At this historical site in La Pobla de Massaluca we offer you the chance to discover an entire fortified area that forms part of the River Algars defensive line, in which the trails and path have been restored in order to offer visitors a walking tour of the trails that the Republican soldiers followed throughout the Battle of the Ebro. As you walk, you will discover the trenches, shelters and fortifications that served as sanctuary for a generation of combatants.

In 1937, the Republican Government of Catalonia, foreseeing that the Aragon Front would collapse, ordered the construction of a fortified line to protect Catalan territory from a possible Francoist invasion. In Terra Alta, this line is known as the Algars Line: following the course of this river, it protects the district from south to north with various elevated and fortified positions in Caseres, Batea, Vilalba dels Arcs and La Pobla de Massaluca.

With the collapse of the Aragón Front and the rapid Francoist advance of 1938, the Republican soldiers went straight past this position and took shelter from the enemy on the right bank of the River Ebro, allowing the Francoist army to reach the sea via Vinaròs on 14 April.

In the evening of 25 July 1938, the Battle of the Ebro began: Republican soldiers crossed the River Ebro with the objective of recovering the initiative and reducing the pressure that Franco’s army was exerting on Valencia. The front stabilised around the gateways of Gandesa and Vilalba dels Arcs, occupying the positions of the line from the River Algars to Vilalba and La Pobla de Massaluca.

The front between Vilalba and La Pobla de Massaluca remained stable throughout the battle until the final Francoist offensive, on 30 October, when the Republican soldiers who were defending it received the order to withdraw to Ascó in order to withdraw to the right bank of the Ebro and bring the battle to an end on 16 November 1938. During the battle, this sector was not an active one, nevertheless there were some exchanges of fire between the Republican and Francoist positions.

Two factors make the area around the Punta del Duc special. First, the fortifications of the Algars Line can be found there. Second, as it was not a very active sector, Republican soldiers spent a significant part of their time, throughout the 115 days of the battle, digging drenches. Furthermore, this site is located in the middle of a Plan for Areas of Natural Interest (PEIN) area, allowing visitors to enjoy nature, wildlife and a spectacular landscape in which they can discover the rivers Ebro and Matarranya and the Riba-roja reservoir at the same time as discovering traces of the Battle of the Ebro.

The routes described below are the recommended itineraries: visitors may follow whichever routes through the sites they consider best without this affecting the quality of the visit or the information provided.