As you well know, we do not need to leave our borders to discover amazing corners. In fact, we are lucky to live in a country with everything a traveler could wish for: cosmopolitan cities, spectacular natural landscapes, beaches for all tastes, a wide and varied tourist offer, archaeological sites, monuments and buildings of great heritage value. … Of course, in Spain we can also boast of having charming towns. To show you, today we are going to move to Galicia.
Specifically, today we are going to travel to Ourense , a province located in the south of the Galician region. Rich in hot springs, this land has lush nature and valuable natural parks. In addition, here you can enjoy some routes to get to know the cultural heritage of the area. Of course, another of the strong points of the province is its gastronomy. In order for you to get to know Ourense more thoroughly, below we are going to take a tour of some of its most beautiful towns. Would you like to join us?
Allariz
First of all, we want to talk about Allariz, which was declared a Historic-Artistic Site. It is a medieval town surrounded by chestnut forests. Here you will find important medieval buildings, as well as the remains of the castle and the VIlanova and Frieira bridges. We also want to highlight the field of A Barreira, where you will find beautiful crosses and a fountain.
Ribadavia
Another town that we must mention is Ribadavia, the former seat of the Kingdom of Galicia. This town is closely linked to wine and the Hebrew people. In fact, it houses the most important Jewish quarter in Galicia. We also want to highlight the Romanesque church of Santiago and its many temples, as well as the Sarmiento castle.
Celanova
We also want to tell you about Celanova, which especially stands out for the Monastery of Celanova or San Rosendo, which dates from medieval times. Of course, over the centuries it has undergone several modifications . In addition, you should know that in the surroundings you can find numerous sites of cultural interest, such as the Castro de Castromao, the Medieval Tower of Vilanova dos Infantes or the Santuario de la Virgen de Cristal Vilanova dos Infantes.
Sil stop
How could it be otherwise, we must also talk about Parada de Sil, which is the northernmost slope of the province, bordering Lugo. There are many corners of this town that are worth visiting, such as the hermitage of San Antonio, the church of Santa Mariña, the monastery of Santa Cristina de Ribas de Sil and the Peto de Ánimas de San Mamede de Forcas. We also want to comment that the municipality has an approved hiking route.
Castro Caldelas
We also want to highlight Castro Caldelas, a municipality that is made up of 16 parishes and 86 population entities. Of course, it is organized around the capital, Castro Caldelas, which is the historic center of the Tierra de Caldelas region. The whole of the town and the medieval fortress that tops it off is surprising.
Carballiño
In the extreme northwest of the province of Ourense we find O Carballiño, which is home to one of the best and largest natural parks in the autonomous community, as well as the two oldest spas in Galicia. Regarding its monumental heritage, we want to highlight the Temple of Veracruz, the work of the architect Antonio Palacios.
Puebla de Trives
Another town that we want to highlight is A Pobra de Trives (Puebla de Trives), which thanks to its orography, its scenic beauty, its climate and its vegetation, is an ideal place to rest and enjoy nature. As for the monuments of interest, they are related to religious architecture and medieval times.
Verin
Finally, we want to talk about Verín, which houses buildings of interest such as the church of Santa María la Mayor, built in the seventeenth century, the Monastery of the Mercedarian Fathers and the houses that belonged to noble families such as, for example, that of the Assistant, declared Historical Heritage.