SPAIN - Europe by Eurail 2015: Touring Europe by Train - page 485

Day Excursion to
Lleida (Lerida)
From the Coast to the Mountains
Depart from Barcelona Sants Station
Distance by Train: 114 miles (184 km)
Average Train Time: 2 hours, 46 minutes
City Dialing Code: 973
Tourist Information Office: Centre d'Informació i Reserves, 31 bis Major Street,
25007 Lleida
Tel: [phone]; Fax: [phone]
www.paeria.es or www.turismedelleida.com
E-mail: [e-mail]
Hours: 1000-1400 and 1600-1900 Monday-Saturday, 1000-1330 Sunday and
holidays
Notes: It's about a 15-minute walk from the rail station to the tourist information of-
fice. Exit the station and walk along Rambla de Ferran and Blondel Avenue to Major
Street. A taxi can get you there in about five minutes.
A fast-moving Talgo or ELT (electrotren) diesel train takes passengers in comfort
through the spectacular scenery of the rugged, steep slopes of Sierra de Montserrat
in the Pyrenees to the Roman fortress city Lleida (Lerida). The train ride alone is
worth the experience.
Be certain to make seat reservations well in advance of your day-excursion date,
since the train's early morning departure does not allow sufficient time to make
same-day reservations.
Your train stops briefly in Manresa, after which the scenery becomes more moun-
tainous. Watch from the left side of the train as it approaches Lleida. The sight is
unforgettable. Lleida's brooding SeuVellacathedral stands as a sentinel atop a hill
on the banks of the Segre River. The original cathedral makes Lleida's skyline very
impressive.
Lleida served as an important Roman military outpost where Caesar's legions
gathered to pursue their conquests. The Moors left a more lasting impression,
which is reflected in the discernibly Mediterranean flavor of the city's marketplaces.