The Laciana Valley is one of the most special corners of the Cantabrian mountain range. Fragmented by the upper course of the Sil River and some of its tributaries, it is a succession of high mountains and deep valleys in which a large number of biotypes coexist that fully justify its declaration of UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.
In this unaltered landscape covered by a mosaic of forests of birch, rowan, maple, yew, holly,
Hazelnut, ash and beech trees, as well as blueberry and high mountain brañas with their typical shepherd's huts, two of the most emblematic animal species of the northern peninsula find their habitat. Here, the brown bear population is one of the most important in Spain, while that of the Cantabrian capercaillie is the most numerous and representative.
In a robust building made of local stone and slate, on the outskirts of the town of Caboalles de Arriba and in front of an imposing wooded landscape, stands the Capercaillie Center where all the necessary information is offered to know the details of the territory, as well as the different options to enjoy it.
The first contact with the exhibition space is the exhibition in which the values of the places that make up the Network of Natural Spaces of Castile and León are presented, as a previous step to the room in which the natural universe of Alto Sil is presented. The geological and paleontological history that marked the origin of this paradise is presented with panels and models in this room.
The next room, bright and with splendid views of the forest, pays tribute to the protagonists of the territory: the brown bear and the capercaillie, reproducing a song and listening to the song of the courtship. A succession of panels completes the information on the many values of the natural space.
The last room opens the door to cultural heritage, in which popular architecture takes on a representative role. The pastoral tradition has its own presence here through the brañas used in summer, its cabins and daily utensils, as another example of the way of life in this unique natural space.
