Pau

A Small Village on the Alt Empordà Plain

Pau sits quietly on the flatlands of the Alt Empordà, a short distance from the Serra de Rodes and the Gulf of Roses. Today it has around 560 inhabitants, yet the site has been occupied for many centuries. Medieval documents often connect small agricultural settlements like this one with the authority of the nearby monastery of Sant Pere de Rodes and with the old county of Empúries, which organised much of this territory during the Middle Ages.

That early framework helps explain the shape of the village. At its core stands a compact cluster of houses gathered around the church, while scattered masías, traditional Catalan farmhouses, spread out across the plain. The basic structure has changed very little over time. Agriculture still sets the pace of the landscape, and the houses continue to face the open fields that define the municipality.

Pau lies about 33 metres above sea level, on fertile land between the Mediterranean and the first rises of the Serra de Rodes. Rural tracks lead out from the centre towards long-established farms. Some masías retain very old sections, although many have been adapted over the years. Even so, the agricultural logic of the territory remains clear: a small village nucleus serving an expanse of cultivated land.

Sant Llorenç and the Historic Core

The most recognisable building in Pau is the church of Sant Llorenç, which occupies the heart of the old centre. The present structure reflects several phases of rebuilding, yet its origins are usually placed in the medieval period, when the settlement was already established. As in many villages across the Empordà, the church acted as both a territorial landmark and a social meeting point.

The building is restrained in appearance. Stone walls, minimal decoration and a solid presence on the main square give it a functional character. Around it, short streets and attached houses follow a practical logic: shelter from the wind and concentrate daily life within a compact space.

Several façades feature carefully carved stone doorways and small windows, signs of homes built with durability in mind rather than display. Later expansion was limited, which means much of the old layout remains easy to read. Walking through the centre, it is still possible to understand how the original village functioned, with everything arranged around the church and the square.

Fields, Wind and Open Horizons

The landscape around Pau is wide and open. Large fields stretch out in long plots with few visual barriers. The tramontana, the strong northerly wind characteristic of this part of the Empordà, frequently sweeps across the plain and clears the sky. On those days, the line of the Pyrenees can be seen clearly in the distance.

Agriculture is not a memory here but an ongoing activity. Tractors move between fields, storage buildings sit at the edges of plots, and crops shift in colour and texture with the seasons. Nearby vineyards link Pau to the long-established winemaking tradition of this part of Girona province. Viticulture has deep roots in the comarca, the Catalan term for a county-level district, and remains part of the rural economy.

Paths leading out of the village allow visitors to explore the surroundings without major changes in elevation. Many follow routes that already existed when the masías functioned as small, largely self-sufficient units scattered across the plain. These tracks make it easy to understand how the agricultural territory was organised, with the village acting as a modest hub.

Exploring Pau and the Wider Comarca

The urban core of Pau can be covered quickly. In less than an hour it is possible to see the church square and the main streets before heading out along the agricultural paths that encircle the municipality.

A car is useful for travelling around the wider comarca. Figueres lies relatively close and concentrates several well-known cultural facilities. To the east, the road descends towards Roses and the coast. In the opposite direction are the inland villages of the Alt Empordà, many of them with small but well-preserved medieval centres.

Pau works best as a quiet base within this network of places. Its appeal lies in observing how the agricultural territory of the Empordà closest to the sea is structured. Here, that organisation can still be perceived with unusual clarity: compact village, dispersed farmhouses and broad cultivated land between mountains and Mediterranean.

Traditions and the Annual Calendar

The main festival in Pau takes place around Sant Llorenç, the village’s patron saint, at the beginning of August. It is a local celebration focused largely on residents and on families with ties to the municipality.

As in other villages in the comarca, the calendar also includes festivities linked to the wider Catalan annual cycle. Sant Joan, celebrated around the summer solstice, brings gatherings typical of early summer across Catalonia. In September, events mark the Diada, Catalonia’s national day. Winter brings celebrations around Christmas. During these periods, a village that is usually calm regains a little extra movement and activity.

When to Visit

Spring and autumn are generally the most pleasant times to walk the agricultural paths around Pau. Temperatures are mild and the landscape changes colour quickly as crops grow or are harvested.

Summer can bring intense heat to the plain, although the proximity of the sea tempers the late afternoons to some extent. In winter, when the tramontana blows, the village is very exposed to the wind. That exposure forms part of the character of the Alt Empordà as a whole, shaping both its landscape and the way its settlements developed.

Pau does not compete with larger destinations on the Costa Brava or with historic towns that attract most of the attention. Its interest is quieter. It offers a clear view of how a small agricultural community in the Empordà has been organised for centuries, between the Serra de Rodes and the Gulf of Roses, with the church of Sant Llorenç at its centre and fields stretching out towards the horizon.