Bielsa, the last frontier to France

Located in the Sobrarbe region, in the Central Pyrenees and bordering France, the Bielsa Valley is made up of six villages: Javierre, Espierba, Parzán, Chisagüés, Salinas and Bielsa.

Bielsa, in the northernmost part of the Aragonese Pyrenees is the entrance to one of the four sectors of the Ordesa and Monte Perdido National Park, the Pineta Valley. If only for that reason would be a key point in our visit, we present several reasons why you should seriously consider approaching this impressive valley.

All these populations mentioned above preserve the typical high mountain construction; houses with stone walls, roofs of slate reddish slate and in thr chimneys the “espantabrujas”. Of the old dwellings it is possible to emphasize the fireplace like central piece of the house as much as for being the place around which the life was directed, as for its architectonic aspect.

In the village of Bielsa, in the confluence of the rivers Cinca and Barrosa, the church of the XV century, the Renaissance facade of the town hall, and house “Larraga” which, like the Consistory, sits on a porch with arcades.

This is a valley of enormous mining tradition: it was famous for the Bielsa iron until the end of the 19th century and silver and lead were exploited until the middle of the 20th century.

La Bolsa de Bielsa:

During the Civil War the 43rd Republican division resisted here, heroically, the clashes of the revolted army. Finally he retired to France by the port. The encirclement, known like “La Bolsa de Bielsa”, constitutes one of the most well-known and publicized actions of the Civil War in Aragon.

The population of the whole region was forced to flee crossing the port in very difficult conditions. In the town hall of Bielsa a museum evokes those hard days: the Museum of Bielsa.

Carnival of Bielsa  

In the village of Bielsa is celebrated a typical and very famous carnival. It’s specially interesting to preserve the characters archaic: trangas, madamas, cornelio, the bear, the tamer.

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