Museu Hidroelèctric de Capdella

About the museum

The Museu Hidroelèctric de Capdella is housed in the former office and medical surgery building that formed part of the Capdella hydroelectric power station complex, at the northern end of the Vall Fosca. The town council of La Torre de Cabdella promoted the preservation of the valley's hydroelectric heritage at the end of the nineties; the museum project was launched in 2001, in 2005 the first room, the Sala Emili Riu, was opened to the public, and in 2012 the second, the Sala EEC, was added.

The rooms explain how electricity reached Catalonia and what social, economic and infrastructural consequences the construction of the power station had for a remote valley; the works began in 1911 and it came into operation in 1914. The exhibition also invites reflection on the energy future and sustainability.

The visit is completed with a route around the external grounds and, only with a guided tour, with entry to the hydroelectric power station, the first major power station to be put into operation in Catalonia. There are five power stations in the valley, the oldest from 1914 and the most recent from 1985. The collection brings together almost six hundred pieces of electrical equipment, forge and workshop items, machinery, spare parts and household objects, as well as more than four thousand photographs and documentation of projects, plans and books.

The museum is part of the thematic network of the Museu Nacional de la Ciència i de la Tècnica de Catalunya (mNACTEC) and of the territorial network of the museums of the Alt Pirineu i Aran. It also manages other sites in the valley from here, such as the Castell mine routes, the church of Sant Vicenç de Capdella, the Vall Fosca cable car, the democratic memory sites and the Hospital de Cartón.

Highlights

• Guided visit inside the working hydroelectric power station
• Sala Emili Riu and Sala EEC on the electrification of Catalonia
• Route around the external grounds of the power station
• Collection of around 600 pieces and more than 4,000 photographs
• Office and medical surgery building from the time of construction

Permanent exhibitions

• Sala Emili Riu – First room of the museum, on the ground floor, opened in 2005; it explains the process of electrification in Catalonia and the social and economic impact of building the power station in the Vall Fosca.
• Sala EEC – Second room, on the first floor, opened in 2012; it expands on the story of the power station and of life in the valley with pieces, photographs and documents from the collection.

Founded

2005

Operated by

Ayuntamiento de La Torre de Cabdella

Admission & discounts

Self-guided visit €3.50; guided tour €5. Free admission for children under 10, residents registered in the municipality, accredited members of ICOM and of the Associació de Museòlegs de Catalunya, professional tourist guides in practice and active teachers with the Carnet Docent of the Generalitat. Combined tickets exist with the Vall Fosca cable car. Tickets are valid for the day indicated, are non-transferable and cannot be refunded.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials
• Audio description: no information

The museum has two floors (ground floor and first floor) connected by a lift, whose buttons are not accessible and have no audio, and by a staircase of 23 steps with a handrail. At the far end of the ground floor there is an accessible toilet, and a wheelchair is available at reception on request. Access from the car park is via an uneven ramp, and to the external grounds via a ramp with a 12% gradient; the external circuit ends with six steps and part of the route is uneven or grassy. The emergency exit on the first floor is not usable. Inside the power station, entry is only with a guided tour, and the guide indicates the accessible route; the noise level is very high (95 dBA). Easy-read texts are available for all spaces, there are seats in the rooms, and staff wear uniforms and identification.

Kids & families

• Baby changing facilities: not available

There are no baby-changing facilities. The workshops are designed for school groups, from pre-school to upper secondary (bachillerato).

Getting there & parking

By car from Barcelona: motorway towards Lleida, exit at Agramunt towards Tremp, and from there to La Pobla de Segur (C-13), Senterada (N-260) and the Vall Fosca (L-503) to Capdella; alternative route via Balaguer and the Doll road.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

Shop at reception with the museum's own publications (Publicacions Vall Fosca), books about the municipality and warm clothing. Dogs are admitted in the museum rooms but not in the hydroelectric power station; there are water bowls and rest areas for animals.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit