O Cebreiro

The first Galician town on the French Way of Saint James is one of the mythical spots of the Camino at the top (1,300 m) of the Galician-Leonese Massif. Everything in this place is magical and mysterious: the “pallozas” (thatch-roofed houses), the wind, the fog. It is one of the first sites where pilgrims on their way to Santiago were offered shelter. The town began to be restored in the mid-1960s and so were the “pallozas”: ancient pre-Roman houses with a circular or oval floor plan formed by stone walls and a roof made of rye stalks. Rural houses, inns, bars, restaurants and souvenir shops have turned O Cebreiro into a theme park in these highlands.

O CEBREIRO:

PEDRAFITA DO CEBREIRO:

• Church of Santa María la Real: its was founded back in the 11th century. The temple consists of one nave and two aisles separated by pillars and topped with a triple chancel. The altar holds the tomb of Don Elías Valiña, parish priest of O Cebreiro from 1959 until his death in 1989, a tireless promoter of the Camino and the creator of the yellow arrow symbol. The reliquary and chalice related to the legend of the Holy Grail are also exhibited here.
• “Pallozas”: pre-Roman constructions, adapted to the harsh climatic conditions of the area. They are characterized by their low stone walls, their oval-shaped plan and their thick thatched roofs.
• Ethnographic Museum of O Cebreiro: small museum inside a “palloza”. It recreates the living conditions in the mountains