Our region, El
Bierzo in León
Our region, El
Bierzo in León
The more you discover about Las Médulas, the more you will realise that El Bierzo is a must-see. Because it is a region of León that will surprise you with its contrasts and the charm that awaits you in its villages and customs.
Did you know that...
Villafranca del Bierzo was a village associated with hospitality to pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostela, one of whose most outstanding architectural landmarks is the church of San Juan. Of primitive Gothic art, it belonged to the Hospitaller Order, which cared for pilgrims and the poor.
Tips from other travellers
One of the most picturesque corners of El Bierzo is the Tebaida Berciana. The serene and remote natural environment of oak and chestnut groves of the Oza river basin provided a perfect spiritual mountain setting for the monks’ retreat and isolation. From the 4th century onwards, they settled in hermitages and built monasteries and churches in the Mozarabic style, such as the church of Santiago de PeñaIba.
El Bierzo will captivate you with its hearty food and rich cultural heritage. It is also home to lush forests of oak, beech and chestnut trees that hide a lot of natural life with unique treasures of European biodiversity such as the capercaillie.
This region is attractive because of the open character of its people, who are used to welcoming newcomers with confidence as it is a historical place of passage on the peninsular communication routes, bordering both Asturias and Galicia.
Among its rich cultural heritage, Villafranca del Bierzo, a large municipality in the Burbia river valley surrounded by mountains that extend to the Aneares in León, on the border with the province of Lugo, stands out. It was the ancient Celtic city of Bergidum, which later became a stronghold against the Muslim retreat from the peninsula.
Doña Urraca, the Queen of León, founded the convent of San Francisco de Asís, which conserves the Romanesque façade and the start of the columns of the cloister from its origins. Inside, there is a striking Churrigueresque altarpiece, the austere Plateresque choir and several tombs of Castilian nobles.
However, the castle of the Marquises of Villafranca del Bierzo is one of its most remarkable buildings, with its three-storey Italian palace style, escorted by four circular towers at its corners. It joins the collegiate church of Santa María de Cluniaco which, built on the site of an old Benedictine monastery from the 12th century, is currently one of the best examples of 16th century architecture in El Bierzo.
This region is attractive because of the open character of its people, who are used to welcoming newcomers with confidence as it is a historical place of passage on the peninsular communication routes, bordering both Asturias and Galicia.
The El Bierzo region has a unique linguistic modality. It straddles Castilian and Leonese, and in some municipalities, as in Las Médulas, it also has Galician contributions. It is the origin of a Bierzo dialect that is enriched by the nuances of each regional area and that only the locals are able to distinguish.
El Bierzo is bounded by imposing mountains to the north, such as the Sierra del Caurel, Aneares and Sierra de Gistredo. In the southern area, the Montes de León and the Montes Aquilianos are the finishing touches to a central depression where the river Sil is the fluvial protagonist. It is here that almost all the rivers and streams deliver their waters, which flow through the valleys and capture the snow melt from the mountains that delimit the territory of the El Bierzo region.
El Bierzo está delimitado por montañas imponentes hacia el norte como la sierra del Caurel, Aneares y sierra de Gistredo. Mientras que por el área meridional son los Montes de León y los Montes Aquilianos los que ponen el broche a una depresión central donde el río Sil es el protagonista fluvial. Es al que casi todos los ríos y arroyos entregan sus aguas, que recorren los valles y captan el deshielo de la nieve de las montañas que delimitan el territorio berciano.
Ponferrada, the capital of the region of El Bierzo
El Bierzo offers many travel plans because it covers no less than 3000 kilometres of territory and because one of the great attractions of El Bierzo is to feel the change in the appearance of its landscapes as the seasons go by. It is the motif that shades the colours of the forests with surprising autumn and spring shades or covers the mountains with a serene blanket of snow.
Also to enjoy the climate that offers a green summer freshness and shelter from the winter cold, thanks to the Atlantic influence and the comforting warmth or fire that burns inside the Bierzo villages ready to welcome the newcomer.
Inspiration for your trip
The personalised information they provide according to the interests of visitors is the best way to ensure an unforgettable stay.
Las Médulas form a Cultural Space that begins with the union between water and the human hand to lead it into the interior of the mountains.
Be prepared to visit as many as you can, because they are home to traditional architecture made from the materials of the surrounding landscape.
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