A Hidden Industrial Heritage Site Reopens
The Sequer de Pinyes, an old pine drying kiln in Bellver de Cerdanya, is opening its doors to the public this summer. Located near the N-260 road on the Serrat de Cardils hillside, the facility operated for around 50 years from 1953, processing pine cones to extract seeds for reforestation. Built by the state’s Forest Heritage body, predecessor of today’s ICONA, the site was chosen for its access to forest resources and transport links. It is one of the few artificial-heat drying installations of its kind ever built in Spain.
A Museum Preserving Mountain Industry
In 2016, the Bellver de Cerdanya town council restored the building and launched the Museu del Bosc (Forest Museum) to preserve its industrial and forestry legacy. Though no longer active, the original machinery was briefly reactivated in 2012 for a public demonstration. The museum showcases the equipment used to dry pine cones, alongside interpretive panels and an audiovisual on the region’s forest economy. It also features an exhibition on Pyrenean woodland ecosystems.
Summer Visits Offer Direct Access
This summer, from June to 9 September, the museum offers guided visits every Wednesday afternoon. Visitors can see the interior machinery and learn about a once-vital mountain industry that has now largely disappeared.
The site is not just a museum about the forest, but a physical remnant of how mountain communities used natural resources for decades.
The initiative aims to attract more visitors beyond school groups and local seniors. The Generalitat and municipal authorities have supported the project since its launch.
Xavier Porta, then mayor of Bellver, described the museum’s 2016 opening as a tribute to the workers who operated the kiln in the late 20th century. The facility stands as a rare example of industrial forestry infrastructure preserved in situ.
Reported by regio7.cat, Regió 7.
