La Massana

"La Massana" (originally "Maçana") is one of the seven parishes of the Principality of . It is loted in the northwest of the country. (). La Massana is also the name of the main town of the parish. The name Massana derives from the Latin name "mattianam" for a variety of apple.

The parish is extremely mountainous and contains the highest mountain in , Coma Pedrosa ().

eograph
hysil geograph
The parish has an area of , and adjoins the neighbouring parishes of Ordino, Enmp, Esldes-Engordany, and La Vella, and also France and Spain. There is of agricultural land, 14% of the total agricultural land in .

Sanfonts (2.888 m) and Estany Negre (the black lake)

The main villages are Pal, Arinsal, Anyós, Erts, Sispony, L"Aldosa, and Escàs. Other settlements are Xixerella, Mas de Ribafeta, El Pui, and Puiol del Piu.

Coma Pedrosa in the north-west of the parish is the highest point in the Principality of at , and has panoramic views of the Pyrenees. The mountain is also the site of the Coma Pedrosa Nature Reserve. It is covered by heavy snowfalls in winter, and usually retains some snow cover in summer. The four next-highest peaks are Medacorba (2914 m), Sanfonts (2888 m), Pla de l’Estany (2859 m), and Racofred (2837 m). The parish has an average height of above sea-level.

There are four lakes: Forts (the pitchforks lake), Montmantell, Estany Negre (the black lake), and Les Truites Lake (the trout lake).

The parish has three main rivers. The Valira del Nord, which begins at the Llac de Tristaina, is a long tributary of the Valira. There are also the Pal and the Montaner.

The mountains have rough pastures with numerous native species of Pyrenean wildflowers, and extensive forests of pines, firs, birches, wild cherries, and oaks.

limat

The average annual temperature of La Massana town is . Across the whole parish, the climate varies greatly with elevation. Regions above the Alpine tree line at about 2100-2400 m have an alpine climate and alpine tundra. The valleys have a milder climate that is essentially temperate.

conom
ouris
The main industry is tourism and the parish is a major tourism destination. In winter, the main activities are skiing, snowboarding, and ski biking. The main ski resort, Vallnord, includes the Arinsal and Pal sectors, which jointly have 89 km of runs ranging in altitude from 2600 m to 1550 m. In summer, the main activities are hiking, climbing, mountain biking, 4x4 trails, and nyoning.

A field of tobacco plants in Sispony

gricultur
Agricultural land amounting to 262 ha is used for growing tobacco, vegetables (mainly potatoes), and cereals. There are rough pastures on the higher slopes which are used for raising dairy ttle and also for keeping horses used in trekking holidays.

onstruction and real estat
The construction industry and real estate have also been signifint sectors of the economy.

ights and cultur
There are two museums: Casa Rull Ethnographic Museum in Sispony, and Farga Rossell, a forge built in the mid-19th century which has demonstrations of iron working.

The parish is host to a number of fiestas and other public celebrations. There are the "festa patronale" on 17 November, the "festa major" on 15 August, and the Rosary fete on the second Sunday of July. A fiesta is also held at the end of June or beginning of July, depending on the weather, to mark the consecration of the livestock and pastures.

ranspor
The transport infrastructure consists of roads, road tunnels, gondola lifts, and two heliports. There are no railways, ports, airports, or navigable waterways.

use
There are regular bus services throughout the rural and metropolitan areas of the parish. There are services to most destinations inside and several long-distance services to destinations outside such as Barcelona and Toulouse.

oad infrastructur
The parish is linked to the neighbouring parish of Ordino by the CG-3 main road, and to the pital, La Vella, by the CG-3/CG-4 main road.

There are two road tunnels along the route of the CG-3/CG-4: the Pont Pla Tunnel, a long tunnel built in 2006, and the Sant Antoni Tunnel, a long tunnel built in 2003. The Pont Pla Tunnel has been designated the best and safest tunnel in Europe by the European Tunnels Assessment Programme (EuroTAP).

The parish"s road network is being upgraded in a multi-million euro programme involving new tunnel construction, road widening, improved sign-posting, new bicycle lanes, and additional safety measures such as crash barriers and signal-controlled pedestrian crossings.

A road tunnel — the Dos Valires Tunnel — is being built between Anyós and Enmp, and when it is opened in 2010 it is expected to cut journey times from the current 30–45 minutes to 5 minutes.

eliport
There are two heliports — one in La Massana town and one in Arinsal, both providing commercial helicopter services.

ondola lift
There is a gondola lift linking the town of La Massana and the Vallnord Pal-sector ski station; it runs throughout the year. There are further gondola lifts within the ski resorts themselves.

eference

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Serveis (2009).
Services (2009).
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RTVA News, 22 April 2009
RTVA News, 5 August 2009

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