Tourist office and Centre d'Interpretació

The municipal tourist office of Prades shares a building with the Centre d'Interpretació de les Muntanyes de Prades, at carrer Muralla 3. Call it on 977 868 302 or write to [email protected]. It is the place to begin your visit to the red town and where you ask for the key to the grounds of the l'Abellera hermitage.

Opening hours

According to Prades Town Council, it opens all year with these hours:

• Monday, Wednesday and Thursday: 9:00 to 15:00.
• Tuesday: 9:00 to 16:30.
• Friday: 9:45 to 15:00.
• Saturdays: 9:00 to 14:00 and 16:00 to 18:00.
• Sundays and public holidays: 9:00 to 14:00.

The municipal website does not publish seasonal variations. Outside these hours, ask for information at the Town Council, at plaça Major 2 (977 868 018).

The key to l'Abellera

The l'Abellera hermitage, from around 1570 and tucked into a cave in the cliff about 2 km from the town, is closed for most of the year. The Town Council explains how to visit the grounds: the key is collected at the tourist office (or at the Town Council if the office is closed), it is free but you leave a €20 cash deposit, and you can keep it for 2 hours at most. It must be returned at least 30 minutes before the office closes, and by the same person who left the deposit. The key opens the grounds, but the hermitage building itself stays closed. It opens on Easter Monday morning and on the first Saturday in September.

With the office hours, the practical thing is to ask for the key first thing and return it with time to spare, especially from Monday to Friday, when the office closes at 15:00 (16:30 on Tuesdays).

What else they can sort out for you

From the office starts the short path to the Roca Foradada, the red stone arch 1.5 km from the town, and the walk around the red town, a 1.1 km loop through the gate, the arcaded square and the wall. Ask too about longer routes, such as the Pla de la Guàrdia loop or the climb to the Tossal de la Baltasana, the roof of the Muntanyes de Prades.

The Town Council also organises guided visits to the old town. For schools, its leaflet describes a cultural route of about 4 km and two or three hours with guides from Còdol Educació; for individuals, ask at the office for the year's calendar.

Getting there and parking

The old town is small, with narrow streets: leave the car outside and walk in. If you arrive without a car, the coach and taxi stop at plaça de Sant Roc, next to the Fonda Espasa. For lunch afterwards, DPrades Gastroteca has a terrace on the main square, and if you are with children, the Parc Astronòmic and Prades Aventura complete the day.