Getaway to Anoia: Museums in Igualada, castles and cavas

Your journey begins in Sant Martí de Tous on the border of Anoia county and the region of Conca de Barberà. In bygone days these lands were frontiers in which fortresses had strategic importance. Tous Castle has been partially restored, and the whole site is worth a visit. On the first weekend in July the Festival of Catalan Legends (FESLLECAT) is held here, with local folklore and tales from around the Catalan territories. It seems the castle was built between the ninth and tenth centuries by Wilfred the Hairy and Abbot Oliba. Although it still houses residents, the castle opens its doors to visitors on certain days or with prior booking.

This break is ideal for the spring or summer, so we thought it would be a good idea to do a morning activity that takes you somewhere with cooler climes. After looking at various options, we found the Finca Mas Macià in Òdena, a winery belonging to the Bohigas family, with subterranean cava cellars dating back as far as 1542.

The winery produces both wines and cavas as well as offering guided tours, where they explain, for example, that they started to produce cava in the mid-20th century and that the winery was renovated to improve productivity and the quality of the products. They currently produce around 560,000 bottles of cava and 90,000 bottles of wine each year, practically all of which are destined for foreign markets. There is a pretty manor house, a typical Catalan 'masia', classified as being of historical and artistic interest. And, of course, the visit ends with a tasting of their wines or cavas.

You'll head to Igualada, the capital of Anoia, for the last day and a half of the break. This afternoon you can visit the Museu del Traginer (Muleteer’s Museum). In the not-so-distant past, transporting goods from one place to another was a much slower and more laborious process than it is today. The muleteers made it possible to exchange not only goods but also information between villages, towns and cities, and in Igualada this museum is dedicated to demonstrating the important role the muleteers played in the region’s commercial development. An explanation of the trade, everything surrounding it and its evolution is based on the impressive collection belonging to Antoni Ros, with more than 2,000 exhibits including around 40 carts and carriages. It's a grand tribute to the world of transport and to the artisanship and professions of Catalonia.

One of the things you'll notice on this getaway is that Igualada is a city with a wide variety of museums. This morning, we suggest a visit to the Railhome BCN, Igualada’s museum dedicated to trains. There you'll find one of the largest and most detailed railway models in Europe, reproductions of hundreds of locomotives from each period, and original materials from railway companies around the world. For anybody, young or old, who delights in playing with tracks and trains, this is a 500-square-metre treasure trove.

The words 'Igualada' and 'leather' are often found in the same sentence because the capital of Anoia produces 70 percent of the tanned hides in all of Spain. The local industry dates back to at least the 14th century, and there's probably no better place to open a leather museum, which is your final suggested visit for this trip.

The Igualada and Anoia Museu de la Pell (Leather Museum) includes the 18th-century Cal Granotes tannery, where you can learn about the tanning process, which used to take a year. The main part of the museum is based in the former cotton factory, Cal Boyer, built in the 19th century. This houses four circuits showing the leather-making process and how water was used.

Both the content and the buildings are of great interest: two sites which are emblematic of Igualada’s industrial vocation and which bring upi to the end of your weekend in Anoia.