Things to do in Banyoles

The forest, or park, as a receptacle for works of art, particularly sculptures, is not something unusual. However, Can Ginebreda Forest is very uncommon due to its vitality, the intensity of the experience and the nature of the visual art found there. This forest, popularly known as “Xicu's Forest”, consists of some 40,000 m2, and contains typically Mediterranean oaks, holm oaks, pine trees, junipers, arbutus berries, holly, blackthorns and sensual sculptures.

Banyoles, capital of the region called “Pla de l’Estany”, is located on a vast plain, and delimited on the west by Rocacorba’s range of mountains and next to an important lake of spurting water 175 m above sea level. The town is situated halfway between the Costa Brava and the Pyrenees, in a region of great historic and scenary importance.

The lake of Banyoles is a natural protected space with a high ecological value. The lake, together with the small nearby lagoons, represent the most important carstic lacustrine system of the country and its scientific significance is recognised throughout the world.
It have a surface of one square km and 8 km perimeter, is unique in the world in that it is fed by the confluence of two subterranean rivers, where 600 liters of water are pumped in per second.

Banyoles grew up around a monastery originally founded by Benedictines in 812. Is still the biggest structure in the old town, with a Gothic retablo of 1437 backing the altar and cloisters containing 12-16C tombs of local Abbots. (Often closed but you can call 57 02 24 to visit.)

The ancient house called Pia Almoina, with a fine 14C cloister is now site of the Museu Arqueològic Comarcal, with its famous jawbone of a pre-Neanderthal man found near the lake, and a good example of 15C industrial architecture, the dye market, la Llotja del Tint, and the 13C church of Santa Maria dels Turers, one of the earliest example of Catalan Gothic with fine stained-glass windows.

contains the collection of renowned taxidermist Francesc Darder, and the rooms dedicated to Man are controversial, to say the least, for their bizarre collection of human remains. All streets lead to the central Plaça Major, a lovely tree-lined, arcaded square with several cafés and a Wednesday market that had been held here since the eleventh century.

The Plaça de la Vila is one of the most interesting places in Banyoles. Sit at a cafe at the main square and relax. The architecture of the buildings is very interesting, in Catalan it is called plaça porticada. The old facades have archs were the merchants had their places.

The Galeria Cort is a local art gallery located in the Plaça de la Vila. Lovely small garden inside.