Sanctuary of La Virgen de Núria

The sanctuary, one of the most important in the country, is a very popular place of pilgrimage. Located at an altitude of 2,000 metres in a beautiful Pyrenean valley, it is surrounded by peaks like the Puigmal or Pic de Noucreus. It can be reached by the rack railway, which was inaugurated in 1931.

This sanctuary is one of the most important in the country. It is located in a beautiful valley in the Pyrenees two thousand metres above sea level, surrounded by such mountains as Puigmal and Noucreus. It can be accessed by means of the rack train, opened in 1931.

The sanctuary is presided by a neo-Romanesque church, consecrated in 1911. Next to it we find a hotel and four houses dedicated to the saints Jeroni, Anotni, Josep and Gil. On the right hand side of the plain in front of the sanctuary lies the Sant Gil chapel, built in 1615 and subsequently extended. The nearby Sant Gil spring, famous for its frozen waters, is next to the lake.

Legend has it that Sant Gil, penitent, came to Núria around the year 700 and hid there the image of the Mare de Déu (Mother of God), a polychrome carving of great beauty, along with other tool such as a cross, a bell and a pot, exhibited objects which were found in 1079 by a pilgrim called Amadeu that came from Dalmatia.

This is how the sanctuary´s long history begins, which began as a parish for mountain shepherds to pray in, and that throughout the centuries became a hospital, a hostel, a place of pilgrimage and even a prison.

The compound includes, naturally, a series of services which make it an ideal place for tourism. Apart from the hotel, the hostel and the catering areas, there is a family ski resort, climbing activities all year long, excursions, archery and horse riding trips.