This pretty little village is separated from the rest of Spain by a one-mile corridor. (Image: Medol/ Wikimedia )
Just one mile north of the border with France lies a tiny village that, while is Spanish, actually sits within borders. Llívia is both an enclave and exclave, surrounded by the the French département of Pyrénées-Orientales.
In 2023, Llivia was home to just over 1,500 people. It is separated from the rest of Spain by a corridor about one mile wide, which includes the French communes of Ur and Bourg-Madame. The small has existed in its current state for over 350 years, thanks to a treaty between the two countries.
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International border Spain-France, by the enclave of Llívia (Gerona). (Image: Lliviés)
Llívia was the site of an Iberian oppidum (large fortified settlement) that commanded the region and was named Julia Lybica by the . It was later the capital of Cerdanya in antiquity before being replaced by Hix (commune of Bourg-Madame, France) in the Middle Ages.
Following the Franco-Spanish War (1635–1659), the Treaty of the Pyrenees in 1659 ceded the “comarques” (regions) of Roussillon, Conflent, Capcir, Vallespir, and northern Cerdanya (“Cerdagne”) to the French Crown.
The treaty established the as the border between France and Spain and separated Northern Catalonia from .
However, the treaty stipulated that only villages would be ceded to France. Llívia was considered a town (vila in Catalan), since it had the status of the ancient capital of Cerdanya.
As such, Llívia remained a Spanish enclave within France and did not become part of the Kingdom of France. This situation was confirmed in the subsequent Treaty of Llívia, signed in 1660.
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Ruins of Llívia Castle, destroyed by French forces in the Catalan Civil War. (Image: Carlos Pino Andújar/ Wikimedia)
Under the Nationalist government of Francisco Franco, residents required special passes to cross France to the rest of Spain.
Today, with these countries in the , there are no frontier formalities and cross-border infrastructure is the only issue. The two countries cordially share a hospital in Llívia and other local initiatives.
Though little more than walls remain of Llívia’s ruined hilltop castle – destroyed by French forces during the Catalan Civil War – it’s worth the 15-minute climb for the beautiful panoramic views of the French countryside. Restoration works have unearthed parts of the fortress dating back to the ninth century.
The one-mile-long road which allows Spain access to Lliva and vice versa is the joint property of Spain and France and is designated in Spain as part of the N-154 and in France as jointly part of the Route nationale 20 and the RD68.
The road has been controversial over the years, particularly due to several stop signs placed by the French authorities and removed overnight by those opposed to them. This lasted for several years and became known as “the war of the stop signs”.
During the vote for in 2017, 561 out of 591 votes were cast in Llívia in favour of independence. While the referendum was deemed illegal by the Spanish courts, the Spanish police did not intervene to stop the vote in the town.