When any person spies the village, he can really felt impressed. The red colour in its ashlars that construct the wall, the church and some of the houses is typical from Prades. Not only this, but this characteristic of the stone is unique in the whole Catalunya, and it is fairly common in the village and near it. Due to this fact, Prades is known as the "vila vermella" (the "red village").

Prades is a tourist village that belongs to the Baix Camp county. It is 59 Km. far from Tarragona and 136 Km. from Barcelona. It is at a height of 950 metres, and it has an area of 33,1 Km². Prades is in the middle of a high plateau that is on the top of the Mountains of Prades. Three quarters of the ancient nucleus is walled, and it belongs to the Patrimoni Artístic of Catalunya. Due to its medium height, the weather in Prades is neither hot nor cold, like a mixture of the mediterranean and atlantic weather characteristics. Only in Winter, between December and February the weather is as cold as it is in the high mountain regions, and it uses to snow.

The high plateau remains protected by the hill of La Baltasana (1201 metres high) in the north. Other geographic elements are the Plains of Pagès with La Moleta (1203m) in the north-east; the Mola d'Estat (1126m) to the east; La Gritella (1093m) and the Plains of La Guàrdia (1114m) in the south; and the Cucurulla with the Coll de Cabrers (1032) in the north west. The division of waters separates the village into two parts. The eastern waters flow into the Francolí River coming from different gullies (Abellera, Rangs, Marfanyes and Fontetes), while the western waters belong to the Ebro basin, and form a tributary of the Montsant River. The river of Prades receives the water from some gullies, as are the ones of Les Comes or Les Hortes, Els Bassots or the Grau's Fountain, Els Tillans, Els Rossinyols and La Cucurulla.

The whole geographic elements constitute a peculiar set of autochthonous elements, which make Prades an attractive place for those who like the nature. It is an excellent offering for lovers of the excursions, mushroom pickers and hunters or simply for those who look for peace and quiet holidays.

The waters come mostly from the granite. They arrive at the fountains very clear and clean, and are well-known for being tonic and diuretic. That is why there are many visitors who come with their carafes to pick some water from then. The most appreciated are the Fountains Blanca and D'en Grau.

The most important sector is the tourism, before the construction, the agriculture, the beekeeping and the poultry farming. The importance of last one is decreasing very fast.

TOURISM

Nowadays the village is the capital of the "Muntanyes de Prades" region. It is one of the privileged areas of the South of Catalunya in the mountain tourism, and it has been doing big efforts to improve its equipments in this area. The Town Council has imposed some rules in order to keep the urban expansion moderated. This urban plan, although can be modified when necessary, offers a wide sort of ideas to increase the presence of the tourist industry, the non polluting, industry, and the building ground.

AGRICULTURE, HUNTING AND NATURAL PRODUCTSs

The products of Prades are of high quality. We have to point out the potatoes, the hazelnut, the vegetables and the chestnuts. However, the forest, grazing fields, pines, holm oaks and oaks, occupy almost 75% of the township's surface. The "Roure-reboll" is unique in Catalunya, and autochthonous of Prades.

Between the hunting species, we can point out the wild boar, the rabbit, the partridge and , the roebuck since a few years ago.

Some other natural products are the truffle and the excellent mushrooms ("Rovelló"). There are many small plants and classified shrubs within the township.