The most beautiful villages in Burgos They are distributed throughout this Castilian province. In it, there is no area of greater beauty than another. In other words, the entire province is a marvel of vineyards, landscapes and towns of medieval origin with great monuments.
Through her passes the Camino de Santiago and has areas like The Merindades which are in themselves an authentic heritage marvel. But there are also towns in the Castilian province such as Aranda de Duero o Miranda of Ebro with a lot of economic strength and not a few monuments. All this without mentioning the capital, one of the historical cities par excellence in Spain. For all this, we are going to show you some of the most beautiful villages in Burgos.
Lerma, in the plain of Arlanza
Dominating from a hill plain of the river Arlanza you will find the ducal town of Lerma, which is a historical-artistic complex. Not in vain, it has a monumental heritage of the first order. To access its old town you must cross the Arch or door of the Jail, vestige of its medieval wall.
Following a steep street, you will reach the beautiful Plaza Mayor, which is large (7000 square metres) and is enclosed by two arcaded wings. It is already a monument in itself, but it also has two spectacular buildings.
The first is Ducal Palace, built at the beginning of the XNUMXth century by order of the Duke of Lerma. It is a Herrerian-style wonder with four facades and an interior patio supported by columns that form semicircular arches. Currently, it is the headquarters of the tourist hostel, so you can spend the night there.
On the other hand, the second is San Blas monastery, also built in the XNUMXth century by Francisco de Mora, the same architect who built the palace. It is not, far from it, the only monastery that you can visit in Lerma. You should also visit the Madre de Dios and Ascensión de Nuestro Señor convents, as well as the convents of Santa Teresa, San Francisco de los Reyes and the collegiate church of San Pedro, the latter with a beautiful baroque altarpiece by Juan de Ávila.
Covarrubias, another of the most beautiful villages in Burgos
Another wonder of Burgos is this town also located in the Arlanza region. You will get an idea of its historical importance from the fact that it is known as "the cradle of Castile". This is because, already in the XNUMXth century, the Count Fernan Gonzalez he made it the capital of the Infantado de Covarrubias.
Also declared a historic-artistic complex, this town stands out for its medieval historic center of traditional houses, such as that of Doña Sancha, and perfectly preserved. It is framed by remains of its spectacular walls where you can see the Fernán González tower, built for defensive purposes in the XNUMXth century in accordance with the canons of the Mozarabic style. It is also known as the Torre de la Emparedada because, according to legend, it was locked up in it. Lady Magpie, daughter of the count.
But Covarrubias has other buildings of interest that we advise you to visit. It is also very beautiful Collegiate Church of San Cosme and San Damián, built in the fifteenth century. It consists of three naves, four chapels with baroque altars, a beautiful cloister, a XNUMXth-century organ that still plays, and a small museum.
For its part, the Santo Tomas Parish Church It was built in the fifteenth century on the remains of another temple from the twelfth. Its spectacular Renaissance stained glass window, its collection of altarpieces and its Romanesque baptismal font stand out. But, above all, its plateresque-style staircase.
More curious will be the Hermitage of Saint Olav, built a few years ago and located three kilometers from the town. It is made of black sheet metal and wood and, seen from above, looks like a Viking helmet. But, above all, the reason for its construction is peculiar. It was made to honor the Princess Kristina of Norway, who married a brother of Alfonso X el Sabio almost eight hundred years ago and who is still buried in the town of Burgos.
As for the civil monuments of Covarrubias, we must mention the Archive of the Advancement of Castile, a Herrerian building in the shape of a prism supported by eight buttresses, the house of Bishop Peña and the Fernan Gonzalez Palace, current Town Hall of the town.
Frias, in Las Merindades
Actually, you should talk about city, since Frías holds this category, although it only has 254 inhabitants. In fact, it is the smallest in Spain of all those who have that title. It is located on the hill of La Muela, near the Ebro river and is part of the region of Las Merindades, to which we alluded earlier.
