Nature

Dryland, irrigated land, canyons, open plains, fog, river, Mediterranean forest…

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overing an area of 1,733 square kilometres, with a population of more than 35,000 inhabitants and 30 municipalities, the Noguera is the most extensive comarca in Catalonia, with towns and villages distributed throughout a highly variable range of geographies and landscapes.

The topography of the comarca shows a clear division between the north (Alta Noguera) and the south (Baixa Noguera). The Alta Noguera is characterised by its majestic Montsec mountain range, with the Àger and Meià valleys and a series of intermediate chains that boast spaces of outstanding natural beauty. Baixa Noguera extends over a wide expanse of soft earth watered by irrigation ditches and canals.

The landscape of these vast plains is dominated by the green of the hay, cereals and fruit trees. Among the rain-fed crops that predominate in the area of the Montsec and the mid-Segre are olive and almond trees, grapevines and wheat.

Responsibility for La Noguera’s huge geographical and scenic variety lies with the rivers that cross it: the Segre and the two Nogueras. The latter consist of the Ribagorçana, which forms a good deal of the comarca’swestern border, and the Pallaresa, which cuts a swathe through the Montsec range at the Terradets gorge, dividing it into the Montsec d’Ares and the Montsec de Rúbies. The Camarasa, Canelles, Santa Anna, Sant Llorenç de Montgai and Rialb reservoirs make up the largest area of still water in Catalonia.

Balaguer is the capital of La Noguera, the largest comarca in Catalonia.