Small villages, big challenges - A closer look at Catalonia's micropobles
Durada: 25 min
05/04/2025
The term "micropobles" refers to small villages in Catalonia with fewer than 1,000 inhabitants. There are more than 480 micropobles in the territory, representing nearly one-third of all Catalan municipalities, yet they are home to only 2.5% of Catalonia's population.Gigi Giulia and Lorcan Doherty join host Beth Cohen to discuss the pros and cons of country living. Joan Solà, president of the Associació de Micropobles de Catalunya, explains the importance of rural communities in preserving Catalan cultural heritage. Plus we explore some of the government initiatives which are being implemented to protect remote villages from depopulation. Whatever challenges Catalonia's micro villages may be facing, they continue to be unique places to reside for those who seek an alternative lifestyle far from the city. This week our Catalan phrase is "Fotre el camp," which is a rude expression commonly used to tell someone to go away or "get lost!" but can be translated as "go to the countryside".