grèbol, bargallos, orchids, etc.) and over 200 Taxus Bacata in the Teix Fountain (monumental and ancient tree).
If you like, I can offer you my guide service to go in.
| Duration: 2 h 30 min (from Rasquera) |
| Difficulty: average-low |
| Video in youtube |
The Green Road by bicyble
The Green Road is one of the best proposals to discover the landscape cycling leisurely, through tunnels and over bridges.
The stretch between Benifallet and Bot is the most amazing and passes through the gorge of La Fontcalda. It is worthwhile to stop and refresh in the Canaletes river and visit the sanctuary.
| Bike rental: +34 619334384 (Lluís) *They takes you to the beging and I pick you back at the end of the route |
| Link to the route |
To eat the Clotxa and local dishes
Seasonal events
Depending on the month and season you can not miss the best shows of the Ribera d’Ebre:
- The blooming of peaches and cherries (early March)
- The floods of the Ebro River (between April and May)
- The migrating birds (March and November)
- Full moons on the Ebro from El Balcon de Miravet!
Nearby…
Miravet is located in the heart of the regions of the Ebro, Priorat and Matarraña at the junction of the two most important routes of access, N420 (Royal Road) and C12 (the Ebro axis), 20 min far from the Mediterranean coast.
Its strategic location is halfway between Barcelona, Zaragoza and Valencia, and well connected by train so you can plan a trip from here to go and return if you stay at home for a few.
El Balcó de Miravet is perfect for your holidays and do a break out.
Check out the surroundings
- The old village of Corbera d’Ebre
- Trintxers and museums of the Battle of the Ebro
- The Wine cathedral of Gandesa
- Horta de St. Joan and Els Ports Natural Park
- Valderrobres, Calaceite and Matarraña region
- The Charterhouse of Escaladei and Bellmunt lead mines
- Siurana village and the Natural Park of Montsant
- Nature Reserve of Sebes (Flix)
- The Natural Park of the Delta de l’Ebre
- Tortosa and the Gothic cathedral, the castle of Suda and museums
- The beaches of El Perello, L’Ampolla and L’Ametlla de Mar
… / …
If traveling from far…
- Port Aventura (Shambhala, the highest roller coaster in Europe)
- Poblet and Santes Creus monasteries (the Cistercian Route)
- Tarragona (World Heritage Site)
- Morella and the Templar castle of Peñíscola
- The Cathedral of Lleida and the Templar castle of Gardeny
- The Templar castle of Monzón
- Zaragoza and Gargallo Museum
- Barcelona, Valencia, Madrid …
- Paris, Rome, London …
- The northern lights Arctic …
- The Milky Way and the infinite Universe …
We are only travelers in endless space…
+34 656 266 398
A landscape that goes into art and literature
Writers and poets
Jesus Moncada and “Towpath”
No other book takes us to the past of these lands and the river lost navigation rooted in the writer’s work as Jesus Moncada: Towpath,, which takes the name of the footpath that used to border the Ebro from Tortosa to Mequinensa. A classic of Catalan literature.
Within the Republican exile literature a special mention to the Roc Llop, a poet from Miravet.
Roc Llop (the poet)
Miravet teacher and poet, born in 1908, in 1934 he was imprisoned by the events of October. After the Spanish Civil War he went into exile in France where he was captured by the Germans, he spent a hard captivity in the extermination camp at Mauthausen, which managed to survive.
His poems have the imprint of suffering in the death camp. Some of them were compiled in the book Poems of Light and Darkness, published in Paris in 1967.
In Miravet you can read one end of Cap de la Vila, down the road Ebro or GR99, on the Costa de Riago.
Painters and artists
There are many authors come and go quietly; painters, sculptors, writers, poets, photographers, musicians and filmmakers.
The figure of great Joaquim Mir and also Dalí went through Miravet. Soon we will share a new space dedicated to art in tribute to Mir: The Palau of Miravet…
We believe in creative tourism!
Joaquim Mir in Miravet
Miravet was for Joaquin Mir one of his most productive “pictorial campaigns” with 38 paintings sold successfully.
He even won the Medal of Honor at the National Exhibition of Fine Arts in Madrid with two paintings of Miravet “Fantasy of the Ebro” and “Town of the Ebro”, catalog number 46 and 47.
The painter had two stays in the village, the longest outside of Vilanova, between 1929 and 1930.
The pictorial image of the entire Old Town and his extraordinary character led him to recorde an unreleased film where you can see how the daily life and river navigation was in the period before the Spanish Civil War.
This film has been restored by the Filmoteque of the Generalitat and can be seen in the exhibition of the old Church of Miravet.
Julio Antonio, the sculptor
Great Catalan sculptor born in Mora d’Ebre, in 1889, whose work can be admired in the MAMT (Museum of Modern Art in Tarragona).
Among its monuments stands the Monument to the Heroes (1811), known as The Naked located in the Rambla Nova of Tarragona.
Hikers and travelers
The landscape of the Ebro is full of contrasts and waterways and dirt roads that allow nature lovers discover spectacular corners with exuberant flora and fauna delight walkers and travelers.
GRs and PRs passing through the natural parks of the Delta de l’Ebre, Els Ports and Montsant, wildlife reserves meanders and islands of the Ebro (Pein), the fields of vines, sweet fruit, olives and almond trees, beaches and coves of the coast…
The GR99 or Towpath
Towpath was the way through the banks of the Ebro sailors used to go up the river stretching boats with heavy rope or tow helped animals. This way and ancient craft inspired the novel of Jesus Moncada.
