El Racó de la Vall
What to order: the Catalan cooking of the day; ask what there is from the Ripollès, which the hotel highlights on its menu
geocalia
Day itinerary · 42.20° N · 2.19° E
A thousand metres of rack railway up to the snow, two hours of guided snowshoeing and a table with views of the sanctuary.
You ride up to Núria on the Cremallera rack railway from Ribes de Freser, snowshoe for two hours with an Oxineu guide and eat Catalan food at El Racó de la Vall, with the cable car included in your ticket.
Leaving from
Part of RipollCatalan Pre-PyreneesPyreneesScenic train journeys in Spain
Add to my trip
Total time12 h
By car1 h 45 each way
Snowshoeing2 h · beginners · from €32
DifficultyEasy
Rack railway40 min · €34 return
Minimum age7 years
Best timeJanuary – March
No car neededRodalies R3 to Ribes-Enllaç
The plan
The day at a glance
Any part can be swapped for another without spoiling the day.
-
Leave Barcelona 1 h 45 by car
via the C-17, Ripoll and the N-260 to Ribes de Freser; free parking at Ribes-Enllaç station
-
1
Núria Rack Railway, from Ribes de Freser up to the valley at 2,000 metres
Turistren FGC · €34 return · online purchase compulsory; includes the Coma del Clot cable car and the exhibitions
+34 972 732 020
- 45 min by train
-
2
Guided snowshoe introduction in the Vall de Núria
Oxineu · from €32 with snowshoes, poles, guide and insurance · meet at the Volum Nord building
+34 651 627 890
- 5 min on foot
-
3
El Racó de la Vall
Catalan cooking with Ripollès produce · booking on 972 73 20 00
Estació Vall de Núria, s/n, 17534 Núria · +34 972 73 20 00
RestaurantBook -
Back home 45 min by train
first, the Coma del Clot cable car and the basilica, included in the ticket; check the time of the last train
- 1 h 45 by car · in Barcelona around 19:30
Approximate cost
About €66 per person
Adds up the activities and meals in the plan at their published prices; travel and accommodation not included.
The route
Núria Rack Railway, from Ribes de Freser up to the valley at 2,000 metres
You can't drive to Núria. The valley, at 1,964 metres, is closed in by mountains and the only way in is the Cremallera rack railway, which climbs a thousand metres over 12.5 km from Ribes de Freser. That makes it unlike any ski resort: there is no road, no car park at the top and, when it snows, the sanctuary, the lake and the big hotel building settle into a white silence. This Saturday you take the first train with time in hand, strap on snowshoes with a guide and eat looking out over the square.
The ride up
The Núria rack railway leaves from Ribes-Enllaç, stops at Ribes-Vila and Queralbs and reaches the top in about 40 minutes. In 2026, the return fare from Ribes cost €34 for an adult, €22 for children aged 4 to 13 and €29 for over-65s; from Queralbs it is a little less. Booking online is compulsory to secure a seat, and the outward and return journeys must be on the same day. The ticket also includes one ride on the Coma del Clot cable car, entry to the basilica and the exhibitions on the history of the railway and of snow.
Two hours on snowshoes
The snowshoe introduction with Oxineu leaves at 10:00 and 12:30 from their school in the Volum Nord building. It is a beginner outing of about two hours on an easy route, with a mountain sports instructor who teaches you to walk on snow and explains the landscape and wildlife. From €32 with snowshoes, poles and insurance; from age 7, and one guide for every twelve people at most. Outings run only on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays of the season, when there is snow.
If you have snowshoed before, the resort has waymarked, free circuits: rent the equipment at the top and go at your own pace.
Lunch in the valley
El Racó de la Vall is the dining room of the Hotel Vall de Núria, with arched windows onto the sanctuary square: Catalan cooking with local produce and ingredients from the Ripollès. Book on 972 73 20 00. For something quicker, Finestrelles, the hotel's terrace over the lake, opens at weekends from 8:40 to 16:00.
In the afternoon, the Coma del Clot cable car and the basilica, both included in the ticket, fill the time left before the train. Bear in mind that the last train down sets the end of the day: check it in the timetable finder when you buy.
Time6 h
Change the route
Where to eat
Where to eat?
Lunch is half the plan: book before you set off.
La Trobada · Café 1981 and Botiga Orígens
What to order: the traditional breakfast with Ripollès cheeses and cured meats, from 8:00 to 11:00, and something from the shop for the road.
Passeig Honorat Vilamanyà, 4 · 972 70 23 53
Pizzeria
La Piazzetta
What to order: pizza, also to take away, on the plaça Nova, with options for coeliacs.
Plaça Nova, 11 · 972 70 02 15
Closed
La Barricona
What to order: the set menu of home-style market cooking, with a vegan option every day and gluten-free desserts.
Ctra. de Sant Joan de les Abadesses, km 3.6 · 623 39 63 27
Restaurant Solana del Ter
What to order: menu of the day or à la carte market cooking with Ripollès produce; in the bar, tapas and raciones.
C-17, km 92.5 · 972 70 10 62
Restaurant Reccapolis
What to order: the €33 menu of the day; à la carte, the Ripollès veal entrecôte or fillet, and in autumn the game, such as the wild boar stew or the partridge
Ctra. de Sant Joan, 68 · 972 70 21 06 · book at reccapolis.com
Map
The stops, in order
With where to park at each one.
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Getting there
By car or without one?
When to go
When to go to Ripoll
Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays of the ski season, when there is snow; the hotel dining rooms reopen on 4 and 5 December 2026. January, February and March are the safest months; check the resort's snow report before buying the train ticket.
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Best timeGood timeLow season
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Take a train that arrives before 9:40
For the 10:00 snowshoe outing you need to be at Volum Nord with time to spare.
- 2Buy both tickets before leaving home
The Cremallera ticket is online only; the snowshoes, on the Oxineu website.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Do I need experience for snowshoeing?
No. It is a two-hour beginner outing with a guide.
How much does the day cost?
Cremallera €34, snowshoes from €32 and lunch. Between €95 and €120 per person.
Can I go with children?
On the guided snowshoeing, from age 7. On the train ticket, under-4s go free.
Can I bring a dog?
On the train, yes, on a lead and muzzled; on the Oxineu snowshoe outing pets are not allowed.
More plans like this
Other days of walking and good food
geocalia.com/en/spain/catalonia/ripoll/itineraries/rack-railway-and-snowshoes-nuria-sanctuary
Prices, opening hours and times are approximate: check them before you go. Each place has its own page on Geocalia.