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Lleida Guide

By , About.com Guide

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Lleida Overview:

Lleida's newly opened airport has put this little-known city on the tourist map. But should you hurry off to your final destination or stick around for a few hours or even days?

The reality is that though is a surprising amount to do here, there is no 'must-see' sight. If circumstances keep you here for some reason, you won't get bored, but don't hang around here when you have better things to do.

Best Time to Visit Lleida:

Come for the snail festival! Though the French are famous for eating these slippery fellas, it is at the Aplec del Caragol in Lleida in May that you will get to sample the best. Alternatively, check out the Lleida Latin-American Film Festival in April.

Number of Days to Spend in Lleida:

A day is enough. If you arrive on an early morning flight, stay here the night and move on in the morning. You'll get a much better deal on a hotel here than in Madrid or Barcelona.

Hotels in Lleida:

For cheap hotels in Lleida, check out this link: Lleida Hotels

Five Things to Do in Lleida:

  • Get warmed up for the modernist buildings of Barcelona with local equivalents along the Avinguda de Blondel.
  • Take the kids (or dad) to the classic car museum, Museu Roda-Roda.
  • The city's two cathedrals, La Seu Vella and the Catedral Nova.
  • Learn about how Lleida got its water in ancient times in the Water Museum.
  • Take a look at the city's two art museums.

Day Trips from Lleida:

You are unlikely to stay in Lleida long enough to make day trips.

Where to Next?:

Madrid, Zaragoza and Barcelona are a short trip on the high-speed AVE train from Lleida.

Distance to Lleida:

For more details of distance and travel times from Lleida to your chosen city, see this page: Lleida Transport.

Hiring a Car in Lleida:

Compare prices on car rental on Travelocity or Kayak (book direct).

First Impressions of Lleida:

Most likely the first thing you'll see in Lleida is the airport. Opened in 2010, Lleida airport is exactly as you'd expect it to be - clean, functional and very, very boring.

If Lleida isn't your final destination, transport facilities from Lleida airport are excellent - you don't even have to see any of Lleida if you don't want to! There are buses direct to Barcelona or to the AVE train station in Lleida, which will whisk you to Madrid, Zaragoza or Barcelona quicker than you can say "Who wants to visit Lleida anyway?"

If you do stick around, you'll probably arrive by bus at the main train station. From the plaza in front of the station (Plaça de Ramon Berenguer IV) you can take calle Cardenal Remolins, which will take you through the commercial center and past the new cathedral, or you can take the wider Rambla de Ferran, which (after various name changes) will take you past the numerous modernist buildings in Lleida.

Keeping the river Segre on your left, you'll have the old town on your right, with the La Seu Vella old cathedral high up on the hill top.

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