The Noguera Pallaresa crosses the valley, into the secondary Espot Valley on the left, one of the gateways to the Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici National Park. At Esterri d'Àneu, an ecomuseum, established in an old 18C house, depicts traditional ways of life in the region. The road then climbs into a striking landscape, dotted with Romanesque churches, such as Sant Joan d'Isil, and fine stone houses with wooden galleries and balconies and slate roofs.