Getaway to Anoia: Frontier land and natural resources

Anoia was once frontier land, and therefore a place where castles acquired strategic significance. Of all the ones still preserved today, we suggest you visit the castle in Claramunt, which is perhaps the most emblematic of the area. There are references to it that date back to the 10th century, and a thousand years later it was refurbished entirely, making this fortress the perfect place to discover what these magnificent constructions were like. Explore its defence towers, medieval walls, and the romanesque Santa Maria church. The castle dominates the point where the Anoia river gorge leads into the Òdena basin, a beautiful panoramic view that will make the walk up the peak – half an hour from the centre of the village La Pobla de Claramunt – totally worthwhile.

Spend the entire second day discovering Capellades, a town that offers so many interesting things, among which are the Museu Molí Paperer (Paper Museum) and the Prehistoric Park.

In the morning go and visit the 17th-century paper mill, which today holds one of the most extensive paper museums in Europe. The reason the museum exists is because between the 17th and 19th centuries Capellades and the surrounding area were an important centre of paper production, particularly foolscap and cigarette paper. The Capellades Paper Mill Museum houses tools, traditional paper-making machinery, book covers and sleeves, ink pads, paper and documents from the 12th century up to today. Added to the elegance of the building – all white, spread across four floors with plenty of windows, some of which were opened to help dry the paper – is the lake, a natural water source from which 12 million litres of water emerge every day, and which was once used to power 16 paper mills in the area.

If you eat in one of the local restaurants you should order a dish called 'arròs paperer' (paper rice), a recipe brought back a few years ago, which is closely associated with this paper-making land.

In the afternoon you'll go much farther back in time. Around 20 archaeological sites from different eras, from the Middle Palaeolithic Period up to the Middle Ages, have been discovered in the Capellades Prehistoric Park. Experts say that the most important one, scientifically speaking, and which you can visit today, is the Abric Romaní, which corresponds to the Palaeolithic Neanderthal. It was discovered in 1983, and the area is still being excavated today under the direction of the archaeologist Eudald Carbonell. The site is also surrounded by natural beauty, particularly the Cinglera del Capelló canyon. Guided tours are carried out all year; however, if you're a group of more than 15, you can book in advance. These last approximately 20 minutes and even include an archery workshop.

'Igualada' and 'leather' are two words that fit together perfectly in the same sentence. The capital of the Anoia region produces 70 percent of leather tanning in Spain. The industry dates back to the 14th century, so it was probably the best place to open a Leather Museum, which we recommend you visit in the morning. The Igualada and Anoia Leather Museum houses the old tannery Cal Granotes from the 18th century, a place where you can learn how the people of Igualada transformed hide into leather, a process that took a year. The central building is the old 19th-century cotton textile factory Cal Boyer, where you can follow four different tours on leather and water use.

To wrap up your trip, let's move onto a completely different subject. Wine production in Anoia is perhaps not as well known as in neighbouring regions, but the truth is that wine making is the third most important type of agriculture in Anoia, after wheat and barley. Today, there are some 20 wineries that you can visit in Vall d'Anoia, Piera, Masquefa, Hostalets de Pierola, La Llacuna, Òdena and El Bruc. If you enjoy the world of wine, make a reservation in advance at one of the wineries and truly savour the end of your trip to Anoia.