As is the case, most visitors to Spain, particularly to Madrid, often manage to see the many impressive mid-sized cities of interior Spain...Salamanca, Segovia and the like... and we were no different in our thinking. But we had the ability to travel to parts less known and seeing Spain's rural, off-the-beaten-path sights. We were interested in a day trip from Salamanca and had
received two separate and independent recommendations to travel to the Sierra
de Francia area, which is preserved in the traditional Spanish style, unspoilt
by tourism and provides a glimpse of rural alpine life. It was sold to us as a
beautiful and less-well-known area south of Salamanca.
The Sierra de Francia is an area hidden away in southwestern
Castilla y León. Judging by the villages, it may as well have been secluded for
centuries. It is a mountainous region with wooded hillsides and stone-and-timber
villages. You can almost visualise that this was once one of Spain's godforsaken
regions, almost isolated during the depths of winter and even today, untouched
by commercial interests. It is among Castilla y León's best-kept secrets. The quiet
mountain roads connect villages and the pace of life appears to be relatively
untouched by the modern world.
The main natural attraction of the region is the highest
peak in the area, Peña de Francia (1732m). Topped by a monastery and reached by
a sinuous 12km climb from close to La Alberca, it's a stunning place with views
that extend east to the Sierra de Gredos, south into Extremadura and west
towards Portugal.
The monastery and church receives visitors during the summer months including many Christian pilgrims due to snow and inaccessibility in the winter. In addition the sanctuary, has a friary and a separate guest quarters for the monastery for the pilgrims travelling the Way of St James.
Sierra de Francia's villages are a mix of historic and pleasant
narrow alleys flanked by ramshackle houses built of stone, wood beams and
plaster. Our first stop was the ‘large’ town of La Alberca, total population of
around 1,000.
We noticed the date that these houses were built, typically
the late 18th century, carved into the door lintels. I wouldn't say the town is
a secret in the region, since there were large groups of local tourists
visiting it. But it's not so well-known outside of the region, despite its
clear beauty and tourist appeal. This village is beautifully preserved. Every
corner is a delight with its stone houses, wooden balconies, flowers,
fountains. The white with wood stripes architecture was typical in this area
and this makes the main plaza particularly pretty.
La Alberca also has a recent novelty of portraits of past and
present residents, painted by a local artist and on display outside the family
homes. The history of this dates from the 1960s, when poverty was rife and many
locals were seeking work, mainly in South America – they needed identity cards
and it is this that inspired the portraits.
The Sierra de Francia is in the heart of Spain's jamon iberico de bellota country. It is dry and has become a major centre for producing the famed Spanish ham (noted by many jamon iberico manufacturers and fields of acorn trees, which gives these special pigs the unique flavour). La Alberca has small producers, unlike the larger producers that we saw during our drive through the region.
We also travelled to the smaller villages (if that is at all
possible!) of Miranda del Castañar and its medieval castle and quaint streets.
Miranda
del Castañar is similarly intriguing, strung out along a narrow ridge with
flowers cascading from balconies and pretty cobble-stoned alleyways and rural
stone houses. Miranda del Castañar is a completely walled town with a
well-preserved urban area, full of steep narrow streets with stone houses that
have wooden balconies - a good excuse for a quiet walk.
