Break in Bierzo
- Position
- Leon province
- Type of route
- Weekend
El Bierzo is one of the best-known regions in Castilla y León, filled with surprises and history, making this a truly thrilling route.
Countless attractions draw tourists to El Bierzo, and Ponferrada in particular, where visitors can enjoy a delightful stroll around its streets, discovering the many monuments. Other attractions include the Ancares Mountain Range, the magical Valley of Silence or the spectacular landscape of Las Médulas. The River Sil boasts a wealth of environmental heritage, with the so-called ‘Bierzo Basin’ surrounded by soaring mountains.
This route also includes the following sites of interest: in Ponferrada, El Bierzo Museum, the Basilica of Nuestra Señora de la Encina, Ponferrada Castle, the Monastery of San Pedro de Montes, Compludo Forge and the Clock Tower; the Monastery of Santa María de Carracedo, the Monastery of San Andrés in Vega de Espinareda, the Monastery of San Miguel de Las Dueñas and the Church and Monastery of Santiago in Peñalba de Santiago.
Image gallery
What to see?
Monastery of Santa Maria de CarracedoMore informationBenedictine monastery founded by Bermudo II El Gotoso in 990. This monastery held great political, religious and economic power, also extending its jurisdiction to those monasteries within the EL Bierzo...
El Varal: Agricultural Ethnographic MuseumMore informationIn this museum are exposed the most of the agricultural tools used by the inhabitants of the town of Carracedo during the 1950s.
Monastery of San Miguel de Las DueñasMore informationMonastery founded in the 10th century and renovated in the late 12th century under the Cistercian rule. Its original name was San Miguel de Almázcara. A Romanesque portal gives way to the chapterhouse.
Hermitage of Santa CruzMore information18th-century shrine that has kept some remains of the first building, such as visigoth and mozarab reliefs from the 10th century.
Monastery of San Pedro de MontesMore informationFounded in the 7th century by San Fructuoso, it remained active until the Muslim invasion. It was restored later by San Genadio. The reconstruction dates from the 12th to the 13th centuries. Nowadays it...
Church of Santa Maria de VizbayoMore informationThe church has a single nave with semicircular chevet. It is a simple construction of irregular ashlar blocks. The nave is covered by a barrel vault separated from the chevet by a triumphal arch supported...
Monastery Church of SantiagoMore informationThe hermit monk San Genadio, who later became Bishop of Astorga, founded this monastery, built between 909 and 916. The church is of a later date. It was consecrated in 1105.In 1968 the reconstruction...
Castle of PonferradaMore informationThe castle consists of a lar polygonal enclosure (more than 8,000 m2) with double and triple battlements, turrets, rooms and a large low courtyard or albacar.It was one of the largest fortress of north-western...
Basilica of Nuestra Señora de la EncinaMore informationThis renaissance church with a latin cross ground plan was started before 1573 according to the plans of Juan Alvear. It contains an interesting altarpiece, by members of the school o Gregorio Fernández,...