El Ter Industrial Museum – Can Sanglas

El Ter Industrial Museum – Can Sanglas is a museum in Manlleu, a town in the Osona region of Catalonia, dedicated to the industrial and natural heritage of the middle stretch of the Ter river. It occupies Can Sanglas, a former spinning mill built in 1841 and now converted into an exhibition space that ties together technology, society and river ecology.

What can you see inside?

Known by its short name MIT, the museum runs three permanent exhibitions. The first, "La fàbrica de riu" (the river factory), traces how the Ter's water power drove 19th-century textile mills and shaped the industrial landscape of the surrounding valley. The second, "La societat industrial," looks at the daily life of factory workers, the industrial colonies built around the mills, and the social changes that industrialisation brought to this part of Catalonia. The third exhibition, "Els rius mediterranis," shifts the focus to nature, introducing the ecosystems of Mediterranean rivers, their particular hydrology, and the pressures they face today.

The building also houses the Mediterranean Rivers Study Centre (CERM), a research and outreach unit dedicated to the rivers of the Mediterranean basin. Beyond its permanent displays, the museum regularly hosts temporary exhibitions and educational activities that explore both the valley's industrial past and the biodiversity of the Ter and other Mediterranean rivers.

Is there more to see beyond Can Sanglas?

Yes — the museum's reach extends past the main building. As part of the wider MIT network, visitors can also explore the former industrial colony of Borgonyà, which has its own interpretation centre explaining life in a workers' settlement built around a textile factory, and the Rusiñol colony, also located within Manlleu. Both sites offer a closer look at how daily life unfolded in the mill colonies that grew up along the river.

How to get there and when to visit?

Manlleu sits along the middle course of the Ter, in the Osona region, not far from Vic, the area's main town. It makes a good base for exploring inland Catalonia away from the coast. The museum is best visited during the day, with one to two hours enough to take in the permanent exhibitions; it is worth checking ahead whether a temporary exhibition is running, since these add variety to a visit.

A trip to the MIT pairs naturally with a walk along the Ter itself — the river and its old industrial features, such as weirs, channels and mill buildings, are part of the experience and explain why the museum was built here in the first place. Anyone interested in Catalonia's textile industry history, or in river ecology, will find both threads brought together in a single institution.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the El Ter Industrial Museum? It is a museum in Manlleu dedicated to the industrial and natural heritage of the Ter river valley, housed in the historic Can Sanglas spinning mill from 1841.

When did the museum open? It opened on 23 June 2004.

What exhibitions does it have? Three permanent exhibitions cover the river factory, industrial society and Mediterranean rivers, alongside rotating temporary exhibitions.

Does the museum include sites beyond Can Sanglas? Yes, the MIT network also includes the former factory colonies of Borgonyà, which has an interpretation centre, and Rusiñol, both in Manlleu.