Our trip through Aragón and the southern Pyrenees in 7 days, up to 14 persons. One double overnight stay. Parc National des Pyrénées

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1 A RA G ÓN +++ Romans, Goths, Franks and Moors in front of snow-capped peaks +++ a phony and evil monk disinherits the Templars +++ colorful limestone as a witness of an eventful past +++ Roland s Olifant becomes silent at 2,800 meters +++ one half of the Catholic Kings +++ guardians of the grail in the shadow of the mountains +++ Francisco de Goya on the way to great fame +++ defensive walls against Moorish culture +++ lomo embuchado y boliches de Embún +++ Land of castles in the service of the Reconquista ++ + deep ravines and wild streams rich in fish +++ four valleys and a lost mountain under the protection of the UNESCO +++ Romanesque arches surrounded by silence +++ rare bearded vultures nesting in brittle cliffs +++ tolerant conquerors and sacred warriors +++ a stone quarry in the heart of Barcelona +++ God is in no hurry. (Antoni Gaudí y Cornet) +++ Catalan pride and cosmopolitan avant-garde between mountains and sea +++ Our trip through Aragón and the southern Pyrenees in 7 days, up to 14 persons. One double overnight stay. F R A N C E Bilbao Pamplona Parque Natural Urbasa y Andía Logroño Sos del Rey Católico Parc National des Pyrénées Parque Natural Valles Occidentales Parque Nacional de Ordesa y Murillo Monte Perdido Jaca Parque Natural de la Sierra y Cañones de Guara Alquézar Uncastillo Boltaña P Y R E N E E S Huesca Saragossa SPAIN by ebike by bus or train (AVE) Lleida Barcelona 50 km 1

2 Hotels Gastronomy Culture Nature ***** **** **** *****! Travel dates 2018 EAR1 (Barcelona Pamplona): Saturday, 19-may-2018 to Saturday, 26-may-2018 EAR2 (Pamplona Barcelona): Saturday, 02-jun-2018 to Saturday, 09-jun-2018 EAR3 (Barcelona Pamplona): Saturday, 09-jun-2018 to Saturday, 16-jun-2018 EAR4 (Barcelona Pamplona): Saturday, 08-sep-2018 to Saturday, 15-sep-2018 EAR5 (Pamplona Barcelona): Saturday, 15-sep-2018 to Saturday, 22-sep-2018 EAR6 (Barcelona Pamplona): Saturday, 22-sep-2018 to Saturday, 29-sep-2018 Traveling price Price per person in the DR for 7 nights with half-board, ebike, entrance free, transfers, guided tours: 1880 Single-room surcharge: 390 Does not include lunch, drinks and your personal expenses as well as travelling there and back. Flight Target airport Bilbao respectively Barcelona from/to Munich (as available): 370 Surcharge for other German airports: 50 Flights from airports in other countries on request. Train From Germany, Austria and Switzerland, you need up to 20 hours to get to Pamplona, with at least three changes of trains. Further information can be found at Car There is a continuous highway connection to Pamplona respectively to Bilbao. You can leave your car at Bilbao Airport (approx. 80/week) during your bike tour. Back to Bilbao you can get by fast train (AVE) and bus (change in Saragossa) and takes about 6 hours. Participation conditions The arrangement contains the above services. Our terms and conditions apply. After the booking confirmation, the pedelon travel information is sent, which provides useful information regarding your travel to Pamplona and other tips for the journey. 2

3 A unique combination of cultural life in the cities of Pamplona and Barcelona and the harsh beauty of the southern Pyrenees. Picturesque places, where tranquillity seems to be able to be reached by hands and silence is a constant companion. Monasteries, built centuries ago, which exude an incredible tranquillity. In front of the magnificent backdrop of the Pyrenees, the kings of Aragón ruled for centuries, but also poets and writers found inspiration there. A landscape that has fallen into oblivion today, as if created for a journey full of authenticity and originality with an ebike. The tastefully decorated Palacio Guendelain in an 18th century castle serve as a noble hostel for the start of our journey in Pamplona, the capital of the historic kingdom of Navarre. Hemingway s favorite cafe and impressive example of the Belle Époque, the legendary Café Iruña, is in the immediate vicinity. Its opening in 1888 served as the official commissioning of the electricity network in Pamplona at the same time. which was declared a nature reserve. Its spectacular construction and centuries-old isolation have helped preserve a special vegetation, which decorates the rugged rocks and provides nesting for the large birds of prey. Here, you will find the remains of a bridge built with the help of the devil according to the legend, and two tunnels through which the Iratí train once travelled, and which was the first electric railway in Spain. Last stop in the area of the historical kingdom and the present province of Navarre is the Castillo Javier, whose origins date back to the 10th century. As a birthplace of Saint Francis de Xavier, co-founder of the Jesuit Order and missionary in East Asia, the castle is also a pilgrimage site today. Dinner at a restaurant known for its excellent Navarre specialties. 1st day, Sunday: Pamplona Sos del Rey Católico, 59 km After an extended breakfast and a short transfer to the outskirts of the city, the takeover and adjustment of the ebikes take place. The gentle green hills of the Zona Media of the Pre-Pyrenes are perfect for getting to know and appreciate our bikes with the built-in back wind. Particularly spectacular is the stage through the Foz de Lumbier, a narrow gorge that the river Irati dug and After a comfortable downhill ride, you are already on the former state area of the kings of Aragón. From a distance you can see the silhouette of today s destination Sos del Rey Católico on a foothill of the Sierra de la Peña. Its strategic location makes it a natural fortress, and at the same time one of the most important 3

4 Aragonese fortifications in the 10th and 11th centuries. The historic center of the town of Sos, the birthplace of Ferdinand II, king of Aragón and later known as Ferdinand the Catholic, has been put under monumental protection a long time ago. In the northern part, you see the castle built by Ramiro II in the 12th century. The uneven ground plan is surpassed by the donjon, from which one can see the outliers of the Pyrenees. The Parador serves as a pedelon hotel. It is extremely tastefully integrated into the medieval complex. For dinner, you will visit a restaurant which is highly praised by the locals. 2nd day, Monday: Sos del Rey Católico Murillo de Gállego, 72 km Today s stage leads through the grain-growing area of the Five Cities, situated in the foothills of the Sierra de Santo Domingo. Rivers, pine trees and meadows are some of the natural beauty of this area. The historic center of the town Uncastillo is home to a unique architectural ensemble in Aragón: the castle fortress, dating back to the 11th century and the Homage Tower which was restored in the 14th century as well as the gothic palace of Peter IV of the same century (a unique example of Gothic palace architecture in Aragón). important sanctuaries in Spain. After the visit of the Benedictine monastery, the route leads down into the Aragón valley towards Jaca. The cyclists are transferred to the Sierra y Cañones de Guara natural park, which is known by ravine climbing enthusiasts for its more than seventy canyons. It is also the largest protected natural area of Aragón. The park is at the same time one of the most important bird sanctuaries in Europe: its rugged cliffs offer numerous birds of prey such as the stone eagle, the peregrine falcon and the bearded vulture refuge. The climate varies between Atlantic and Mediterranean due to the location between the Pyrenees and the Ebro Valley. This also determines the differences in vegetation between the drier south with many holm-oak forests and the north, where there are lush species such as beeches. A pass leads to 1,200 m - with the ebikes, already the climb is a great pleasure and we are additionally rewarded by a great downhill ride with magnificent views. Our final destination for today is the luxury hotel Barceló Monasterio de Boltaña with its excellent cuisine, and which is located in the fully restored buildings of the former monastery from the 17th century. (Two overnight stays) Through a varied landscape, the cycle route leads to the town of Murillo, located on the banks of the River Gállego. From the rooms of the small royal Posada de Liena, a very tastefully restored medieval town house, you have an impressive view of the Mallos de Riglos, the bizarre rock formations that the river has cut out of the rock in the course of thousands of years. Dinner at the hotel, where the patroness Carmen spoils the guests with fine cuisine typical for the region. 3rd day, Tuesday: Murillo Boltaña, 65 km At the Embalse de la Peña reservoir, today s stage begins, full of spectacular nature and one could say tailor-made for our ebikes. The monastery of San Juan de la Peña, which we will reach in the late morning, is situated on a hill, in a landscape marked by picturesque stone formations. The history of the monastery begins with the Moorish invasion in the year 720, when a handful of hermits hid on the run from the Muslims. From this early Christian period, a small Mozarabic church has been preserved, one of the most 4th day, Wednesday: Along Ordesa National Park, 45 km Today, our journey leads us through the Parque Nacional de Ordesa y Monte Perdido, which has been a part of the UNESCO World Heritage since 1997, and which is both a scenic and geographic highlight of the trip. The limestone mountains around Monte Perdido are characterized by deep ravines and rugged rock formations. Bald cliffs are framed by the green of the forests and meadows, mountain streams with clear water jostle between stone chunks and over rapids and then form calm pools. Fir and beech forests alternate with desert-like landscapes and glaciers in the highlands. The fauna and flora of this mountainous region are unique, and perhaps the most striking characteristic for the 4

