La Fonseya is located on the main road of the town of Oseja de Sajambre, a strategic point where the emblematic establishment of the same name was located. For many years this building was a bar, shop, restaurant, hostel and, above all, a meeting point for the inhabitants of the area and visitors to the Picos de Europa National Park.
The building is a construction blended and integrated with the traditional architecture of the area, with stone walls and tile roofs. At the same time, sustainability has been prioritized, being a building with high energy efficiency. From the windows you can enjoy the views of the town and its surroundings, as well as the forests or the peaks of Peña Niajo and Pico Pozua. The exterior has a bus stop and a landscaped parking lot. Various ramps and stairs give access to the building and link the different spaces and terraces that surround it.
The exhibition includes numerous information panels with texts and ancient and modern photographs, interactive, short audiovisuals, models, display cases with very realistic reproductions of animals or plants and an audiovisual montage in which real images and computer animation are combined with painting and robotic reproductions of great realism.
The reception is located on the ground floor of the Information Center, where the team of environmental educators will welcome visitors and answer their questions. In this part, the Network of National Parks and the Network of Natural Spaces of Castile and León will be announced. In particular, detailed information on the Picos de Europa National Park and the marked trails will be offered. Good practices will be made known when visiting a natural space and the importance of protection figures for the conservation of the environment, its flora and fauna.
The next floor is dedicated to landscape, flora, fauna and geology. The tour begins with an explanation about Picos de Europa and how the landscape is dominated by the limestone mass of three mountain ranges, between which the main rivers flow: Cares, Debra and Sella. Supported by a sample of minerals, visitors will learn about the composition and structure of each of them, classifying them based on their properties: texture, color, hardness or shine. This part of the exhibition also focuses on the most representative invertebrate and vertebrate animals of the National Park, giving importance to the most threatened ones, to reinforce knowledge of such emblematic species in this area as the brown bear. Supported by exhibition resources, the visit focuses on the biology and ecology of the different species, the place where they live and the importance of conserving their habitats.
The top floor is dedicated to the cultural and historical heritage of the National Park, highlighting the influence of people on the natural space and the dynamics of the forests around Oseja de Sajambre, from the first settlers to the present.
