The province enjoys a thriving fruit-growing industry, including pears and peaches.
According to the 2006Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia, the provinces of Catalonia are due to be superseded by territorial units (unitats territorials) orvegueries based on a more historical political division, and the province of Lleida would become two territorial units:Ponent or Terres de Lleida Vegueria (the entire southern area) andAlt Pirineu i Aran Vegueria (the entire northern part plus thecomarca ofCerdanya, part of which is currently in theProvince of Girona), the county of Solsona going to theComarques Centrals (Central Counties) Vegueria. The plan is currently on hold as of 2015.
The province of Lleida has a characteristicCatalan dialect popularly known aslleidatà, withlo/los used as the masculinedefinite article instead ofel/els as well as its pronunciation in a large number of words. One example of the pronunciation is thea at the end of the word that is pronounced like ane. The local dialect, properly known asNorth-Western Catalan, is part of theWestern Catalan block, and as such, shares some features withValencian (whose dialects are also part of that group).
Lleida is the only province in Catalonia to have a second native language:Occitan, in theAran Valley.
Lleida has a wide variety of landscapes. This includes the mountain area of thePyrenees. TheAigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici National Park, the only National Park in Catalonia, and theAlt Pirineu (High Pyrenees) andCadí-Moixeró natural parks are all in the Pyrenees region. The Collegats-Terradets Territorial Park, the Boumort Natural Hunting Reserve and the Congost de Mont-rebei gorge are in thePre-Pyrenees.
In contrast, the Lleida Plain has more peaceful landscapes. In some cases, these are rather sober, while in others there is fertile land with century-old olive trees, fruit trees, meadows and crop fields. In this area, it is particularly relevant to highlight such spectacular settings as the Estany d'Ivars i Vila-sana pool and the Aiguabarreig (confluence) of the rivers Segre, Cinca and Ebro. On 6 January 2021, inTuc de la Llança, Spain's absolute minimum temperature of −34.1 °C (−29.4 °F) was registered.[4]
The comarques (local districts) of Lleida are also market leaders within Spain in the provision of adventure sports, with more than 170 companies organising around fifty different activities on land and water and in the air. This area is also Spain's leading ski destination.[citation needed]
Lleida has 11 different ski resorts which are marketed under the brand "Neu de Lleida" (Lleida Snow) and offer over 450 km (280 mi) of ski slopes. Their 81 ski lifts have the capacity to carry 115,000 skiers per hour, while the area immediately surrounding these winter sports complexes can also accommodate more than 30,000 visitors.[citation needed]
The province is served byLleida–Alguaire Airport which provides direct routes to theBalearic Islands which are operated byIberia. However,Josep Tarradellas Barcelona–El Prat Airport is also frequently used by air travellers from the province which provides most domestic and international destinations. It is located 154 km (96 mi) south east of Lleida.
Lleida has a rich architectural heritage. The churches of theVall de Boi have been declared part of aUNESCO World Heritage Site. Recently Lleida has started many new initiatives for tourists. These include: the Centre d'Observació de l'Univers (Centre for Observing the Universe), or PAM, of Montsec, which is an ambitious project that combines research, education and diffusion within the field of cultural and scientific tourism; the establishment of the Tren dels Llacs (Lakes Train), a touristic railway that connects the provincial capital to the Pre-Pyrenees; the creation of new exhibition spaces (including theMuseum of Lleida, the Paper Dresses Museum of Mollerussa and the Skiing Museum of the Val d'Aran); the organisation of routes to help discover the natural, cultural and monumental treasures of Lleida (with the Castles of Sió Route, the Pyrenean Counties and Nostalgic Pallars Route, the Wine Route of Les Garrigues, and the Literary Routes of Pallars, etc.); and also projects to promote excellence in the field of tourism, such as the Network of Villages with Charm.
Lleida, the capital of the province, is notable for its historical-architectural legacy, which includes buildings such as theSeu Vella (old cathedral) and theKnights Templar Castle of Gardeny. These buildings coexist with modern constructions such asLa Llotja, a congress and conference centre. Other city landmarks include the diocese and county museum (which has a collection of Roman, Islamic, Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque artefacts and paintings), the Jaume Morera Museum of Modern Art, and the "Roda Roda" Automobile Museum.
