A two-day getaway to La Cerdanya

Yes, we are (confessed) nature lovers. As much as we enjoy spending hours standing in front of the Mediterranean Sea simply admiring its immensity, we also love escaping to the Pyrenees when the mountains are all covered in white. Winter is still here and we want to make the most of the coldest season of the year. Do you want to join us on a two-day getaway to the Catalan Pyernees? As soon as we step out of the car, we take a deep breath and our lungs are instantly filled with the purest air. We are in the village of Llívia. The sky is filled with stars and the lights of a beautiful stone house welcome us in. This old cheese factory currently houses La Formatgeria de Llívia, one of the most renowned restaurants in La Cerdanya. One of our favorite dishes here is their cheese fondue (a preparation of melted cheese, such as Swiss cheese and Gruyère, usually flavored with white wine and kirsch) paired with a red wine. We could stay sitting around the table talking for hours but… We have a long day ahead tomorrow so it’s time to go to bed! The alarm rings early in the morning. The fresh-baked smell of bread makes us jump out of bed. A couple toasts with some catalan meat, an orange juice and a coffee and we are ready to head into the mountains! We feel excited as a child with a new toy, we are now in Grandvalira (Andorra) and from the mountain top the view is simply unbeatable, from here we realize the immensity and beauty of nature has no limits! The morning flies while we enjoy one slope after the other, the fresh snow under our skis and the fresh air gently caressing the tip of our noses. After a few hours non-stop, we decide to stop in El Refugi dels Pessons, where the best “mountain rice” is ready for us to recover. After this gastronomic fest, we decide to ski back to the car and head to our apartment in La Cerdanya where a (well deserved) bath with hot water is waiting for us. With recovered energies, we drive to Puigcerdà, the most relevant town in the area, where strolling around the lake, before going for a hot chocolate with “churros” at the square town is a must!

Picture from Lugares de Nieve

The day ends at Das 1219 (as a curiosity, 1219 is the height from the sea level). This is probably the most gastronomic restaurant in the region, offering a very elaborated cuisine and based on the local products.

Picture from Guia Michelin

Sunday awakens with a bright blue sky, today is our last day but we cannot leave La Cerdanya without going for an excursion with snow rackets! And Guils de Cerdanya is just the perfect place because there are 3 different circuits to choose from according to your level. As you can appreciate on the picture below, the view is crazy from there! You don’t realize how challenging (and rewarding) is to spend a day walking on the snow with rackets. This is a highly recommended activity for those who want to enjoy the snow, without having experience in skiing.