El Pont Vell de Camarasa
At the outskirts of Camarasa village lies in ruin a gothic bridge which connects the shores of Riu Segre (Segre River) with legends and historical events of passing centuries. It is known as The Old Bridge (El Pont Vell) or The Roman Bridge, as it is believed that Roman materials of an earlier overpass have been used in its construction. As the time took its toll, what’s left behind stands today in obscurity, although this bridge is somewhat a compendium of various cycles in the history of Catalonia. Each war took a piece of it: The French War, The Reaper’s War, The Third Carlist War and The Spanish Civil War. Originally it had seven arches with only one standing today along with a few of its pillars. According to historians, an archway was destroyed during the French War and three of its vaults were blown up, in 1938, during the Spanish Civil War.
The ones to cross the bridge had to pay a toll although there is the question of where was this bridge leading? On one side of the river there’s a minimally urbanized area and further away the village of Camarasa. On the other side, however, there’s a completely barren land. Or maybe the Roman ramp was an important connection between ancient settlements? It is known that in the region of Camarasa there are also many remains of Iberian and Roman settlements as well as Visigoth, Islamic and medieval ones. Maybe its past usefulness is underlined by the popular knowledge which states that these surviving arches and pillars saw Hannibal’s elephants pass over. Others say the river Segre is the legendary river of golden sands and that you can even look for gold among the pebbles of its shores.
One way or the other what can be found here today is an easy accessible recreational and camping area. The Segre River is an idyllic location of calm looking water (but strong currents) that complete a peaceful scenery. Be aware of the warning sings posted around. Sometimes the river floods the area which becomes a marshland. Also evil currents and discreet but powerful eddies are always present in the fast running waters.
Parking: 41.879997, 0.877607