Tuixent and the Trementinaires Festival: getaway with history and nature

Tuixent awakens every spring with a special atmosphere. It is not just another village in Alt Urgell, but the heart of a tradition that still smells of herbs and mountains.

The 24th Trementinaires Festival attracts the curious and nostalgic who want to learn the story of these women who came down from the mountains to sell remedies, and enjoy a getaway with landscapes that won’t make you think of Switzerland, but almost. If you feel like going, this year it will be held on May 29, 30, and 31. Click on the official poster to see the event program.

How to get to Tuixent from Tarragona

Route and transport

Leaving Tarragona by car towards Alt Urgell is a trip that takes approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes, depending on traffic. The fastest route is to take the C-14 towards La Seu d'Urgell, up to Coll de Nargó, and from there continue on the LV-4014 which leads directly to Tuixent.

If the car is not your ally, there are combined options with buses connecting to La Seu d'Urgell and small taxis or local services to Tuixent, although it is not a trip for those in a hurry.

Practical tips

Before taking the car, check the road conditions. Although it’s spring, there may still be some ice. In summer, the road offers spectacular views and fresh air that makes you forget you have been stuck on the C-14 for an hour.

The history of the trementinaires and the traditional festival

Who were the trementinaires?

The trementinaires were brave women who gathered medicinal herbs from the Cadí mountain range, prepared remedies, and went down to the plain to sell them. It was not an easy job: they walked kilometers with baskets full of natural shops. Their name comes from turpentine oil, a product they used as a base for their remedies.

Thanks to them, popular medicine and rural memory still live on in Tuixent. The Trementinaires Museum, inaugurated in 1998 and directed by Lina Sevillano, tells this story with objects, oral testimonies, and millenary rituals.

The Trementinaires Festival and Fair

Every May, the town dresses up to host the Trementinaires Festival and Fair, which in 2024 celebrates its 24th edition. It’s not just a product fair; it’s a tribute to tradition, with herb stalls, workshops, gastronomy, and music that make you not want to leave.

The fair attracts visitors from all over Catalonia looking for a touch of authenticity and a good dose of uncomplicated nature.

Where to eat and stay in Tuixent

Restaurants and local cuisine

Tuixent does not disappoint when it comes to sitting at the table. There are everything from small family restaurants to inns with traditional cuisine, where lamb, river trout, and mountain potatoes take center stage. The daily menu costs around 15-20 euros, a fair price for a meal that won’t leave you hungry.

If you want to add the cherry on top, try the artisanal cheese from the area, often accompanied by good country bread and a wine from nearby Cerdanya.

Accommodation for all tastes

Tuixent offers everything from charming hostels to small rural hotels and holiday rental homes. Like the fair, this village keeps things simple: you won’t find big resorts here, but places with personality and that homey atmosphere that makes you feel at home.

Book in advance if you want to coincide with the festival, as the places fill up quickly.

What to visit in Tuixent and surroundings

Trementinaires Museum

The museum is a must-stop. There Lina Sevillano and the team will tell you everything you need to know about the trementinaires, the plants, the remedies, and the routes they took. Among replicas of 19th-century kitchens and traditional tools, you will understand what life was like for these women.

The museum also organizes activities during the fair and guided tours for those who want to feel the living memory.

And if you’re one of the curious who likes to have more information about the things you have to visit, from Modernet we recommend you read this interesting ethnographic book about the Trementinaires. Read it now by clicking the cover link.

Other points of interest

The village itself is a treasure. Walk through its cobbled streets and keep an eye on the 12th-century Romanesque church of Sant Esteve, with a bell tower that seems to watch over the valley. Around it, nature is pure poetry: forests of red pine, oak, and fir, and the Vall de la Vansa with its scattered farmhouses.

For the more active, the path from Josa de Cadí to Tuixent is an easy route that can make you feel the heart of Catalan tradition as you cross bridges over the Josa river and enjoy panoramas that don’t fall into the typical postcard cliché.

Tuixent does not promise great luxuries, but it does offer a breath of fresh air and a leap back to a time when the essential was what nature offered you.

If you’re looking for a getaway that won’t make you sweat but will clear your head, the Trementinaires Festival is the perfect excuse to make the trip.