Lleida is on the westernmost edge of Catalonia and on the main roads to Zaragoza and Madrid from Barcelona. The plains around here produce many kinds of soft fruit like pears, peaches, cherries and apples as well as grapes from the D.O.Costers del Segre. The key to the agriculture is having the river Segre as a source for irrigation as without it only olive trees, almonds and vines can survive the extreme conditions.
Lleida itself has a hill in the middle topped by the Seu Vella, a Romanesque cathedral which was later abandoned and incorporated into a modern fort in the 17th century.
The cloisters are some of the biggest and most beautiful in Europe, built in the 13th and 14th centuries and from where there are magnificent views of the surrounding city and countryside. There is a small museum which houses some of the recovered archaeological remains found within the walls of the fort. The contrast of the thick walls of the fort surrounding the delicate arches of the cloister makes this a very special place.
So, if you are driving by make sure you make a detour and revel in the beauty of the cloisters of the Seu Vella, you won't regret it.
See and download the full gallery on posterous
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