Durro is a village of about a hundred people and a church tower too tall for its size, which is typical of the Vall de Boí. The hermitage of Sant Quirc stands on a rise just outside the village, a plain Romanesque building from the same period as the great churches of the valley, and it looks out over the Noguera de Tor and its steep, fir-covered sides. The Nativity church in the village below shares a map with it, so the two work well together as a short walk.
The way up is one of the best rides in the Catalan Pyrenees, and the high passes towards the Val d'Aran lie not far to the north. From El Pont de Suert the valley road starts gently and then narrows between slopes of beech and pine, and as you gain height you cross small bridges over side streams. The bends are smooth and well banked, the surface good, and the traffic light apart from winter weekends. In spring the meadows are full of flowers and in autumn the beeches go copper.
What strikes you here, apart from the scenery, is the Lombard style of the churches. Masons from northern Italy, trained in the early Romanesque, came to the Pyrenees in the eleventh and twelfth centuries and left their bell towers with rows of small blind arches and shallow pilasters, which you can read at a glance as a signature. Together the churches are listed by UNESCO, and visiting them one after another is a lesson in how a small, remote valley can be rich in art.
Be prepared for the practicalities. There are no large towns, and Vielha, twenty-two kilometres away over the pass, is the nearest, so plan your fuel in El Pont de Suert or in Vielha. The upper valley is subject to snow in winter. Small restaurants in the villages serve mountain food, including stews and grilled meat, and the water from fountains is generally cold and good. Respect the hours of the churches, which are often open only at certain times.