Olot Spain
Guide to Olot, a town located in the Catalonia region of Spain.
Towns of Catalonia - Olot
Olot Spain - Capital of the Garrotxa district of the Girona province of Catalonia, the historic town of Olot is located in an area of dormant volcanoes, the last eruption being some 11,000 years ago. With a population of 31,271 (2005) and a municipal area of 29.13 square kilometres, Olot is a medium sized town with a rich cultural heritage.
Geologically, Olot is in a somewhat unstable area, and apart from volcanic activity, it has also suffered a number of earthquakes, the last major one being in 1427 when the town was virtually destroyed.
During the 18th century, Olot had a thriving textile industry and this led to the emergence of a school of art known as the Olot School. The Olot School was founded by a group of local artists led by Joachim Vayreda (1843-94). The connection between textiles and art arose as many of the locally produced fabrics were decorated with coloured drawings. Many of the works produced by the Olot School can today be seen displayed in the excellent Museu Comarcal de la Garrotxa, which is houses in and 18th century hospice (Carrer de l’Hospici 8), here visitors can see a diverse range of paintings and sculptures by such local artists as Ramón Amadeu, Miguel Blay, Josep Berga I Boix (1837-1914), and Joachim Vayreda himself.
The old town of Olot is surrounded by the largely industrial new town, so don’t be put off by first impressions when entering the town. The charming narrow streets of the old town are clustered around the Plaça Major and the Sant Esteve church, in this area you will find numerous delightful little shops and art galleries, which are a joy to explore. Nearby is the Rambla (Passeig Miguel Blay), a lovely walkway lined with smart cafés offering tree-shaded tables for dining or just taking a coffee whilst watching the world go by. On the Rambla you can also see the 19th century Teatre-Principal and some fine Modernist architecture.
Other places to visit in Olot include the Casal dels Volcans (House of Volcanoes), which outlines the volcanic history of the town and region, the Jardí Botanic (botanical gardens), and the Museu Interactiu (Carrer Dr Zamenhoff), an interactive museum offering information on the bird and animal life of the area.
Olot Hotels - Olot has a fairly limited choice of hotels and rental accommodation, places to try include the Aparthotel Perla D'Olot (972-262-326), the Pension La Vila (972-269-807), which is near to the Plaça Major, or the El Farolet (972-262-399).
Olot Markets - There is a weekly market held in Olot on Mondays.
Olot Fiestas - Olot of course holds a number of fiestas throughout the year, these include the Festa Major (September), with the traditional dance of the giants, Festes del Tura (September) and the Fira de Sant Lluc (October).
Olot Camping - There are some camping facilities on the eastern edge of Olot in the form of the Camping Les Tries site (972-262-405) the address is: Avinguda de Pere Badosa s/n , 17800 Olot (Girona).
Olot is located on the N-260 between Berga and Figueres about 60 kilometres from the provincial capital Girona.
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Costa Brava Hotels: Casamar Llafranc - Eloy Tossa de Mar - Golden Bahia Tossa de Mar - Lloret de Mar Oasis
Costa Brava Golf: Club de Golf Costa Brava - Spain Golf Courses
Costa Brava Places: Begur - Besalu - Blanes - Cadaques - Calella - Canet de Mar - Empuriabrava - Estartit - Figueres - L'Escala - Llafranc - Lloret de Mar - Malgrat de Mar - Palafrugell - Palamos - Pineda de Mar - Playa de Aro - Roses - Sant Antoni de Calonge - Santa Cristina D'Aro - Sant Feliu de Guixols - Tossa de Mar
Costa Brava Cities: Barcelona - Girona
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