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Beneath the castle of Balsareny, near the Llobregat river, rise some small and curious columns crowned by a block of rocky stone, which we can see in Las Fotos de los Lectores de La Vanguardia. Known geologically as the dammes coiffès, they originated from water erosion.
As detailed in the cultural heritage map of the Diputación de Barcelona, these "ladies with hats" are located in the lower part of the ridge in the gorge of the Llobregat river, at the height of the Resclosa dels Manresans, in the region of Bages.
"These geological structures are the result of the differential erosion of the materials fallen from the cliffs," they point out, "so that the most resistant, such as the stoneware slabs, have protected these columns of earth from above, as if they were hats ".
Erosion of the base of Castle Hill by the river is primarily responsible for landslides that cause sediment buildups below. These sediment packages "are of various sizes and do not have any stratigraphic coherence, beyond the order in which they have been falling."
In addition, "the erosion caused by rainwater has been modeling capricious shapes, since the largest and most resistant blocks located above protect the sediments below from erosion."
This is the differential erosion, which produces an intense emptying on the fine sediments, while those that have the protection of the "hat" resist and remain in the form of columns. That is why they are also called "crowned pillars".
In this place, specifically, we find two series of columns "with hats" that rise above the profile of the cliff.
As access is somewhat difficult, the dammes coiffès can also be seen from a little higher up, on the track that follows the route of the old railway line from Manresa to Berga (el Carrilet), just below the castle of Balsareny. At this point, an informative panel on the natural space of the wetland of the Resclosa de la Séquia de Manresa has been adapted, which also explains the formation process of these crowned pillars.
In addition, it is an excellent viewpoint to enjoy spectacular views over the Llobregat valley and its riverside forest. Near this point there are some rock stairs that lead to the castle through a path in the middle of a shady forest.