It still retains its medieval urban layout with houses that are attached to each other and is dominated by the castle of the Velasco, built at the end of the XNUMXth century and very well preserved. It is one of the most spectacular among the many that you can visit in Castile and, at its entrance, you can see the barracks house and palace of the Salazar.
On the other hand, just as in Cuenca, also Frias has its hanging houses, which share the boundary of the locality with the old walls, of which there are still two gates: the Postigo gate and the Medina gate. Oldest is the Roman road, one of those that communicated the plateau with the north of the peninsula.
But even more spectacular is the medieval bridge de Frías, with its 143 meters in length and its 9 arches. It is Romanesque and, already in the XNUMXth century, a defensive tower with battlements and machicolations was added. On the other hand, the town of Burgos had an important Jewry, whose remains can be seen between the streets of Convención and Virgen de la Candonga.
Finally, you must visit several religious buildings in the town of Burgos. So the precious Church of San Vicente Mártir and San Sebastián, also Romanesque, although it was rebuilt at the beginning of the XNUMXth century; the Gothic church of San Vítores and the convents of Santa María de Vadillo and San Francisco.
Puentedey, the nature of the most beautiful villages in Burgos
Also located in the Merindades region, in this case its beauty is due more to nature of the area than its monuments, although it still has them. Because Puentedey is built on a huge rock pierced by the river Nela. And, likewise, the mountains that surround it offer you wonderful canyons and waterfalls like the Mea.
Returning to its monuments, two stand out. The first is the house and palace of the Brizuela, built at the end of the XNUMXth century and equipped with two spectacular towers. As for the second, it is the Romanesque church of San Pelayo, with a beautiful Renaissance main altarpiece and a carving of Saint George fighting the dragon on its cover.
Peñaranda de Duero
It is another medieval jewel among the most beautiful villages in Burgos, with its typical Plaza Mayor of traditional houses. dominated by his castle from the XNUMXth century, which Fernán González ordered to be built, although reformed in the XNUMXth century, Peñaranda has another peculiarity. Is about a XNUMXth century apothecary Although it is still in operation, it has a museum.
For its part, the church of Santa Ana It is an old collegiate church built in the XVII. It has a spectacular baroque portal where you can also see three Roman busts from the city of clunia, which in Latin times was one of the most important in the north of Hispania. Instead, its altarpiece is neoclassical.
Finally, no less spectacular is the Palace of the Counts of Miranda, a Renaissance construction from the XNUMXth century. Inside, it has a patio with a double gallery. But, above all, if you can, visit its noble rooms, which have magnificent coffered ceilings. Also, very close to the palace is the roll of justice, which has elegant Gothic lines.
Orbaneja del Castillo, another spectacular nature
Orbaneja also stands out among the most beautiful villages in Burgos due to the impressive nature that surrounds it. To begin with, from its very urban center a waterfall almost twenty-five meters high. Likewise, from its upper part, you can appreciate an imposing rocky circus that resembles a set of natural towers.
All this without forgetting the Caves of Water and Chance, the latter with cave paintings, as well as its turquoise blue pools. Between them, Covanera's, precisely one of the longest underwater caves in the world.
Alongside all these natural wonders, Orbaneja is a medieval village which has been declared a historical-artistic complex. And, in the Eras part, you can see old stone huts that served as barns.
In conclusion, we have shown you some of the most beautiful villages in Burgos. But, inevitably, we have left others in the pipeline. For example, we do not want to stop mentioning you Caleruega, with the imposing monumental complex of Santo Domingo; Nozzle, also with waterfalls that run through the town; Medina of Pomar, with its impressive Alcázar, one of the largest fortresses in the entire province of Burgos, or Santo Domingo de Silos, with its wonderful monastery linked to the legend of the Cid Campeador. Don't you think they are enough reasons to plan a trip through the Burgos territories?