Sunday 8th Jun 2014
We disembarked from our train at the station in the newer part of town and from there were transferred to our hotel in taxis. Our hotel was in the centre of the Old Town at the square where the Town Hall is.
Ponferrada is a city in the province of Castille y Leon. Its name in Latin means 'Iron Bridge' - which lies on Sil River and surrounded by mountains. It is the last town along the French Route of the Way of St James before its final destination of Santiago de Compostela.
In pre-Roman times it was populated by the Astures - a Hispanic-Celtic Gallaecian people. It was conquered by Emperor Augustus in the Asturian-Cantabrian Wars (29-19 BC) and became the most important mining (gold, iron etc) area of that Roman period. The Romans also brought grape-vine and the egion became an important wine region.
The modern name of this town was given after the bridge built with re-inforced iron by Bishop Osmundo of Astorga to facilitate the walk of pilgrims across the Sil River.
our taxis drove up narrow lanes to the Plaza Mayor
through this clock tower beyond which our hotel is located
We disembarked from our train at the station in the newer part of town and from there were transferred to our hotel in taxis. Our hotel was in the centre of the Old Town at the square where the Town Hall is.
the square where our hotel is
the facade of our hotel seen from the Square
the Ponferrada City Hall in front of our hotel at the Plaza Mayor
built in stone 1692 to 1705
Baroque facade with 2 towers on the sides of the central body
it houses the municipal council and tourist office
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