Banyoles () is a city of 20,168 inhabitants (2021) located in the

province of Girona The Province of Girona ( ; ) is a Provinces of Spain, province in the northeastern part of the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Catalonia, Spain. It is bordered on the northwest by the province of Lleida, on the southwest ...

in northeastern

Catalonia Catalonia is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a ''nationalities and regions of Spain, nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia of 2006, Statute of Autonomy. Most of its territory (except the Val d'Aran) is situate ...

, Spain. The town is the capital of the Catalan ''comarca'' " Pla de l'Estany". Although an established industrial centre many of the inhabitants commute to the nearby city of Girona (12 km to the south). Banyoles was connected to Girona by the gauge Palamós–Girona–Banyoles railway, which reached it by 1928. Service on the line continued until 1956.

Lake

Banyoles is most famous for the

Lake of Banyoles Lake of Banyoles (or Estany de Banyoles) is a natural lake located in the Comarques of Catalonia, ''comarca'' "Pla de l'Estany", Province of Girona, in northeastern Catalonia, Spain. It is named after the nearby town of Banyoles, to which it belo ...

, a natural lake located in a tectonic depression.

Venues

It was the venue for the rowing events in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. The " negro of Banyoles", a controversial piece of

taxidermy Taxidermy is the art of preserving an animal's body by mounting (over an armature) or stuffing, for the purpose of display or study. Animals are often, but not always, portrayed in a lifelike state. The word ''taxidermy'' describes the proces ...

, was at Darder Museum ( ca)( fr).

Events

Each year a triathlon Premium European Cup (or even an IFC Canoe Marathon World Championship in 2010) is held in Banyoles, the hometown of the Spanish 2011 Champion Carolina Routier. National and regional events take place as well throughout the year, such as the Spanish triathlon championship and the Championship of Catalonia.

Notable people

* Coro football player - grew up in Banyoles * Andreu Fontàs football player * Salvador Oliva i Llinàs poet and translator * Irene Rigau politician * Albert Serra filmmaker

References

External links

Official Website of Banyoles

Banyoles, information and culture

Government data pages
Municipalities in Pla de l'Estany Populated places in Pla de l'Estany {{Girona-geo-stub