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Girona also has an interesting industrial past, as witnessed by the Modernist-style Farinera Teixidor, a former flourmill that today houses the offices of El Punt newspaper, carrer de la Sèquia and the Cinema Museum.
In the centre of the town of Salt, we visit the Water Museum. From Salt, we can take the Architecture of Water hiking trail to Bescanó, taking in a former public washhouse at Salt, Monar canal, Pilastra dam, the Bescanó barge, two power plants, and an ice well at Vilanna.
Follow the N-141 to Anglès, then go up the C-63 towards Olot. At Les Preses, just before Olot, stop off to visit Pedra Tosca Park situated in a landscape formed by volcanic eruptions 11,000 years ago and see the old crop fields, tracks and dry stone huts constructed for survival in the harsh volcanic territory. After that, continue on to Olot.
Olot is the capital of the Garrotxa volcanic zone. The city has a long artistic tradition, as witnessed by the 19thcentury Olot School of Landscape Painting, and specialises in artisan production of Nativity crib figures and religious images. The Museum of Saints, displaying original works by well-known sculptors, is located in one of these workshops. Recommended places to visit include the County Museum, the Volcano Museum and the Can Trincheria Manor House Museum.
Take the N-260 to Castellfollit de la Roca with its impressive basalt cliff and small Sausage Museum, passing Besal and Figueres, where we can visit the Empord Technical Museum and the Toy Museum of Catalonia. Follow the N-260 until the turnoff to Peralada.
Peralada has an important Wine Museum, located inside the museum at Peralada Castle, displaying 14th-century objects related to viticulture. The town also boasts the only wine-spa in Spain. From here we can tour around the D.O. Empordà-Costa Brava wine-producing areas.
From the C-260 we reach Castelló d'Empúries, with Farinera Eco-museum and The Curia-Prison.
We reach Torroella de Fluvià on the GIV-6216 and from there the C-31 brings us to Torroella de Montgrí and Pals. A short detour along the GI-651 will take us to Palau-sator, where there is a small Rural Museum displaying farm tools and machinery. At Pals, rice is still cultivated on reclaimed wetlands and a rice mill and shop are open to the public. The route continues on to Palafrugell.
At Palafrugell we find the Cork Museum with displays showing objects related to cork manufacture, descriptions of the life of the cork workers and the scale of the industry in this area. While in Palafrugell, visit the Josep Pla Foundation in the house where the writer was born. We then take the C-66 to Palamós, one of
the main Catalan fishing ports, preferably in the late afternoon to coincide with the arrival of the fishing boats and the daily fish auction in the harbour. There is also a Fishing Museum.
Ceramist.
We leave Palamós and take the C-256 to Calonge and then the GI-660 to La Bisbal. La
Bisbal is one of the main pottery centres in the whole of Spain, with many workshops and retail shops to be explored at leisure.
Terracotta Museu is located in an old ceramic factory, where we can follow the entire pottery production process as well as admire the architecture of the building itself.
Going back across the Gavarres, take the GI-664 to Cassà de la Selva, a town with many cork factories. Visit Parc Art, with over 100 contemporary sculptures pleasantly displayed in a large park. Take the C-65 to Quart, another long-standing pottery town, with many shops selling artisan and industrial ceramics. Skirting Girona city, take the N-II to Sant Juli de Ramis and then to Celrà on the right, where the Town Hall and cultural centre are located in the former Pagans factory, open to the public. Going back towards Girona, on the right hand side of the main road is Sarrià de Ter, a town closely linked to the paper industry.