Cerdanya & Font-Romeu Guide: Puigcerdà, Llívia & the Yellow Train

RegionsPyrénées-Orientales & Catalonia
Sunshine~3,000 h/year
From Barcelona~2 h
Stay3–4 nights

The Cerdanya (Cerdagne in French) is a broad, flat-bottomed valley at around 1,100 to 1,800 metres, split between France and Spain by the Treaty of the Pyrenees in 1659. A quirk of that treaty left Llívia as a small Spanish town completely surrounded by France.

Puigcerdà and Llívia

Puigcerdà, the Spanish capital of the Cerdanya, has a lake with a promenade and a busy Sunday market. In Llívia, the old pharmacy, one of the oldest in Europe, is now a museum.

Font-Romeu and Odeillo

On the French side, Font-Romeu is a sunny ski resort and high-altitude training centre used by Olympic athletes. Below it, the giant mirror of the Odeillo solar furnace concentrates the sun to reach temperatures above 3,000°C, and has a visitor centre.

The Little Yellow Train

The Train Jaune runs across the plateau and down the Têt gorges to Villefranche-de-Conflent, one of the most scenic railway journeys in France.

Skiing and hiking

La Molina and Masella on the Spanish side are around two hours from Barcelona. In summer, hike to the Lac des Bouillouses or soak in the natural hot springs at Dorres and Llo.