The Albera Massif ( ca, Serra de l'Albera) (french: Massif des Albères) is a

mountain range A mountain range or hill range is a series of mountains or hills arranged in a line and connected by high ground. A mountain system or mountain belt is a group of mountain ranges with similarity in form, structure, and alignment that have arise ...

located in the south of

Pyrénées-Orientales Pyrénées-Orientales (; ca, Pirineus Orientals ; oc, Pirenèus Orientals ; ), also known as Northern Catalonia, is a department of the region of Occitania, Southern France, adjacent to the northern Spanish frontier and the Mediterranean Sea. ...

and the north of

Catalonia Catalonia (; ca, Catalunya ; Aranese Occitan: ''Catalonha'' ; es, Cataluña ) is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a ''nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy. Most of the territory (except the Val d'Aran) lies on the north ...

, between

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

and

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

. It is the main easternmost prolongation of the

Pyrenees The Pyrenees (; es, Pirineos ; french: Pyrénées ; ca, Pirineu ; eu, Pirinioak ; oc, Pirenèus ; an, Pirineus) is a mountain range straddling the border of France and Spain. It extends nearly from its union with the Cantabrian Mountains to C ...

. Its highest peak is the

Puig Neulós Puig Neulós (french: Pic du Néoulous) is the highest mountain of Albera Range, an eastern prolongation of the Pyrenees in Catalonia, between France and Spain. It has an elevation of 1,256 metres above sea level. There are some antennas on the su ...

, with an elevation of 1,256 metres. Most of the southern side of the range is part of the Paratge Natural d'Interès Nacional de l'Albera natural reserve. There are some ancient

megalith A megalith is a large stone that has been used to construct a prehistoric structure or monument, either alone or together with other stones. There are over 35,000 in Europe alone, located widely from Sweden to the Mediterranean sea. The ...

s in the range.Monuments megalítics de l'Albera
/ref> The

Col du Perthus The Col du Perthus (in Catalan: ''Coll de Pertús'') is a mountain pass of the Pyrenees on the France–Spain border, between the Pyrénées-Orientales in Languedoc-Roussillon, Midi-Pyrénées and the Province of Girona in Catalonia. Rising to ...

marks the western boundary of the massif.

History

The Albera Range became the border between France and Spain following the

Treaty of the Pyrenees The Treaty of the Pyrenees (french: Traité des Pyrénées; es, Tratado de los Pirineos; ca, Tractat dels Pirineus) was signed on 7 November 1659 on Pheasant Island, and ended the Franco-Spanish War that had begun in 1635. Negotiations were ...

, when

Philip IV of Spain Philip IV ( es, Felipe, pt, Filipe; 8 April 160517 September 1665), also called the Planet King (Spanish: ''Rey Planeta''), was King of Spain from 1621 to his death and (as Philip III) King of Portugal from 1621 to 1640. Philip is remembered f ...

ceded a part of the Spanish kingdom to

Louis XIV of France , house = Bourbon , father = Louis XIII , mother = Anne of Austria , birth_date = , birth_place = Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France , death_date = , death_place = Palace of Versa ...

, dividing

Northern Catalonia Northern Catalonia, North Catalonia, ; french: Catalogne (du) Nord ; oc, Catalonha (del) Nòrd; es, Cataluña (del) Norte) French Catalonia or Roussillon refers to the Catalan-speaking and Catalan-culture territory ceded to France by Spain ...

from Historical Catalonia.

Gallery

Massís de l'Albera (Alt Empordà) - 4.jpg, Albera Massif Massís de l'Albera (Alt Empordà) - 2.jpg, Albera Massif Massís de l'Albera (Alt Empordà) - 3.jpg, Albera Massif Massís de l'Albera (Alt Empordà) - 1.jpg, Albera Massif

References

External links

Paratge Natural d'Interès Nacional de l'AlberaRequesens - Puig Neulós hiking routeManel Figuera i Abadal, ''50 ascensions fàcils pel Pirineu català'', Valls, Cossetània, 2008Centre de reproducció de tortugues de l'Albera
Mountain ranges of Catalonia Pyrenees Northeastern Spain and Southern France Mediterranean forests {{Girona-geo-stub

History

Gallery

See also

References

External links