River Park Colonies of the Llobregat River Park |
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| The Llobregat, the driving force of industry in El Berguedà, is the nexus between the different heritage on offer in the River Park. | |
The villa of the master of the Viladomiu Nou colony has been revamped as the tourist office for the Llobregat River Park. This building, opened in 1902, was the private residence of the colony owners while the factory of Viladomiu Nou was operational (until 1982). Over these years, the family that owned it did not use it as a fixed residence. They only went there sporadically to check that the factory was operating well. |
A 25-kilometer stretch of the river Llobregat boasts, on both sides, a series of 18 industrial textile colonies that brought great productivity to the Berguedà region when they were built in the 19th Century. This heritage allows us to understand what life was like in the area in the throes of industrialisation. In fact, it is the stretch of river with the greatest number of textile colonies and the greatest urban development, architectural and historic value in Catalonia. Industrial colonies are characterised by having two clearly different areas: the production spaces and the social spaces, where the employees had limited leisure time to enjoy themselves and interact. These spaces can be recovered as heritage areas to convey the image of how textile colony workers lived. In the Llobregat River Park, heritage is seen from an all-round, all-embracing perspective; where everything we may think of as heritage is depicted as such. And nothing is excluded: real and movable heritage, documentary and intangible heritage. All these types of heritage are considered, and are studied and catalogued according to usual museum processes. We can visit the area's Romanesque and Gothic sites, the ancestral homes, the places that allow us to see how the workers of the era lived, etc. The Llobregat River Park seeks to consider both the industrial and natural heritage: the river Llobregat, driving force of the textile industry of the epoch, rivers, streams and gullies are included in the story of the area. One element that illustrates this synergy is the mini hydroelectric stations that make use of the force of the water to supply energy to the looms of the area's textile industries. The tourist options in the park give the chance to explore places such as the villa of the master of Viladomiu Nou, the interpretation centre of the church of Cal Ponts, the Teixidor-Bassacs ancestral home, the Museum of the Vidal Colony, or follow the cultural route of l’Ametlla de Merola or Ariège-Berguedà. In parallel, there are recreational options, active tourism (mountain biking or walking routes) and a broad range of educational activities and gourmet options. And finally, using an on-line form the visitor can ask to have personalised activities arranged. The website interface also has an activity calendar. All these proposals, as well as further information, may be found at: www.parcfluvial.cat The Llobregat River Park is supported by Barcelona County Council Tourist Board. |
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