Picture courtesy of the Tourist Office of Belorado
INFORMATION
PROVINCE: Burgos
AUTONOMOUS COMMUNITY: Castile and León
DISTANCE TO SANTIAGO: 539 km
TOURIST OFFICE
Plaza Mayor, 1
09250 Belorado
Tel.: [+34] 947 580 815
Email: info@belorado.org
LINKS OF INTEREST
USEFUL NUMBERS
Civil protection: [+34] 947 580 046
Health Centre: [+34] 947 580 660
Emergencies: [+34] 947 580 558
FESTIVALS & OTHER EVENTS:
- Virgen de Belén: January 25th, patron saint of Belorado.
- Belorado dance: regional dances with whistles and sticks.
- “Las Marzas”: bonfires are lit, all the lights are turned off and young men sing their songs dedicated to spring, women, asking for food and bidding farewell.
- “Pingar el Mayo”: a tree trunk is erected during the month of May to cause abundant harvests.
Town of Celtiberian origin to the east of the province of Burgos, in the foothills of La Demanda mountain range. In the Middle Ages it ranked as town, called Belforatus, which means 'beautiful hole'. The town experienced great economic growth due to the influence of the Way of Saint James and to its location in between the kingdoms of Castile and Navarre. In 1116, Alfonso I the Battler, king of Navarre and Aragón, granted it the privilege to hold an annual fair, being "the oldest documented fair in the history of Spain." The town's coat of arms includes a tower and a star, the latter a symbol of Compostela, the pilgrims' destination, in addition to the motto ‘Señor muéstrame tus caminos’ ("Lord, show me your ways").
Services
MUST-SEES
- Church of Santa María: 16th-century Renaissance style building.
- Castle: remains of the “Torre del Homenaje” or Keep Tower, from where you have a beautiful panoramic view.
- Caves of San Caprasio, San Valentín and Santa Pía: caves from Visigoth times.
- Hermitage of Nuestra Señora de Belén: former hospital and seat of the Knights of the Order of Saint James.
- Plaza Mayor: built in the 16th century. Porticoed and with a typically Castilian profile.
- Church of San Pedro Apóstol: built in the 17th century.
- Remains of the Church of San Nicolás de Bari: the oldest in town, only part of the Renaissance façade and the clock tower remain.
- Convent of Santa María Bretonera: an 11th century cloistered convent run by the Poor Clare nuns. Church open to visitors.
- Canto Bridge: on the river Tirón.
- Inocencio Bocanegra International Museum of Radio Communication: the exhibition space is arranged in a series of scenes that reconstruct places that marked a milestone in the history of the 20th century: a deck section of the Titanic, part the largest trench in World War I, the most famous checkpoint of the Berlin Wall or an American helicopter base in Vietnam, plus, an M60 Patton A3TTS tank and a Bell HU-H1 helicopter. Booking required prior to the visit.
- “Paseo del Arte”: go through Belorado following the wall paintings on the façades to learn about traditional shoemaker trade and the local Bowling Game, to dance to the rhythm of our dancers, and to learn about botany with Hipólito Ruiz López and María Sibylla. Will you be able to recognize the footprints guiding you along with pilgrims on the “Paseo del ánimo” (“Walk of Spirit”).
Track Belorado - San Juan de Ortega
NEARBY POINTS OF INTEREST
- Puras de Villafranca mining complex: 7 km from Belorado. The only mountain mining site open to visitors in Castile and León, declared a Site of Cultural Interest in 2011. Advance booking required.
- Cave of Fuentemolinos: one of the greatest treasures for cave archaeologists in the province of Burgos. Advance booking required.
- Dehesa de hayas: low-difficulty 14 km-long trekking route.
- Interpretation Center of the Mill and Ethnographic Museum of San Miguel de Pedroso: 3 km from Belorado. A grain mill of medieval origin, being the oldest still operating in Castile and León. The Ethnographic Museum was created in 1994, housing numerous utensils used in the town over time and offering information panels on the local fauna and flora. Advance booking required.