la Bisbal de Falset: what to see, where to eat and wineries

La Bisbal de Montsant (until 2024, la Bisbal de Falset) rises dramatically on a rock in the Montsant river valley, facing the Serra de Montsant Natural Park. It is one of the smallest villages in the Priorat, with around 214 inhabitants; the suffix "de Falset" was added in 1858 to distinguish it from other villages of the same name, and in 2024 the municipality readopted the name of the mountain range it faces.

Many of its residents live from olive growing, and at the edge of the village stand the remains of old oil mills, locally known as "molins de lliura." The church of la Nativitat de Maria, neoclassical in style with baroque elements, sits at the centre of the village.

Its most distinctive natural site is the Santa Llúcia cave-hermitage, about 1.5 km outside the village, with an image of the Virgin and a spring reputed to cure eye ailments; during the Battle of the Ebro (1938) the cave served as a military hospital, and every second Sunday of August it hosts a traditional gathering with dancing. Nearby are other caves, including the Cova Emboixa and the Cova Foradada, and the village is a starting point for hiking routes through the Natural Park.

Sources: ca.wikipedia.org · turismepriorat.org

Photo: Xavigivax · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons