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Transport Museum of Catalonia 
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The Transport Museum of Catalonia is the only one of its kind in
the whole of Spain. The museum is housed in the old Asland Cement
Factory known as 'Clot del Moro', down in Castellar de n'Hug. The
former factory itself is an impressive modernist building designed
by renown architect Rafael de Guastavino, which was at the time
complemented by the also modernist construction of 'Xalet de l'Asland'
by Antoni Gaudí
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The museum houses one of the best collections of antique vehicles in
Europe, with over 170 of them, some of them fully restored and made available
to the public to view.
Paratge Clot del Moro, 1
08696 - Castellar de nHug
Tel.: 93 825 71 13
Fax: 93 825 71 21
museutra@minorisa.es
The Asland Factory Museum 
Count Güell, known as Antoni Gaudí's main benefactor, commissioned
the architect with the design and construction of the first Portland cement
factory in Catalonia. The factory was built at the end of the 19th century
in 'Clot del Moro', in Castellar de n'Hug, conveniently close to a chalk
and limestone quarry.
| The museum tells us the story behind the discovery and
production of a new revolutionary building material of its time known
as Portland cement. Other interesting facts covered in the various
museum exhibitions are the use of this new kind of cement in the design
of the so-called Catalan Vault or 'Volta Catalana', Eusebi Güell's
efforts establishing the Asland Factory, the architect Rafael Guastavino
and his new design concept known as 'Guastavino System', very popular
in the States in years to come, the everyday life of the cement factory
workers and, finally, the detailed story of the building and designing
of the factory itself. |
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Paratge del Clot del Moro, s/n
08696 - Castellar de n'Hug
Tel. 93 825 70 77
The Teixidor-Bassacs Manor House 
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The founders of the Bassacs industrial estate used to live in this
manor house that currently hosts a permanent exhibition on the industrial
history of the Berguedà county in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Some aspects covered are the textile and mining industry, the local
railway known as 'carrilet' as well as the farming activities in
the area. Objects in the exhibition include an interesting hand-driven
loom from the 19th century.
Plaça de la Vila, 1
08680 - Gironella
Tel.: 93 825 09 31
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The Homs Chemist 
The original business was founded by Miquel Homs i Quer in 1877, and
has been carefully restored in a way that allows the visitor to experience
again what a late 19th century chemist's shop might have looked like.
The area where the preparation and dispensing of prescriptions took place
has been beautifully preserved, as well as the original wall paintings,
furniture, and a whole collection of white china jars used to store drugs,
with the ancient symbols of the trade: the bowl of Hygeia and the serpent
reaching up to it.
Av. Catalunya, 30
08680 - Gironella
Tel.: 938 250 082
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The Colònia Vidal Museum 
The Colònia Vidal Museum shows its visitors everyday life
in an early 20th century textile industrial estate. The Catalan
word 'colònia' designates that industrial estate -usually
weaving mills- where the workers used to live in a close community
with housing and social amenities being provided by the factory
owners, in a rather paternalistic attitude. The name of the 'colònia'-
Vidal in this case- is that of the family owning the industrial
estate.
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Main attractions include the original barrage and associated canal and
turbine used to drive the looms in the factory. Additionally, there was
an old steam engine that can still be visited. In the main weaving mill
there is a display of machinery and tools once used in the manufacturing
process of early cotton cloths, such as cards, roving frames, and Edmund
Cartwright's first power looms ever to be used in Catalonia, etc.
Guided Group Tours can be arranged by appointment on weekends and Bank
Holidays throughout the year starting at 11:00h.
Carretera C-1411 Km. 56
08692 - Puig-Reig
Tel.: 93 829 04 58
mcolvidal@caixamanresa.com
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