Exploring Catalunya: A Morning Walk in The Old Village of Dorres in Cerdanya

This specific post has a particular meaning to me because Dorres is the village I spent most of my holidays when I was a young kid and teenager. It’s also where my family has been living for quite a long time after fleeing Spanish Catalunya in the 1930s.

Established at the end of the 9th century, this lovely village is located in French Catalunya (Pyrenees Orientales). With an average elevation of 1450m (4760Ft), Dorres is usually nicknamed the “Balcony of Cerdanya”, as it’s exposed to the south and offers breathtaking views over the valley of Cerdanya.

A few things makes this village of 173 inhabitants stand out. Almost all houses are built using the local granite and the occasional schist. It also features hot springs of sulfur waters.

This morning walk starts in front of the Hotel Marty, now called Gite O’Friendly D’or.To the left of the previous image, you can notice a traditional wash house which my grandmother used to wash clothes. It is still used as you can see on the image below.Just near the wash house and before the village square, you will find two fountains with one providing natural spring drinkable water.The jewel of the village in my opinion is the 11th century roman church. there, you can find tomb stones dated between 1584-1870. Unfortunately, because of my busy schedule, I couldn’t make it inside.What I love about Dorres is that it feels authentic, I love the narrow paths and the old wooden doors.There are so many interesting details to photograph and also some nice views of the neighboring hills.It’s also a popular location to go hiking and you can find several streams with drinkable water (be sure to ask to locals before drinking from any stream though).Although I didn’t have too much time to photograph the village on this trip, I will look forward to sharing more photos next time I visit this place.

Thanks for viewing!

David Giral is a published Montreal/Toronto based editorial and commercial professional photographer specialized in architecture, interiors, portrait and travel photography.

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