The Pre-Pyrenees are the

foothills Foothills or piedmont are geographically defined as gradual increases in elevation at the base of a mountain range, higher hill range or an upland area. They are a transition zone between plains and low relief hills and the adjacent topograp ...

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 ...

Description

As a mountainous system the Pre-Pyrenees are part of the Pyrenees. They run parallel to the main mountain range in a west to east direction. On the French side the Pyrenees's slopes descend rather abruptly, thus on the northern side, the Pre-Pyrenees are confined to the

Corbières Massif The Corbières Massif (Catalan: ''Corberes''; french: Massif des Corbières, ) is a mountain range in the Pre-Pyrenees. It is the only true foothill of the Pyrenees on their northern side. Geography The Corbières are a mountain region in the ...

, towards the eastern end of the mountain system. The Massif de Plantaurel further west deserves mention as well, although not as clearly a foothill. On the Iberian side, however, the picture is very different: a large and complex system of foothill ranges stretches from

Navarre Navarre (; es, Navarra ; eu, Nafarroa ), officially the Chartered Community of Navarre ( es, Comunidad Foral de Navarra, links=no ; eu, Nafarroako Foru Komunitatea, links=no ), is a foral autonomous community and province in northern Spain, ...

, across northern

Aragon Aragon ( , ; Spanish and an, Aragón ; ca, Aragó ) is an autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. In northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces (from north to sou ...

, reaching the

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the e ...

coast on the

Catalan Catalan may refer to: Catalonia From, or related to Catalonia: * Catalan language, a Romance language * Catalans, an ethnic group formed by the people from, or with origins in, Northern or southern Catalonia Places * 13178 Catalan, asteroid #1 ...

end of the Pyrenees. At the eastern end on the southern side lies a distinct area known as the

Sub-Pyrenees The Sub-Pyrenees ( ca, Subpirineu) are a mountainous region in Catalonia, Spain, forming a section of the southern foothills of the Pyrenees. They are located at the eastern end of the Pre-Pyrenees, west of the Catalan Transversal Range, between ...

Main ranges

Although the highest peaks in the Pre-Pyrenees are not as high as those in the

proper, some of the ranges are quite massive, with summits reaching up to .

Northern slope

* Massif de Plantaurel

Southern slope

The main ranges are: ;In Catalonia * Serra d'Aubenç * Serra dels Bastets * Serra de Bellmunt * Cingles de Beví *

Serra de Boumort Serra (Latin for "saw") may refer to: People * Serra (footballer) (born 1961), Portuguese footballer * Serra (surname) * Serra (given name) Cities, towns, municipalities Brazil *Serra, Espírito Santo, a city in the Greater Vitória area * Am ...

* Serra de Busa *

Serra del Cadí The Serra del Cadí is a mountain range in the north of Catalonia, Spain, part of the Pre-Pyrenees. Its highest peak is the Vulturó, with an altitude of . It stretches from east to west between Alt Urgell and Berguedà. The Llobregat River has ...

Montsec de Tost The Montsec Range ( ca, Serra del Montsec ; es, Sierra del Montsec) is a mountain system of the Pre-Pyrenees. Description The Serra del Montsec consists of a series of calcareous mountain ranges running roughly from east to west. The range syste ...

Serra de Camporan Serra (Latin for "saw") may refer to: People * Serra (footballer) (born 1961), Portuguese footballer * Serra (surname) * Serra (given name) Cities, towns, municipalities Brazil *Serra, Espírito Santo, a city in the Greater Vitória area * Am ...

Serra de les Canals Serra (Latin for "saw") may refer to: People * Serra (footballer) (born 1961), Portuguese footballer * Serra (surname) * Serra (given name) Cities, towns, municipalities Brazil *Serra, Espírito Santo, a city in the Greater Vitória area *Ampa ...

Serra de Capsacosta Serra (Latin for "saw") may refer to: People * Serra (footballer) (born 1961), Portuguese footballer * Serra (surname) * Serra (given name) Cities, towns, municipalities Brazil *Serra, Espírito Santo, a city in the Greater Vitória area * Am ...

Serra de Malforat Serra (Latin for " saw") may refer to: People * Serra (footballer) (born 1961), Portuguese footballer * Serra (surname) * Serra (given name) Cities, towns, municipalities Brazil *Serra, Espírito Santo, a city in the Greater Vitória area *Ampa ...

*** Serra de la Cau *

Serra de Carreu Serra (Latin for "saw") may refer to: People * Serra (footballer) (born 1961), Portuguese footballer * Serra (surname) * Serra (given name) Cities, towns, municipalities Brazil *Serra, Espírito Santo, a city in the Greater Vitória area *Ampar ...

* El Catllaràs * Serra de Comiols * Serra del Port del Comte **

Serra de Querol Serra (Latin for "saw") may refer to: People * Serra (footballer) (born 1961), Portuguese footballer * Serra (surname) * Serra (given name) Cities, towns, municipalities Brazil *Serra, Espírito Santo, a city in the Greater Vitória area *Ampar ...

Serra del Verd Serra (Latin for "saw") may refer to: People * Serra (footballer) (born 1961), Portuguese footballer * Serra (surname) * Serra (given name) Cities, towns, municipalities Brazil *Serra, Espírito Santo, a city in the Greater Vitória area *Ampar ...

