The Pyrenees stretch for more than 450 kilometers from the Bay of Biscay in the west to the Cap de Creus on the Mediterranean. The mountain range, with peaks of more than 3000 meters, forms a natural barrier that separates the Iberian Peninsula from the rest of Europe. The main ridge of the mountain range also largely forms the state border between France and Spain, while the miniature state of Andorra lies between these two countries.
The Pyrenees are a true paradise for motorcyclists: beautiful views and magnificent winding roads between imposing mountains. Given the beautiful surroundings in which the roads are really formidable and provide a lot of driving pleasure, I rate this route with 5 stars.

From Quillan, the starting point of this route, you actually drive directly into the gorge of Pierre-Lys. Rock walls tower high above you, impressive to see. The guardrail along the road is there to give the impression that something is there, but the name guardrail should not have it.

After Axat you will again drive through a piece of nature that has been formed over millions of years, the gorge of Saint-Georges. This gorge, like the gorge of Pierre-Lys, has been carved out by the river Aude.
It's great to drive through this, just imagine how much work it has been to build a little common road in such a narrow gorge.

You drive on the D118, a road that doesn't seem to have a straight stretch. Beautiful views present themselves at every turn. It is also striking how very quiet it is here, which makes driving a lot more fun. At a nice spot along the route you can stop just that little bit easier, the chance that someone is behind you is not very great.
After enjoying the great D118 for about 45 kilometers, you will pass the Matemale Lake, with the Matemale dam of the same name. This is a dam that is not just concrete. A great deal of soil has also been used to form it. Although the operation is the same as its concrete brother, this dam is incorporated much more beautifully into the environment. Nice to stop for a while and walk across the dam for a few photos.

A few kilometers further on you will pass the highest col of this route, the Col de la Quillane. With a pass height of 1714 meters, he is quite a serious guy.
On top of the col you drive past an airport, the 'Aerodrome de Mont-Louis - La Quillane. So don't be alarmed if an airplane overtakes you on the left. However, do not expect a large passenger plane, the airport is mainly used for gliding.

You drive here in the Regional Natural Park of the Catalan Pyrenees. This nature park groups three areas on an area of 138,000 hectares and an altitude between 300 and 3,000 meters. The vast plains, the special flora and a record number of hours of sunshine, as well as the presence of the famous Canigou mountain range and the famous valley of Eyne will certainly appeal to lovers of nature and outdoor activities!

As the name of the airport indicates, a little later you will arrive at Mont-Louis. A lively place where, for example, a solar oven and a citadel can be viewed.
The solar oven is an experimental setup built in 1949, making it the first of its kind in the world. A power of 50 kW is supplied. This capacity is achieved by strongly concentrating sunlight by means of mirrors. The goal was to smelt ore and extract high-purity materials to make new and effective refractory materials.
Tours and demonstrations are given, explaining how the oven works. The tour is supplemented with simple scientific and educational experiments. How about concentrating the sun's rays to produce temperatures between 2000 ° and 3500 ° Celsius? With this you can, for example, ignite wood, melt metal or cook ceramics. Interesting to watch.

A short walk further you come to the citadel. After the Peace of the Pyrenees (1659), Louis XIV ordered Vauban to build the fortifications to protect the area from Spanish attacks. The location was strategically chosen, it was on an important road from Spain to France, there were natural barriers that reduced the construction of fortifications, and there was ample manpower and building material available in the immediate vicinity.
In May 1679 Vauban presented his plans in which he made optimal use of the environment. In the east he proposed few changes, here flows the river Têt, which with its banks formed a major obstacle for the attackers. Access was easier on the west side and extensive defenses were built here. Vauban designed Mont-Louis in four vertical zones, from high to low: The citadel, the upper and lower town and a redoubt.
In 1681 the structure of the citadel was completed and suitable for defense. The citadel could accommodate 2500 men and 300 horses and there was a hospital. The entire construction period took about 10 years. Once completed, Mont-Louis was an important military defense on the border with Spain. The upper town developed much more slowly, in 1720 there were 50 houses here, the majority of which were in bad condition.
(source: Wikipedia)

After discovering the history of Mont-Louis, you follow the N116 for a while, a slightly larger road. Still quite quiet due to other traffic, but the views left and right remain beautiful. At Bourg-Madame you leave France and drive back into Spanish territory.

Via the N260 you reach the C16, where you drive through a tunnel of 5 kilometers. Shortly after the end of this tunnel you will find a parking space on the right side of the road with a hill next to it. A viewpoint has been created on top of this hill, equipped with a beautiful staircase to reach it. From this point a beautiful view of the area, it shows what the tunnel was hiding from you.

Arriving in Vic, you have the opportunity to visit the museum of learning art shortly after the refueling stop. The museum originated in Vic, a city with a great tradition in leatherworking. In this museum you can view the collection of tanner Andreu Colomer i Munmany, which consists of more than a thousand articles made entirely or partly of leather. The pieces, of great artistic richness, show different techniques and come from very different places and periods.
Of particular note, because of their value and number, the chests and chests are covered in cordovan leather (a type of tanned goatskin) and the wall coverings made of sheep embossed leather with a gold-plated or silver-plated and polychrome finish.

North of Vic you drive on the BV-5224. A wonderful steering path through the rolling countryside of Catalonia. The beautiful views are again present in large numbers, just like the many curves. There is also a col, here you will find the Collada de Bracons with a height of 1132 meters. On top you have a pleasant view of the area that you will drive through in a moment. Reason to stop for a photo, after all it is the last col in this route.
On top of the col you also leave the province of Barcelona and enter Gerona. The road number is also different from here: GIV-5273. The road numbers indicate in which province you are driving, B is Barcelona, GI stands for Girona. Nice to know now that you're almost over ....
The road number and the province may be different, but the GIV-5273 is just as wonderful a road as the BV-5224. The swinging continues cheerfully for a while, until the coffee break in Joanetes.

After the coffee break you reach Anglès. You will arrive in this place, just before the roundabout, past the Burés factory. This textile factory (opened in 1887), although the activities have stopped, still has a gigantic impressive steam engine. It used to be in charge of operating some of the factory's automated systems. The machine was designed in 1908-1909 by Maquinista Terre i Marítima de Barcelona and had an output of 200 hp. It can be considered a real technical jewel, inherited from an industrial era. In 2010 the machine was declared a National Cultural Importance. Interesting to view this imposing machine.

After this beautiful steam engine, there is a nice bit of steering on the Gi-640, after which the final destination of this route quickly appears: Hotel Eden Park south of Girona.
A beautifully situated hotel near the airport, with a swimming pool, a good restaurant and, not unimportantly, a well-stocked bar.

Have fun driving this route!