Road of La Peña de Francia: from the Silver Way to the sanctuary of the Black Virgin

Attracted by devotion and also by the miracles of the Virgin of La Peña de Francia, pilgrims of the Way of Saint James would leave the crowded Silver Way to head towards the monastery of the Black Virgin in La Peña de Francia.

Recovered and properly signposted, the road starts in the municipality of Puerto de Béjar, right on the limit with Extremadura region, and 72 kilometres later reaches La Peña, the magic mountain. During the journey, the landscape becomes the main character: chestnut woods, oak groves, vineyards and cherry tree orchards fill the mountains of Béjar and the Francia, declared Biosphere Reserve by the Unesco.

Also heritage enriches the walk, with examples like the Romantic Garden of El Coto de Nuestra Señora del Carmen in Peñacaballera or the Historical Sites of Montemayor del Río, with its castle of San Vicente, and La Alberca, focus of popular architecture and tradition.

However, one must not forget mountain villages such as Lagunilla, Valdelageve, Sotoserrano, Cepeda, Madroñal or Monforte.

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