Vall del Madriu-Perafita-Claror
| Vall del Madriu-Perafita-Claror | |
|---|---|
UNESCO world heritage 
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| National territory: |
 Andorra
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| Type: | Culture |
| Criteria : | v |
| Surface: | 4,247 ha |
| Reference No .: | 1160 |
| UNESCO region : | Europe and North America |
| History of enrollment | |
| Enrollment: | 2004 (session 28) |
| Extension: | 2006 |
The Madriu-Perafita-Claror in the 2004 UNESCO - World Heritage added, extends to the southeast of Andorra on the municipalities Encamp , Les Escaldes , Andorra la Vella and Sant Julia de Loria .
The glacial valley is an area of 4247 hectares, which corresponds to 9% of the total area of Andorra. The landscape is characterized by glaciers and steep cliffs, in between high pastures and deep wooded valleys. It is also the second largest watershed in Andorra. The valley is a haven for rare or threatened animal species.
history
The Vall del Madriu-Perafita-Claror valley was inhabited since the 13th century. The places Entremesaigües and Ramió are located in a narrow section of the valley. Both places were inhabited the whole year up to the 1950s and the population was engaged in pasture farming. There were 12 properties typical of Andorra with granite and slate roofs. Each house has a large barn for storing grain and hay. The settlements have been surrounded by terraced fields since the Middle Ages. Wine was also grown in the Middle Ages. Sheep, cows, donkeys and horses grazed on the steep mountain pastures in summer. The shepherds lived in small ramión with lawn roofs. The animals' milk was used to make cheese. The local iron ore deposit was processed on site. The necessary charcoal was obtained from the trees in the surrounding forest region. The forge, a so-called Catalan style forge, typical of the Pyrenees, was abandoned in 1790. Iron was extracted from iron ore in a shaft furnace made of stones . The path, paved with flat stones, connects the valley with the center of Andorra.
After a period of neglect, numerous houses, shepherds' huts, moor paths and field boundary walls have been restored in recent years. However, there are no plans to build a paved access road. The valley is to be preserved as a distinctive area for agriculture and livestock farming and only used for limited tourism for hikers. The houses and the agricultural land in the vicinity of the settlements are the only areas that are privately owned and correspond to about 1% of the total area of the valley.
Worth seeing
There is still some grazing in the area. You can see, among other things, summer settlements, terraced fields, mountain paths and signs of earlier iron extraction.
Restored stone hut in Perafit
Valley in Entremesaigües
See also
Web links
- Entry on the UNESCO World Heritage Center website ( English and French ).
- Madriu-Perafita-Claror Valley. In: visitandorra.com. Andorra Turisme SAU(English, Spanish, French, Catalan, Portuguese, Russian).
Coordinates: 42 ° 29 ′ 27.1 ″ N , 1 ° 35 ′ 19.2 ″ E