Artigas Gardens, Gaudí hidden legacy

When Gaudí was visiting the location of the coal mine engineer's house he was commissioned to design for Eusebi Güell in Catllaràs (Lillet Valley), he stayed in the house of Artigas family, friends of Güell family in the textile business. 

As a gratitude to his lodging, Gaudí designed Artigas Gardens, in a wild environment around the river and the factory, which became the only humid gardens he projected.

The aim of the architect was to integrate the gardens in the environment, in absolute respect for nature, so stone is the most used material and the gardens are full of stairs to follow the natural shape of the valley.

A wide explanation about Modernism and Artigas Gardens is available here. It is possible to book a guided tour at the Tourist Office (938 236 146).

Taking again The Ciment Train, in the next (and last) stop, you can visit Asland Cement Museum. 

How to get there

A nice way to reach Artigas Gardens, specially travelling with kids, is taking The Cement Train, the line to the cement factory owned by Eusebi Güell, which was supplied with the extracted coal of Catllaras mines mentioned above.

This is now a touristic train, working from April to October, in a 3,5 km route with four station: La Pobla de Lillet (parking) - La Pobla (center village) - Artigas Gardens - Cement Museum in Castellar de n'Hug (and parking).

It is also possible to reach the gardens by car or walking, following the railway from La Pobla de Lillet.
Information about travelling from Barcelona by public transport is available in this site.

It is not advisable to bring baby carriages because there are many stairs in the tour.

View FGC Tren del Ciment in a larger map

The surroundings

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In Castellar de n'Hug is worth a visit the source of Llobregat river, which flows to Barcelona, and all the long of its course is it possible to visit the textile past heritage of Llobregat valley.    

Pedraforca mountain will offer you a spectacular landscape if you drive to Gosol and Saldes.

Olot, learning about volcanoes

The capital of the region named La Garrotxa is Olot, a city with almost 35.000 inhabitants located at 50km from Girona.

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It is recommended to visit first the Museum of Volcanoes, in the middle of Parc Nou, where you can spend a good time in the botanical gardens.

The tour takes less than two hours and it allows visitors to locate every point of interest in the surroundings, besides remembering or deepen in the geological concepts involved in the formation of volcanoes.

The volcanic region of La Garrotxa was declared Natural Park in 1982, as a political response to public and scientific demands to safeguard the quarantine of volcanic cones and more than twenty basaltic lava flows. 

In the surroundings there are many paths, cycling and walking trails, for example the volcanoes' circuit, a round trip walk that takes 3 hours and begins just on the Museum location or La Ruta del Carrilet, a cyclist path on an old railway.

For more info, volcanoes have their own facebook page (in catalan), or contact us.

Another unforgettable visit in the area is La Fageda d'en Jordà, a beech forest born above a lava flow of Croscat Volcano, always spectacular, especially in autumn,where you can have a fun time walking through the cracks opened on the floor.