Falset
Falset
Surface area
31.62 ha
Altitude
364 m
Inhabitants
2829
GPS
X
317175
Y
4557350
Common term
Falsetans
Contact
Ajuntament de Falset
Plaça de la Quartera, 38
43730 Falset Tarragona
Spain
Phone number
(+34) 977 830 057
Fax
(+34) 977 830 668
Email
Opening hours:
Monday - Friday: 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
Tourist office
Priorat Tourist Office
Plaça de la Quartera, 1
43730 Falset
Tel.: (+34) 977 831 023
Email: oit@priorat.cat
Opening hours:
Tuesday to Saturday: 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
Sunday and public holidays: 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
Closed:
1 January / 6 January / Easter Monday / 24 June / 11 September / 24-26 December / 31 December
Information
Location
Falset, capital of the Priorat, is located in the south-east of the county, in a valley surrounded by mountains, among them the Roca Roja, Morral and the Llaberia mountains, and in the centre of the basin of the river Siurana, between the plains of the Camp de Tarragona and the Ebro valley.
Installations
It has a sports centre, swimming pool, library, petrol station, clinic (CAP), theater, tennis courts, football pitch, playgrounds, fire station, tourist office, leisure area near the Sant Gregori hermitage, hotels, holiday apartments, restaurants, an agricultural cooperative, wine- and other stores.
Gastronomy
The wines of Falset fall under the DO Montsant and DOQ Priorat areas. Typical produce of the town includes hazelnuts, almonds, “coques maurades” (savoury pastries), “coques d’ou i de farina” (cakes made with egg and flour), “castellets de falset” (almond biscuits), olive oil, a range of pork products, honey, “neules” (rolled wafers), “torrons” (a kind of almond nougat), beans and cod in “romesco” nut sauce, salted sardines on toast, roasted onions and garlic and fig cake.
Festivities
The Encamisada is an event held at the closest weekend to 17th January (Saint Anthony's Day). A series of carts pulled by animals are decorated, and everybody dons traditional dress for a procession around the town.
3rd of February is Sant Blai (Saint Blaise's Day). This is the occasion for the carrying around of the cake known as the “Coc de Sant Blai” (about 15 metres long), which is then raffled. Then people go to the Malanyet district, where there are “bunyols” (fritters) and "ranci" (aged wine) for all. The Fira del Vi, the Priorat county wine fair featuring wines from the DOQ Priorat and DO Montsant, takes place in early May.
The town festivities are held around 15th August and include unique traditional events like the Espígol (Lavender), when children perfume the streets by scattering baskets of lavender in them; the Danses, which involve young women giving cakes to certain people, in a procession with the authorities; the Batalla de Flors (Battle of the Flowers), a fight with confetti and streamers between floats and spectators in the Plaça de la Quartera, Falset's main square; and the Ball de Coques, when young men buy a cake from the woman they want to dance with.
The first week of September is devoted to Santa Càndia (St. Candida), patron saint of the town since 1774, and at the closest weekend to 30th November her statue is carried to the historic fair of Sant Andreu (St. Andrew).
Places to visit
Falset has an agricultural cooperative housed in an Art Nouveau building built in 1919 by the architect from Valls Cèsar Martinell, a disciple of Gaudí. It is one of the most outstanding wineries in Catalonia.
The main square, the Plaça de la Quartera, is surrounded by old arches and is one of the few in Catalonia to be built on a slope. A market is held there every Tuesday. The town's two important palaces are in or near the square. That of the Dukes of Medinaceli, Renaissance in style, was built in 1630 with a sober, elegant dressed stone façade; the interior has been completely rebuilt to house the town hall. The other palace is that of the Counts of Azara, also known as the Casa Gran; it also has Renaissance features and dates from the 18th century. It now houses the Consell Comarcal (regional council). It has a dressed stone façade and a large stairway built in a typical Catalan arch form, and a skylight decorated with four coloured crests. The ceiling is coffered.
The church of Santa Maria was consecrated in 1770. Some stones from the castle and the former Romanesque church were used to build it. It has Baroque-style features and consists of three naves and a bell tower. The remains of Santa Càndia (St. Candida) are kept there.
The Font del Batlle (Mayor's Spring) is a picturesque spot with a very old wash house.
The Plaça Àngel Marquès or Plaça Vella is a rectangular square which today only has arches on two sides.
The Portal del Bou is the only surviving one of the five gates to the town; it is built from well-cut stones dating from the 12th century that still bear masons' marks.
The castle was built atop a hill in the 12th century. It was the residence of the Counts of Prades and two queens were born there: Eleanor of Cyprus and Margaret of Prades. From 1825 it was used as a prison for over a century. It currently houses the museum.
Opening hours
October - March
Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday: 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. + 4:00-6:00 p.m.
Sunday and Public Holidays: 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
April - June
Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday: 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. + 5:00-7:00 p.m.
Sunday and Public Holidays: 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
July - September
Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday: 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. + 5:00-8:00 p.m.
Sunday and Public Holidays: 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
Closed:
Tuesday, Wednesday, 1 January, 6 January, 21 November - 12 December, and 25 December
Sant Gregori (St. Gregory) is an interesting little chapel set amid a striking landscape of red rocks.
How to get there
It can be reached by road from Reus on the N-420; from Móra la Nova also on the N-420; from Marçà on the T-300; from Gratallops on the T-710; from Porrera on the T-740 and from Bellmunt del Priorat on the TP-7101.
Related Contents
Places of interest
Hiking routes
Routes by car
Bike routes
Pages
Wineries to visit
Restaurants
Accommodations
Wine and farm shops
Wine Landscapes
