La Puda de Montserrat Spa

Also known as the Puda de Montserrat, this old spa was built in 1870 after a long process that involved different investors. Flood damage and financial difficulties left the project half-finished for forty years, until it was finally open to the public, expanding in the decades that followed.

Even so, the spa was a complete success and was open until 1958. Its main attraction was the sulfurous waters, which flowed from a crack that emerged in the 18th century after an earthquake. It is currently in a dilapidated state.

Close to Barcelona and at the gates of the Montserrat mountain, the spa of La Puda, in the municipality of Esparreguera (Baix Llobregat), enjoyed considerable popularity decades ago.

"In the 19th century, they discovered that its sulfur water could cure illnesses," recalls Gemma Estrada, author of the book "Un balneari als peus de Montserrat" and possibly the person in life who best knows the ins and outs of the enclave. "Queen Isabel II drank water from La Puda, some writings suggest that she came to visit the spa, but I have not confirmed this point," she says.

The moment of maximum splendor was between the end of the 19th century and the Civil War, he points out. At that time it was common for the Barcelona bourgeoisie and its conurbation to visit Esparreguera to treat their ills at the spa. "The water from La Puda was sold in Barcelona, they even built a railway expressly to be able to access the site", explains the collaborator of the Center d'Estudis del Baix Llobregat.