Norwegian students from IES Matarraña during the project visit: Lisa Holubkina (2IBA), Melis Sen (1ST-Z), Polina Voronina (2IBA), Tuva Sels-Agersten (1ST-Z), Ane Tidemandsen (2IBA), Sondre Holand (2IBA). Ada B. Øye

Focusing on recycling, sustainability, and rural development. 

Beautiful Matarraña

The project took place in the beautiful Matarraña region in northeastern Spain, known for its scenic landscapes, historic villages, and peaceful rural atmosphere. 

The project was situated close to one of Matarraña’s eighteen villages, Cretas, where the participants stayed in a hostel. Living together in this small rural community gave students a unique experience of everyday life in the region.  

Structured programme

Students gathered on the Puente de Piedra, the medieval stone bridge over the Río Matarraña leading into the old town of Valderrobres. Ada B. Øye

During the mobility in Matarraña, the students participated in a structured programme combining cultural exploration, environmental education, physical activity, and creative collaboration. 

Activities included guided visits to local villages such as Cretas, Peñarroya de Tastavins, and Valderrobres, trekking experiences linked to sustainable architecture and rural development, and educational visits to facilities such as the regional composting centre and a biogas plant. 

Erasmus+ objectives

The programme strongly supported the Erasmus+ objectives of promoting environmental awareness, sustainability, and active citizenship through workshops on recycling, reuse, and creative art made from recycled materials. 

School visits and joint reflection sessions encouraged intercultural dialogue, cooperation, and mutual understanding between students from different countries. 

Throughout the week, the students showed a consistently positive and responsible attitude. 

Although the programme involved extensive walking and physically demanding activities, they remained motivated, supportive, and engaged at all times—even when their legs were clearly tired. 

Their enthusiasm, openness, and respectful behaviour created a warm and positive atmosphere, making the mobility enjoyable for everyone involved. 

The sculpture WAR STOP by Jordi Colomer that interrupts a rural path with a stark message. Read backwards, the sign demands attention and reflection within its quiet agricultural and alpine surroundings. Ada B. Øye

Students in front of No? Future!, Jordi Colomer’s installation on the Solo Sculpture Trail, which turns the Sex Pistols’ iconic slogan into a shifting question about rebellion, authority, and the future. Ada B. Øye

Last day of the project week: students at the hostel near Cretas presenting their artwork, combining recycled materials gathered in nature with natural elements. Ada B. Øye

Detail of the student artwork, combining recycled cardboard as a structural base with natural materials such as bark, pinecones, leaves, flowers, and wood fragments. Ada B. Øye