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Banyoles is in Girona (province) is the capital of watersports thanks to its stunning natural lake, the largest in Catalonia, and its rich historical heritage. The town boasts medieval charm with landmarks such as the Gothic-style Church of Santa Maria dels Turers and the Monastery of Sant Esteve.
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Estany de Banyoles
Very pleasant walking trails stretch around the edge of the lake, and make a remarkably pleasant walk at any time of year.
It incorporates the Draga Neolithic Park and the Darder Museum, with the Lake Interpretation Space.
The Museu Darder is a sizable natural history collection from the golden age of the wunderkammer. Francesc Darder was a veterinarian and taxidermist in the 19th and early 20th century who amassed a sizable natural history collection. It is this collection that forms the backbone of the museum, with further subjects incorporated over the years, including a sizable gallery dedicated to explaining various aspects of Banyoles Lake. The Darder Museum used to be well known for the Negro de Banyoles, the stolen corpse of a San man that was taken from what is now Botswana. The man's body was only returned to Botswana after a significant international outcry. As of 2021, the museum makes no mention of the body or the controversy.
The archaeological site dates back to the early Neolithic period and is one of the oldest settlements of farmers and livestock breeders in the northeast of the Iberian Peninsula. The location in an area with permanent humidity, partially covered by the waters of the lake, has led to an extraordinary conservation. This fact makes La Draga a unique site.
The Villa was a centre of exploitation of the territory, which functioned throughout the Roman period. Its evolution has allowed us to know the residential, the rustic and the exploitation area.
Nice sunsets over the lake
Traditional Catalan food.
Traditional Catalan food. They have a terrace open in summer.
A decent, if hardly authentic, Chinese restaurant, translated to Catalan Boomer tastes. Good, just not exactly Chinese food.
By bus
By car
Banyoles is 20 km from Girona by , 50 km from the French border, 120 km from Barcelona, and less than 1 hour from the mountains of the Pyrenees and the beaches of the Costa Brava.
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Girona · International · GRO
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