Oliana

The morning sun hits the grey limestone cliffs above Oliana and turns them gold, a sight that makes British climbers drop their coffee. They've driven through the night from Barcelona airport for this: 300 routes packed into two kilometres of rock, winter sun on their backs, and a café con leche that costs €1.20. Welcome to the village that Spain forgot to market.

The Reservoir That Changed Everything

Oliana sits at 469 metres, low enough for olives yet high enough for mountain weather. The Segre River, dammed in the 1970s, created a lake that stretches 8 kilometres upstream. This isn't a gentle English reservoir with manicured paths and National Trust tea rooms. The water level fluctuates wildly, exposing bleached tree stumps in drought years and swallowing entire coves after spring melt. Local farmers still measure rainfall by the concrete boat ramp: if you can launch a kayak, it's been a decent year.

The lake transformed Oliana from a farming backwater into something more complex. Weekenders from Barcelona now fill the petrol station on Fridays, loading up on ice and vermouth. The old men who once fished for sustenance now share the shore with paddleboarders who've discovered the spot via Spanish YouTube channels. Yet the town hasn't gentrified into a lakeside cliché. The 24-hour ATM sits inside an Eroski supermarket, not a boutique hotel. The historic core remains stubbornly residential; washing hangs from balconies, kids kick footballs against medieval walls.

Climbing Walls and Mountain Calls

The cliffs above town host Europe's highest concentration of 9a routes. British climbers arrive with finger tape and Spanish phrasebooks, though they'll mostly need "¡Venga!" (come on) and "Así se hace" (that's how it's done). The rock is sharp, pocketed limestone that eats quickdraws and spits off the unprepared. Winter mornings start at 10am when the sun hits the crag; by 3pm the wind picks up and everyone retreats to Bar Victor for €2.50 cañas.

Hiking options range from gentle river walks to proper mountain days. The GR-7 long-distance path passes through town, following cattle tracks up to the Serra del Verd. Three hours of steady climbing brings you to rocky spires where griffon vultures circle thermals. The descent passes stone huts that shepherds used until the 1980s; their smoke-blackened walls now shelter cows rather than people.

Mountain bikers find 200 kilometres of marked trails, though "marked" is relative. Orange paint splashes on rocks indicate direction, but fog can erase them quickly. The classic loop to Coll de Nargó involves 800 metres of climbing on forest tracks where wild boar dig up the surface. Bring spare tubes; thorns from rosemary bushes slice through tyres like wire.

Food Without the Fuss

Oliana's restaurants serve mountain portions at valley prices. Hostal Victor does a €14 menu del dia that starts with trinxat – a cabbage and potato cake topped with crispy bacon that tastes like a Pyrenean bubble-and-squeak. Their roasted chicken comes with romesco sauce, a nutty red pepper concoction that even fussy children lap up. Cal Petit, up a side street where the medieval walls narrow, specialises in river trout cooked on hot stones. It's plain cooking: no spices, no fuss, just fresh fish that flakes apart under your fork.

The Saturday market fills the main square with four stalls: one for cheese, one for vegetables, one for underwear, one for hunting knives. Local women prod tomatoes and gossip in rapid Catalan. They'll switch to Spanish for visitors, but English is rare. Download offline Catalan phrases; "Compte!" (cheers) earns smiles in the bars, as does attempting to pronounce "Si us plau" (please) correctly.

When to Visit, When to Avoid

Spring brings almond blossom to valley slopes and perfect climbing temperatures. April can see 25°C at midday, though nights drop to 5°C. Autumn is equally pleasant, with stable weather through October. Summer hits 35°C regularly; the reservoir becomes a floating festival of speedboats and music, not everyone's cup of tea. Winter climbing is possible on south-facing crags, but the C-14 can ice over. Chains aren't legally required but hire them anyway – the nearest garage is 40 minutes away in La Seu d'Urgell.

August crowds transform the place. Spanish families book every apartment for the full month. The reservoir beach, usually empty, hosts 500 people daily. Parking becomes a competitive sport. May and September offer empty crags, empty bars, and hotel rooms at half-price.

The Practical Bits That Matter

Oliana has two accommodation options: Hostal Victor's simple rooms above the restaurant (€45 doubles, breakfast €5 extra) or self-catering apartments scattered through the new town. The nearest campsite is 12 kilometres away at Ponts, though wild camping is tolerated discreetly around the reservoir.

No train reaches here. Buses from Barcelona take four hours with a change in Lleida. Car hire is essential for exploring; the twisting C-14 connects to the AP-2 motorway in 25 minutes. Petrol costs roughly what you'd pay in Britain, but wine in supermarkets is €3 a bottle.

The climbing shop sells chalk and finger tape but little else. Bring everything you need, including Rockfax's downloadable topo – the local guidebook is Spanish-only. For hiking, Komoot works better than Google Maps; phone signal dies in valleys but GPS continues tracking.

Oliana won't charm you with cobbled streets and souvenir shops. It's a working town where climbing grades are discussed over breakfast and farmers still count sheep by the reservoir. Come for the rock, stay for the trout, leave before August.