Horta de Sant Joan
Terra Alta encloses within its boundaries a wide variety of landscapes that, thanks to little industrialization, have been preserved in an almost pristine state, so we could describe it as a rural paradise.
In the Terra Alta region, the town of Horta de Sant Joan stands out above the others for its unique architecture and privileged environment. It is not for nothing that the brilliant painter Picasso began his Cubist period in this town.
Horta de Sant Joan is located in the Els Ports Natural Park, where you can practice all kinds of sports related to nature:
- Hiking
- Canyoning
- Trekking
- Horseback riding
- Bungee jumping
Also take excursions along the Greenway, which is an old train track rehabilitated exclusively for walking and cycling, where the natural landscapes you can contemplate are spectacular.
Greenway
Old railway line that transported coal from the mining basins of Teruel to the port of San Carles de la Ràpita.
It is currently an exclusive paved road for cycling or walking.
Today it is one of the main assets of the region
due to its picturesque route
and spectacular views.
Picasso Museum
Located in the old Hospital, it aims to remember and exhibit the works painted by Picasso, who lived in Horta de Sant Joan in two stages, in the years 1898 and 1909.
A famous phrase of the painter was “everything I know I learned in Horta”.
The Ecomuseum
The ecomuseum is located in the historic center of Horta, its function is to provide information about the territory, the population and its natural and cultural heritage.
It is a hub from which visits to the entire area can be initiated.
Els Ports
The Ports Natural Park is a mountainous massif where the municipality of Horta de Sant Joan occupies 5,100 hectares.
It is a virgin place full of wildlife.
Within the park itself, you can take
countless excursions and walks,
climb and enjoy incredible views,
and observe native fauna and flora,
such as the Hispanic goat
or several species of birds of prey
Convent of San Salvador
The convent of Sant Salvador is a monastery at the foot of the Santa Barbara mountain.
It is believed to have been founded by the Knights Templar in the 13th century. When the order was suppressed, the Order of the Hospitallers was established there and, at the beginning of the 16th century, the convent was occupied by the Order of Franciscan monks.
One of the monks was Salvador Pladevall i Bien (Saint Salvador of Horta), a saint whom the people of Horta worship because he was a humble and kind man. Thanks to his miracul-
ous healings the convent became a place of pilgrimage for people from all over the state.
The Town
The town and surroundings of Horta de Sant Joan are a place of great tourist interest, both for the beauty of the town itself and for its history.
Horta de Sant Joan is a town that has an old and medieval area
and a modern area. In the old area we find the “castle” part,
so called because the town was walled
within an impressive castle.
It is a perfect place to take walks through its narrow streets
and contemplate the construction of its stone houses or visit
all the attractions that the town offers us: the porticoed square,
the prison, the ecomuseum, the Picasso museum, etc.