5 visitors are the birds of prey, such as the bearded vulture. In the center of the natural park is the 3348 m high massif of Monte Perdido. At 2800 m altitude, the Brecha de Rolando forms a natural transition to France. With the freshly charged ebikes, it is a great pleasure in front of this impressive backdrop to face the climbs without great effort and to always be rewarded by unexpected views. Second night at Hotel Barceló Monasterio de Boltaña. For dinner, we go to the best restaurant called Boltañas, located in the historic center of the town. 5th day, Thursday: Boltaña Alquézar, 56 km Through the Sierra de Guara, the morning bike route leads us towards the southern provincial capital Huesca. Although, almost idle to point out the beauty of this area, it is a scenic ending of the past stages through the Aragonese Pyrenees. Deep canyons dug into the limestone, terraced olive groves and dense macchia are the permanent companions, while the foothills of the mountains become increasingly flatter and the climate feels drier and warmer kilometer for kilometer. But before the cycle route leads into the plain, there is an architectural treasure waiting for the visitors: the fortified town of Alquézar dominates a rocky outcrop at the end of a ravine of the River Vero, from which the views stretch far into the landscape. Alquézar is not only a name for climbing enthusiasts and fans of canyoning, but also for the cultural traveler. Apart from the caste, the church of Santa María la Mayor, with its organ and the cloister of Romanesque capitals, is also impressive. The sacred structure, which is markedly defensive in nature, stands on the highest elevation of the town, on the site of the former Moorish fortress, whose rooms had already been occupied by Christian hermit monks in the 11th century. The classy Hotel Alodia is awaiting us in Alquézar. It offers comfortable rooms decorated in a charming style, and a restaurant known for its local cuisine. 6th day, Friday: Alquézar Barcelona, 32 km (+18 km) Through the intensively cultivated pasture landscape, the morning cycling route leads us westwards via the town of Bierge with its Romanesque Ermita de San Fructuoso, built in the 13th century. In the late morning, the ebike tour of Aragón ends in Peraltilla, where a charter bus is already waiting to take the cyclists to Llei da in less than an hour. The capital of the province of the same name is already in the Autonomous Region of Catalonia, so it is a good idea to get a first impression of the cuisine of this region, which is well known all over Spain, at lunch in a tavern near the train station. After six days of rather leisurely pace on the bike, the high-speed train AVE needs only a good hour for the 170 km long ride to Barcelona. The route section north of Tarragona runs to a great extent along the coast and offers a clear view of the open Mediterranean Sea. Having arrived in Barcelona, there is still a special culinary delicacy: with the bike and accompanied by a local guide, we ride through the Barri Gòtic to the highlights of the architectural work of Antoni Gaudí, the Sagrada Família Cathedral, Casa Milà, Güell park and other places of interest. A worthy setting for the completion of a journey by ebike with great impressions is the Hotel Havana with a roof terrace (swimming pool!), and which offers a magnificent view over the roofs of this bustling metropolis. Finally, the dinner in an excellent restaurant close by will do its part to complete the journey in a wonderful way. 7th day, Saturday: Barcelona Depending on which flight has been booked, Barcelona offers more than enough interesting things to make the morning or the whole day (for late home flights) worthwhile. The airport of Barcelona is easily reached by public transport (metro or city bus and shuttle bus) in about three-quarters of an hour or in about 30 minutes by taxi (about 30 ). 5