Way of exile through the Port of Salau, Vall de Bonabé

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During the Spanish civil war, coinciding with the arrival of the Francoist troops in Pallars, there was a massive exile of the population of Alós d’Isil, through the Port of Salau, to Seix, in the French province of Ariège, due to the call Path of Exile.

The mountain passes have historically been places of encounter and passage for the inhabitants of the two slopes of the Pyrenees and in troubled times, of flight, refuge and hiding place.

The port of Salau is one of the most symbolic, known and accessible, and the Occitan-Catalan Meeting has been held for more than 30 years, on the first Sunday of August. It was thus, attending the Occitan-Catalan Meeting that we decided to further investigate the history of the place, and of the two sides of the Pyrenees, to make it known to a wide audience, in a pleasant way, and beyond the Path of Exile. If there is something that characterizes and differentiates the Port of Salau, it is the remains of buildings and infrastructures that are found along the road and above the port, one more story to discover, prior to the Spanish Civil War, that links us again with the neighbors and neighboring France, on the other side of the Pyrenees. Likewise, after the Civil War, the activity did not end through the ports due to the persecutions related to the Second World War, as we will also explain to you during the excursion.

Currently the Exile Trail is located within the Natural Park of the High Pyrenees, in the Los Valles de Àneu sector, being a place of interest also to know its flora and fauna, in addition to its history. Thus, we will leave Sort towards Los Valles de Àneu, to enter La Vall de Bonabé, upper part of the Noguera Pallaresa river, to the Refugio del Fornet, where we will leave the vehicle to continue on foot to the top of the port, reviewing the history , the flora and fauna of the place, to return later on the same path and to Sort.

The route on foot, without technical complications, is classified as demanding due to its unevenness, 715 m. and length, 8 km. To complete the knowledge on the incidence of the Civil War and the Second World War, in Pallars Sobirà, it is recommended to visit other memory spaces of the region, and especially, the Prison-Museum Camino de la Libertad, in Sort, as well as discover the routes of Persecuted and Saved that you will find on our website. T

here is also the option of extending the route to the town of Salau, in France, multiplying the experience, with special logistics. If you are interested, we will inform you.