Ripoll in Girona (province), is the capital of the Ripollés region. It sits at the confluence of the Ter river and its tributary Freser, in the Catalan Pre-Pyrenees. It had a population of 10,700 inhabitants in 2024.
Understand
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Map of Ripoll
The first evidence of human presence in Ripoll dates back to the Bronze Age (1500-600 BC). With the reconquest of the territory between Cerdanya and Barcelonès by Count Guifré el Pelós (840-897), the repopulation of the area began in 879, using two monasteries as attractions: Santa Maria de Ripoll and the monastery of Sant Joan de les Abadesses (887).
Get in
[edit]By plane
[edit]The nearest airports are in Girona (GRO IATA) 85 km (53 mi) and Barcelona (BCN IATA) 117 km (73 mi).
By train
[edit]- 1 Ripoll train station (Estació de tren de Ripoll), pl.de l'estació. R3: L'Hospitalet de Llobregat - Puigcerdà
By bus
[edit]By car
[edit]- The C-17 ( N-152 ) from Vic (Barcelona) to Ribes de fresser
Get around
[edit]Parking
[edit]- 2 Parking Cat Ripoll, Passeig Compositor Honorat Vilamanyà. Caravans & motorhomes accepted, but there are no services for them. free.
See
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- 1 The Monastery of Santa Maria de Ripoll (El monasterio de Santa María de Ripoll), Plaça de l'Abat Oliba. M-Sa 10:00-13:30, 15:30-18:00; Su 10:00-14:00. Built at the request of Count Wifredo el Velloso in 888, it is a notable example of the Romanesque architecture of the area, although it has undergone various extensions over the centuries. It once had a large architectural complex, of which only the portico, from the 11th century, is preserved, in which passages from the Bible can be seen, and the cloister, and one of the few Romanesque cloisters with two floors. The current building is the result of the restoration carried out at the end of the 19th century, due to the partial destruction caused by an earthquake after the Carlist wars, which devastated the entire city. The large courtyard consists of a fountain located right in the middle of the courtyard, surrounded by small carved bushes and a kind of gallery surrounding the fountain, a very quiet place where the monks spoke and read. The main façade is a must-see. €7.5, reduced €5.5, under 18 years €3.5.
- 2 Ethnographic Museum of Ripoll (Museu Etnogràfic de Ripoll), Plaça de l’Abat Oliba s/n, [email protected]. Tu-Sa 10:00-13:30, 16:00-18:00; M 10:00-14:00. Museum built in the old manor house of Can Budallés, 78, opened in 2011. It is one of the most interesting museums in all of Spain, as its collections show what life was like for the people of the Pyrenees from prehistory to the present day. The collections of tools and country life, old trades and, above all, the impressive and beautiful collection of weapons and pistols from Ripoll stand out. Inside, you can also see a large fragment of the medieval wall of the town. Scriptorium is a permanent exhibition that, in an interactive and educational way, offers the possibility of learning about the cultural past of the town and the importance that the monastery of Santa María had, throughout the 10th and 12th centuries, in the production and copying of manuscripts, which became the most important in Europe €4, reduced €3.
- 3 Farga Palau (buy tickets and get the access code at the ethnographic museum). Ripoll has been throughout history the cradle of the proto-industrialisation of Catalonia, because various industrial activities have been carried out there. The Farga Palau in Ripoll is one of the last examples of a historical industry, the Farga Catalana (Catalan forge), which played a very important role in the industrial development for the production of iron during the 17th and 18th centuries. The most important products produced at the Farga were firearms, nails and bars.
- Railways: old neo-Romanesque station, new station, turntable, workshops, water tank and green path of the "Ruta del ferro".
- Ripoll Town Hall and 27th May Statue.
Do
[edit]Markets, fairs & events
[edit]Ripoll is a town of festivals and fairs. This is demonstrated by the fact that year after year, participation in events of this type is higher. Some of the town's festivals are
- National Wool Festival and Peasant Wedding
- Forty Hours Fair
- Ripiganga
- Election of the Pubilla de Ripoll and the Hereu de Ripoll: The Pubilla de Ripoll is a girl between 16 and 22 years old who, through voluntary presentation, acts as a representative of the town of Ripoll for a year. She is chosen after taking a written and an oral exam and then being subject to a popular vote. The figure of the Pubilla is accompanied by the Hereu de Ripoll, who performs the same task as the Pubilla. In 2011, the positions of Pubilleta de Ripoll and Hereuet de Ripoll also appeared.
- Teràlia Fair
- Mercadal del comte Guifré
- Festa del 27 de Mayo: Where the Siege of Ripoll and subsequent destruction of the town in 1839 during the First Carlist War are commemorated.
- Christmas Fair