The GR99 drive us about the missing towpath and stretches following the Ebro river from its source to its mouth revealing to a completely unkown wild and amazing landscapes for most of our visitors.
Gastronomy and local products
Cherries and peaches
In March, flowering fields of sweet fruit, peach and cherry trees mainly colored dress the Ribera d’Ebre. A spectacle not to be missed!
The cherry season is from April to June and peaches from June to September.
Cherries' cake
– Cherries for garnish
– A cup (of coffee) milk
– A cup (of coffee) sugar
– A cup (of coffee), the result of boil for about 5 minutes aniseed and dried orange peel
– A drizzle of olive oil
– 125 grams of butter
– 1 envelope yeast
– Flour
– Sugar to put on top of cake
In a bowl, combine all ingredients except flour, that’ll pull slowly until the dough we are not sticking to hands, then let stand covered with a cloth half hour. We will take a tray from oven and untaremos with butter, pasta and will flatten really leaving a border of a finger. Above we will put together a good cherries with others. To end will pretty sugar on top and put it in the oven as hot as medium heat.
Cherry festival
In Miravet about 314 cherry varieties are grown and Cherry Festival is celebrated on the third Sunday in June with a pomological shows, coconut, cherry little party and a popular food in the Plaza del Arenal.
The same day the Potters Fair where different workshops expose their most distinguished work is done.
* The popular food tickets are booked one month prior to +34.977407134.
Peach festival
In Benissanet over 350 varieties of peaches are grown and Fair ‘Auberge’ (peach) is celebrated on the second Sunday of July.
The “clotxa”
The clotxa is the most typical of the region of Ribera d’Ebre plate. It is formed by peasant bread without spring and stuffed with tomatoes, garlic, onions and sardines, all roasted and oil Arbequina extra virgin olive oil, accompanied by a good wine of this land.
From January to March the days of the clotxa are celebrated restaurants in the Ribera d’Ebre.
Recipe
Para su preparación hay que cortar en dos un pan de ½ kilo y sacarle la miga. Asar la cebolla, el ajo y el tomate y poner el arenque a la brasa.
El medio pan vacío nos sirve de recipiente donde pondremos el diferentes ingredientes cocidos con el arenque; el aliño lo haremos con un buen chorro de aceite de oliva de la Ribera d’Ebre que impregne bien todo el pan.
El plato ya está preparado para comer. Buen provecho.
Ingredientes para 2 personas:
– 1 pan de payés de ½ kg
– 2 arenques (sardinas)
– 2 cebollas
– 4 tomates
– 2 cabezas de ajo
– Aceite de la Ribera de Ebro
Pastissets
The pastisset is a breaded courgette cream cake, other identifying flagship product and the counties of Ebro. The Tortosa, Rasquera and Benifallet are well known, but in all towns can be found even in chocolate.
Very typical are also almond soufflé or “casquetes”.
Casquetes
It is a typical dry, sweet and fine texture and very crispy, pasta in all these towns. It is made with egg, about to merengue, mixed with toasted almonds, roughly chopped. It is baked and sold within a basket of paper, similar to that used for muffins. Formerly only a festive product but today is made throughout the year
Wines and oils
The neighboring regions of Priorat and Terra Alta offer their oils and wines with denomination of origin delight wine lovers.
And mistela of Bats, brandy Prat de Comte, rice wine and orange Delta Xerta …
Olvie oils
Appellations “Siurana” and “Terra Alta” offer extra virgin olive oils from different varieties (Arbequina, Empeltre, Morruda, Sevillenca and Farga) with graduations do not exceed 0.5 °.
In Miravet we have the excellent extra virgin olive oil Les Àrgoles, on sale at Lo Raco del Temple.
The elixir of life!
Priorat wines
The Priorat has two appellations of origin, DO Priorat (9 municipalities) and the DO Montsant (remaining 14 municipalities), which is traditional cultivation of vines on steep terraces, stone terraces slate of low fertility and very difficult crop.
The other area of production with appellation is the Terra Alta region with excellent wines DO where whites predominate.
The differences are due to the terrain, soil characteristics and climate of each zone itself. The vines are planted in a wide variety of soils and at different altitudes ranging from 200 to 700 meters above sea level.
Restaurants recommended
Molí de Xim
Miravet
Open for lunch Tuesday through Sunday and only on Friday and Saturday nights.
Mrs. Cinta has excellent hand home cooking with a good menu and varied menu. She makes a delicious clotxes as everything she prepares.
+34.977407758
Sota de copes
Móra d’Ebre
Open Tuesday through Sunday nights.
A special place to make a meal at night in a place with its own personality and pleasant music for a quiet, intimate evening. Lluís and Joana are people with sensitivity to art and culture.
+34.608135850
Catedral del Vi
Pinell de Brai
Open every day at noon.
A luxury restaurant inside the modernist monument of the Wine Cathedral (Route of the 3 Cs) with the great chef behind Fran Lopez from the Tower of India, and their special menus at moderate prices.
+34.977426290
Restaurant Pepo
Benifallet
Open daily except Mondays.
Family restaurant and friendly atmosphere. One of the best around. They have exquisite menus and varied brasserie also a good price. Thursdays they prepare a delicious paella.
+34.977462200
