Igualada Hot Air Balloon Ride over Rubió and Montserrat

Worth being clear about the geography first. Igualada sits roughly 60 km inland from Barcelona, in the county of Anoia, and the balloon lifts off from the Igualada-Ódena aerodrome. This flight stays over the Catalan interior. It is not a flight over the city. The aerodrome is a working ballooning field, and the European Balloon Festival has been held there every July since 1997. At the field you watch the envelope fill and stand up before climbing into the basket. First under you is the Sierra de Rubió, the ridge that divides the Ódena basin from the Segarra plateau, with Cópia de Palomes as its high point at 837 metres. Then Montserrat, the massif Catalonia treats as a symbol of itself. There is a cava toast in the air, with juice and biscuits alongside. The flight runs about an hour. Where you come down depends on the wind, and a 4x4 collects the group and drives it back to the aerodrome from wherever that turns out to be. A certified pilot flies the balloon. The 195 euros covers the hour aloft, the 4x4 transfer, a flight diploma, the cava toast, juice and biscuits, and photographs taken during the flight. A private balloon for two passengers plus the pilot can be arranged on request, at 450 euros for the basket. The rating is 5.0 from a single review so far.