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Vall de Núria celebrated today, Sunday 1 September, the day of Sant Gil, the patron saint of shepherds. It is a religious festival that combines solemn acts with musical proposals and traditional dances. The event was attended by the minister of Territory, Housing and Ecological Transition, Silvia Paneque Sureda, the Archbishop of Urgell and Copríncep d'Andorra, Joan-Enric Vives, the president of FGC, Toni Segarra Barreto, the the mayor of Queralbs, Imma Constans, the director of FGC Turisme, Toni Sanmartí Rovira, and the manager of Vall de Núria, Toni Casals Picola, among other personalities representing the territory.

Councilor Paneque recalled during the celebration that Núria is "summertime, mountains, Christian and humanist values ​​and, above all, Catalanism". The councilor made a short speech in which she specified that "the approved project is good for Núria and Queralbs". He also indicated that "the Núria Rack Railway links the unity of the Vall de Ribes and has a historical weight in the identity of our country, linked to innovation and industrial development".

Paneque has also highlighted that he has been commissioned by the Government to develop the Ecovall project in Vall de Núria and to do it with the unity of the whole Vall.

The Sant Gil festivity is a unique opportunity to enjoy the culture and traditions of Ripollès as a family, as well as to taste the local cuisine and admire the spectacular landscapes of the area. A festivity full of joy, devotion and a deep respect for nature and the cultural roots of the Catalan Pyrenees.

As every year, the station has prepared fun, gastronomic and cultural activities to honor the saint, among which the shepherds' breakfast, the sheep selection, the sardanes, the commemorative mass, the procession to Sant Gil and the expected demonstration of halter dogs.

Sustainability and the Ecovall project

During the day, the works of the Vall de Núria treatment plant, carried out by the Ripollès County Council, were visited. The improvements being made consist of the replacement of the current sewage treatment plant with a new, more efficient one.

The new project improves the performance of the wastewater treatment system produced in Vall Núria. This new installation will be made up of two treatment lines, necessary to respond to the flow interval that must be provided and facilitate maintenance tasks.

The configuration on the ground of the different elements will be very similar to the existing wastewater treatment plant, since the positions of the entry and exit registration wells are maintained. To minimize the visual impact, the entire installation will be buried, with only the pre-treatment covers and boxes protruding above ground.

The work has been divided into two execution phases: a first phase during this year 2024 leaving one of the treatment lines in operation and a second phase during the year 2025, in which the entire installation will be fully operational

This improvement is closely related to Vall de Núria's objective of preserving, conserving and respecting the environment. In this context, this summer season, the Ripoll station has opened the temporary exhibition “NÚRIA, THE ECOVALLEY OF THE PYRENEES. A valley without pollution. Will you help us?" The aim of the exhibition is, on the one hand, to make visitors aware of the Ecovall Project, an innovative initiative committed to the improvement and protection of the natural environment; and, on the other hand, ask them to also collaborate in the preservation of the valley. The exhibition, located in the equipment rental space, inside Volum Nord, will be free for everyone and will be open to the public until November 1, 2024.

Vall de Núria also stands out for being a place without cars, as the Núria Rack Railway is the only means of transport to access it. It is therefore a natural space free of pollution where the biodiversity of the valley is preserved.