History of the region

That country of Urgell occupies the high basin of the Segre river, from its source in La Cerdanya until reaching the land of La Noguera, where it flows out. The Segre, a fast flowing river, especially during the months of the spring thaw and in the autumn rainy season, is therefore, the backbone of the country, which runs north-east to south-east. The environment of the Alt Urgell country is not, however, restricted to this corridor, but is also made up of a series of well-defined side valleys, with their own characteristics and unique attractiveness.
With 19.697 inhabitans, Alt Urgell is one of the least densely populated counties of Catalonia:13 inhabitants per km2.
La Seu d’Urgell is an important node of road communication, where it joins the Pyrenean connections (N-260) and the Segre (C-14) and the road to Andorra (N-145), currently the only access from Spain.
The livestock breeding specialisation of L’Alt Urgell is focussed mainly on cattle, with over 500 centres, the majority of wich are devoted to milk production. It should be added that L’Alt Urgell is one of the top dairy produce producers in Catalonia.
At present, the activities connected to tourism, which are commerce, hotel and catering, transport and communication, are those employing the greattest number of workers in the third sector.There are four weekly markets in the country: in La Seu d’Urgell, Tuesdays ans Saturdays; in Oliana, Saturdays; and in Organyà, Sundays. Tourism is the really dominant sector in the country economy, both in terms of the big growth experience over recent years and the fact that the main comercial, investment and promotional work are based around this sector.
L’Alt Urgell possesses an extensive and rich cultural heritage, most clearly expressed by the Romanesque period. The churches in the country with Romanesque elements number over one hundred, with such representative examples as the cathedral of Santa Maria, in La Seu d’Urgell; Sant Serni de Tavèrnoles, in Anserall, and Sant Climent de Coll de Nargó, the three of them declared as monuments of historical and artistic interest.
In L’Alt Urgell there are several companies and facilities for practising nature-related sports. The most outstanding sports installation in L’Alt Urgell is the Segre Olympic Park, where enthusiasts can practice canoeing, rafting and hydro-speed. Adventure sports also take prominence in Organyà, where one can hangglide from the Cogulló mountain, and in Bassella, where there is a specially fitted out circuit for driving 4x4vehicles.