THIS IS A CATALONIA ADMINISTRATION FILE - PLEASE IGNORE!

Population: 16,100

Population: 10,711

La Seu is up close to the border with Andorra, and provides an excellent base from which to explore the region if you don’t want to go into Andorra itself. Once again, it’s a town with a long history, and is named after its imposing cathedral on Carrer Major.

Population: 8,845

Situated high up in the Pyrenean comarca of the Cerdanya, Puigcerdà has a distinctly French feel. In fact, it is the capital of a comarca which once stretched well into France, much of which is now called Cerdagne and was lost to Catalonia after the Treaty of the Pyrenees in 1659.

Population: 125,677

Lleida is the capital city of Segrià region and of the province that takes its name. Located on the River Segre in one of the most fertile areas in Spain, it is the most important population and economic inland centre in Catalonia and its strategic position means that if you’re coming to Catalonia from Southern Spain by road or rail, you’re almost certainly going to pass through Lleida. The city is particularly proud of the fact that it is linked to Madrid and Seville by the high-speed AVE train, which has only recently reached Barcelona.

Population: 22,096

Population: 104,835

Reus is one of the undiscovered gems of Catalonia, which given that it’s such a large town with its own airport is a little surprising. Most people just pass through on their way to the Costa Daurada, I suppose, but they really are making a big mistake. Reus has a gentle provincial quality all of its own, and with a thousand years of history behind it, it’s an ideal base for discovering the whole of the province.

Population: 10,832

What has always struck me about Ripoll is, despite its historical importance, its humble matter of fact atmosphere. It really comes across as nothing special, but this impression is totally false, and it’s the town that can stake the strongest claim to being the ‘Cradle of Catalonia’.

Population: 1,500