Carrilet Station – El Pasteral

This was the old El Pasteral railway station, on the line that linked Olot to Sant Feliu de Guíxols. After the arrival of electricity, the Olot train was the most important technological innovation seen in the Gironès, La Selva and La Garrotxa regions at the start of the 20th century. The launch of that railway business meant the modernisation of transport, which offered much greater speed and load capacity than the traditional system of sprung carts and wagons. The opening of the entire route covered by the new railway link between Girona and Olot took place on 14 December 1911, although the section of the line from Amer to Salt had already been operational since 1895.

Although it may seem like a rather strange location with a sparse population, it should be remembered that the El Pasteral Carrilet station used to be the natural departure point for the inhabitants of the Susqueda valley, currently covered by the waters of the Susqueda reservoir.

When the railway line stopped operating, the building was used to house the art school, which is still there today and has contributed to its conservation. This school has been very successful and played an educational role in the region with important professionals and artists having studied there. It currently offers art workshops and the building is also used for exhibitions by municipal artists.