Plà d'Urgell is a small inner region of new creation (1988) located in the Catalan central depression. Mollerussa and the lake of Ivars are the main attractions.
Its relief practically flat, is only disturbed by some low-lying hills, giving place to large fields of crops (cereals, fruit, fodder, etc.) and livestock farms. The Canal d'Urgell is one of the highlights of the region together with Ivars Lake make this region a very special space.
Environmental tourism resources:
Ivars Lake i Vila-sana: recovered from 2005, it has a water surface of 126 ha. Is the largest inland lake of Catalonia in terms of size and also hosts a major biodiversity. Currently it is a freshwater lake, although its origin is endorheic. The incoming water comes from the Urgell canal. The draining of the lake drains to the river Corb. In much of its perimeter, depth is very low, so that proliferate in lakeside communities. The maximum depth does not reach four meters. Along the lake there are recreated islands with different shapes, slopes, heights and locations that encourage wildlife, especially birds, with points of resting, feeding and reproduction.
Cultural Resources:
Cultural Space of Urgell channels, Mollerussa: Man and water are the backbone of the interpretation centre of irrigated lands along the canals of Urgell. The Cultural Space of Urgell channels is located in a building constructed between 1867 and 1876 in the municipality of Mollerussa. After more than one hundred years of its construction, it host again a new and modern cultural facility dedicated of showing the plural reality of the western lands, radically transformed by the construction of the channels of Urgell.
Iberian remains in Tossal de les Tenalles (Sidamon) and Margalef (Torregrossa): The current area occupied by the Pla d'Urgell, 2700 years ago, belonged to the tribe of the ilergets. It was one of the most important tribes in Catalonia and was extended until the Lower Aragon. The villages located in this area were mostly agricultural, small and nowadays are badly damaged.
Traditional Festivals:
Pilgrimage to the shrine of Sogues de Bellvís (October): A tradition passed down from generation to generation, describe the appearance of the Virgin of Sogues in 1190 and since then the town has been the centre of worship of the whole region. People went on pilgrimages from forty municipalities in different counties, praying to God for rain or seeking remedy for their diseases. On leaving the village, on the road to Balaguer, the new sanctuary is the former convent of Our Lady of Sogues who settled in the place in 1583.
Apple Festival in Barbens (October): The inhabitants of Barbens dedicate a whole festival to the fruit that has been and still one of the main agricultural activities of the villa. The festival is held the third weekend of October and celebrates that all the collecting tasks have finished.
Agricultural Fair in Sant Josep, Mollerussa: agricultural contest. Excellent platform for promotion with many possibilities and options: agricultural machinery and livestock, agriculture complements, supplements for livestock, fertilizers, fodder, Phytosanitary Seeds and plants, motor industry, industrial services and construction entities.
Active tourism
Walking and Cycling: The smooth and horizontal landscape of the zone makes this area a perfect place to enjoy this sports. Most of the villages have different marked paths to enjoy the scenery.
Routes through the Urgell channel: We can find 14 routes going through the Urgell channel. The canal serves as the backbone to know all the lands that surround it: the people, the museums, castles, areas of natural interest, monuments, religious sites and archaeological remains.
Camino de Santiago: Roughly follows the route of the old Roman road from Barcelona to Lleida and the historic Camino Real de Aragón, which runs parallel to the current highway N-II and A-2 highway. The municipalities through which it passes are: Ivars d'Urgell, Barbens, Vila-sana, Mollerussa, Castellnou de Seana, El Palau d'Anglesola and Bell-lloc d'Urgell.
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