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2 January 2022 2.00 h

Water leads the way through Banyoles

The Girona city is well known for its huge lake but it also boasts 33 kilometres of irrigation canals that guide the visitor through hundreds of years of local history

ex­pe­ri­ences

The town of Bany­oles and its lake are in­sep­a­ra­ble. Yet Bany­oles lake has over­shad­owed an­other of the town’s iconic fea­tures: its 33-kilo­me­tre net­work of ir­ri­ga­tion canals built by Bene­dic­tine monks from the Sant Es­teve monastery. Using the eight-metre dif­fer­ence in el­e­va­tion be­tween the lake and the town, and after build­ing a dike near the lake to dam the water, the process of con­struct­ing the canals began. First the monks drained an area of wet­land and then added more canals to ir­ri­gate crops. The re­sult is today’s net­work, made up of six canals: Ca n’Hort, Teix­i­dor, Figuera d’en Xo, Major, Xu­cladors and Guèmol.

Apart from bring­ing water closer to the pop­u­la­tion for do­mes­tic use and to water or­chards and crops, over the cen­turies these wa­ter­ways have left their mark on the ar­chi­tec­ture, trades and in­dus­try of the town. It is this legacy vis­i­tors can ex­plore on the Ruta dels Recs, an itin­er­ary trac­ing the net­work, which now has a new ad­di­tion, the Ruta del Rec Major.

Of all the canals, the Major, doc­u­mented as early as 1263, best ex­em­pli­fies the value of the canals as an eco­nomic en­gine. The 2.2 km walk starts next to Banys Vells at the lake and fol­lows the Rec Major canal, pass­ing through the town cen­tre as far as the cop­per forge. There are 11 stops along the way (see inset), with in­for­ma­tion pan­els to ex­plain the evo­lu­tion of the town through its ir­ri­ga­tion sys­tem and water-re­lated build­ings. From the 13th cen­tury, the Rec Major canal was as­so­ci­ated with in­dus­try, play­ing its part in the pro­duc­tion of dyed fab­rics, paper man­u­fac­ture and milling flour. New pro­fes­sions were also born, in­clud­ing millers, black­smiths, bak­ers and dyers.

Cal Nocaire
Here there used to be a draper’s mill - a wooden smock mill built on a single-storey brick base - but only the mill stone and the waterfall remain. It is now part of the route as an area for walking, with a water park and educational activities.
Can Quim del Rec
During the Middle Ages, eels were fished in this section using a funnel system. Later, between the 17th and 18th centuries, the area, which had only been used for orchards and crops, was chosen to build Can Quim del Rec. The three-story watermill was built over the Rec Major canal, which was covered by stone. However, the blades of the mill have not survived.
The Molí dels paraires
Behind the bars of the front door, the mill that was once worked here has since been restored and named after the guild dedicated to the wool trade. Its four-metre waterfall was first documented in the 14th century.
The Molí de la plaça
The main square of Banyoles is of medieval origin and stands out for its porches and vaults, which were built in the 14th century. The Rec Major canal is not visible because it is covered, but visitors do have access to Cal Moliner, the former flour mill still has its waterwheel inside.
The farga d’aram and the molí paperer
The route ends in what is now the only paper mill in the Girona region where craft paper is still made. It was originally a public copper forge, built in 1685. In the 18th century, the metal business was privatised and expanded with a large outdoor pond that still exists. As the economy changed, the forge was later converted into a paper mill.
El Límit
At the start of the route is the curious triangular structure known as El Límit. The exact date of its construction is unknown but textual references from 1832 have been found. Its purpose is to prevent flooding and regulate the flow of water in the channels.

A route with 11 points of interest

Meeting point: 42°07’15.3”N, 2°45’30.2”E

Distance: short route, 1.5 km; long route, 2.2 km

Time: 3 h (short route, 1 h)

Information: see website turisme.banyol1es.cat.

Points of interest

1 - 00h01

Starting point, Rec Major

2 - 00h07

El Límit

3 - 00h16

Can Quim del Rec

4 - 00h27

Molí de la plaça. Cal Moliner

5 - 00h39

El molí dels Paraires

6 - 00h44

El Tint

7 - 0h58

Salt de can Pujol

8 - 01h16

Cal Nocaire

9 - 01h31

Molí d’en Baqué

10 - 02h09

Molí d’en Forgas

11 - 02h36

Farga d’aram & molí paperer

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