* Serra de Conivella * Serrat de la Creueta * Serra d'Ensija * La Faiada de Malpàs * Serra de Falgars * Serra de la Gessa *

Serra de Sant Mamet Serra (Latin for "saw") may refer to: People * Serra (footballer) (born 1961), Portuguese footballer * Serra (surname) * Serra (given name) Cities, towns, municipalities Brazil *Serra, Espírito Santo, a city in the Greater Vitória area *Ampar ...

* Serra de Moixeró *

Serra de Milany Serra (Latin for "saw") may refer to: People * Serra (footballer) (born 1961), Portuguese footballer * Serra (surname) * Serra (given name) Cities, towns, municipalities Brazil *Serra, Espírito Santo, a city in the Greater Vitória area *Ampar ...

* Mare de Déu del Mont * Serra de Monebui * Serra de Montclús *

Montsec The Montsec Range ( ca, Serra del Montsec ; es, Sierra del Montsec) is a mountain system of the Pre-Pyrenees. Description The Serra del Montsec consists of a series of calcareous mountain ranges running roughly from east to west. The range syste ...

range ** Montsec de Rúbies, the eastern massif, is separated by the river Segre in the east and the

Noguera Pallaresa The Noguera Pallaresa (; oc, Noguèra Palharesa, ) is a river in Catalonia, Spain. It is named after the Pallars region. Course Its source is at ''Era Font d'era Noguereta'' in the municipality of Naut Aran (Aran Valley) at an elevation of ab ...

in the middle. *** Serra del Cucuc **

Montsec d'Ares Montsec d'Ares is the central part of the Montsec mountain range, stretching between the cliffs of Montrebei in the West and Terradets in the East. Location La Serra del Montsec is located in the Catalan province of Lleida and in the Aragones ...

, the central massif. *** Montrebei ** Montsec d'Estall, in

, located to the west, separated by the

Noguera Ribagorçana The Noguera Ribagorzana () or Noguera Ribagorçana () is a river in northern Spain.Dorothy Noyes ''Fire in the Placa: Catalan Festival Politics After Franco'' 2003 p. ix "Catalonia proper — a triangle with the Pyrenees as one side, the Mediterr ...

from the central massif. * Serra de Montgrony *

Serra de Prada Serra (Latin for "saw") may refer to: People * Serra (footballer) (born 1961), Portuguese footballer * Serra (surname) * Serra (given name) Cities, towns, municipalities Brazil *Serra, Espírito Santo, a city in the Greater Vitória area *Ampar ...

* Serra de Picamill * Serra de Picancel * Serra de Queralt * Serra de Sant Gervàs ** Serra de Setcomelles * Serra de Sant Joan *

Serra de Sant Marc Serra (Latin for "saw") may refer to: People * Serra (footballer) (born 1961), Portuguese footballer * Serra (surname) * Serra (given name) Cities, towns, municipalities Brazil *Serra, Espírito Santo, a city in the Greater Vitória area *Ampar ...

Serra de serra de Sobremunt Serra (Latin for " saw") may refer to: People * Serra (footballer) (born 1961), Portuguese footballer * Serra (surname) * Serra (given name) Cities, towns, municipalities Brazil *Serra, Espírito Santo, a city in the Greater Vitória area *Ampa ...

* Serra del Volterol * Serra dels Tossals * Serra de Turp *

Rasos de Peguera Rasos de Peguera is a former ski resort located near Berga, in Catalonia (Spain). Rasos de Peguera was one of the first places where skiing was practiced in Catalonia and was once the closest ski resort to Barcelona. The alpine ski resort opened in ...

** Serrat de la Figuerassa ;In Aragon *

Sierra Caballera Sierra (Spanish for "mountain range" and " saw", from Latin '' serra'') may refer to the following: Places Mountains and mountain ranges * Sierra de Juárez, a mountain range in Baja California, Mexico * Sierra de las Nieves, a mountain rang ...

* Sierra del Castillo de Llaguarres * Sierra de la Carrodilla * Cotiella * Serra d'EsdolomadaLuis Javier Cruchaga, ''Turbón y Sierra de Sis,''Mapas excursionistas, no 12 PRAMES 2002 * Sierra Ferrera * Sierra de Giró * Serra del Jordal * Sierra de las Ares * Sierra de Guara * El Turbón * Sierra de Sis *

Sierra de Santo Domingo Sierra (Spanish for "mountain range" and "saw", from Latin ''wikt:serra#Latin, serra'') may refer to the following: Places Mountains and mountain ranges * Sierra de Juárez, a mountain range in Baja California, Mexico * Sierra de las Nieves, a ...

Sierra de Loarre Sierra (Spanish for "mountain range" and "saw", from Latin ''wikt:serra#Latin, serra'') may refer to the following: Places Mountains and mountain ranges * Sierra de Juárez, a mountain range in Baja California, Mexico * Sierra de las Nieves, a ...

* Sierra de Javierre *

;In Navarre * Sierra de Leire

Features

References

External links

*{{commons category inline Mountain ranges of Catalonia Mountain ranges of Aragon Mountain ranges of Navarre Mountain ranges of Occitania (administrative region)