Valls D’Aneu Ecomuseum

Valls D’Aneu Ecomuseum

Valls D’Aneu Ecomuseum

The Ecomuseu de les Valls d’Àneu (Ecomuseum of the Valleys of Àneu) opened its doors to the public in June 1994. Since then it has striven to be a lively, open-minded and enterprising institution devoted to the research, conservation, restoration and understanding of the natural and cultural heritage of the town of Esterri and the valleys of Àneu. Through this work, it seeks to promote the economic and social development of its immediate locality, and of its wider region, the comarca, or county, of El Pallars Sobirà. It offers a variety of ways to better understand the natural and cultural life of the Àneu valleys in the past, and the changes that have taken place over the last century or so. Unlike many traditional museums, the Ecomuseu is not confined to just one building in one place, but is spread over a network of heritage buildings and interpretative centres in different towns and villages of the Àneu valleys. The Eco-Museum of Valls D'Aneu is a local project on the development of cultural heritage. In 1980, socio-economic changes caused local communities and organisations to become aware of the preservation of cultural and natural heritage. The Eco-Museum projects its social utility through the formation, dissemination and recovery of handicrafts, the commercialisation of its local products and the cultural activities in which local communities participate actively.