- This topic has 11 replies, 6 voices, and was last updated 2022-09-11 at 07:43 by .
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Petrea- Caleta de Velez
If you have not visited Las Medulas, then do so, if you are within reasonable distance. Amasing what the roman could do – in particular when looking for gold(!), using a special technique, blowing up the mountain using – water!!!
Website: https://www.turismodelbierzo.es/medulas/
Saludos
Petrea
clive- Grazalema
I absoulutely love this area but haven’t visited now for many years…. The Sierra de Culebra for wolf watching and the temple knights castle in Ponferrada are both in the area as well…..
Very good informative website thanks for posting Petrea! 🙂
Take a trip on the Wildside!
https://wildsideholidays.co.uk (Wildlife and nature holidays in Spain)
https://grazalemaguide.com/ (All my web projects in one portal and everything you need to know about Grazalema)
SteveT- Yatton
I’d forgotten about this place – had always wanted to visited it but when ever in this area I ended up visiting or doing something else – I’ll put it on my list. It’s amazing how humans even 2000 years ago humans could cause so much physical damage to an environment.
I used to wonder why the La Ruta de Plata ( the old Roman road from Astorga to Merida) ….wasn’t called La Ruta de Oro ….. as I thought that was what was being transported south over hundreds of years from Las Medulas. However, Plata is a corruption of an Arabic word for cobbled (al-balat) and nothing to do with silver. Also, I guess a lot of the gold would have gone east to the Roman capital of the time Tarragona.
clive- Grazalema
Also in this area is Los Ancares Leoneses biosphere reserve. Take a lifetime to explore this bit of Spain! 🙂
Los Ancares Leoneses biosphere reserve is located on the western limit of the Cantabrian mountains, on the border with Galicia and Asturias and includes the valleys of the rivers Cúa (Valle de Fornela), Ancares (Valle de Ancares) and Burbia. It borders with Los Ancares Lucenses y Montes de Cervantes, Navia y Becerrea biosphere reserve in the neighbouring province of Galicia (lugo).
https://wildsideholidays.co.uk/los-ancares-leoneses-biosphere-reserve/
Take a trip on the Wildside!
https://wildsideholidays.co.uk (Wildlife and nature holidays in Spain)
https://grazalemaguide.com/ (All my web projects in one portal and everything you need to know about Grazalema)
SteveT- Yatton
Petrea I’m taking your advise and hopefully going to this area at the end of the month.
clive- Grazalema
Post a few photos after your trip SteveT!!!! 🙂
Take a trip on the Wildside!
https://wildsideholidays.co.uk (Wildlife and nature holidays in Spain)
https://grazalemaguide.com/ (All my web projects in one portal and everything you need to know about Grazalema)
SteveT- Yatton
SteveT- Yatton
Got to Las Medulas in July! The tunnels were interesting but the who place is effectively an open cast mine. It was tunnelled and washed through with water fed by kilometres of channels. These channels were etched into the mountain sides, diverting mountain streams. It was mined by free Iberian Celts, in lieu of tax – not slaves.
Got there by crossing Los Montes de Leone – the highest pass there is something to behold! Interestingly, open cast slate mining is happening there on an incredible scale and some of it at the highest pass! Quite a scar over a large area.
clive- Grazalema
Did you have to buy tickets to go into the tunnels? is there a website?
I thought the open cast mine there had been stopped by a EU decree…… ?????
Great pictures!
Take a trip on the Wildside!
https://wildsideholidays.co.uk (Wildlife and nature holidays in Spain)
https://grazalemaguide.com/ (All my web projects in one portal and everything you need to know about Grazalema)
RachelI thought all the quarries were closed up that way too…. Read this recently: https://www.diariodeleon.es/articulo/bierzo/arrancan-obras-restaurar-cantera-medulas/202204041340292208221.html
Helen- Seville
I had never heard of this place until it was mentioned here. It looks amazing! There is some more info on the opencast quarry and some history here: https://blogs.upm.es/puma/2016/06/01/enviromental-impact-in-las-medulas/
Breathe and try to be nice to people 🙂
Miguel- Cádiz
I have visited this area a long time ago. Well worth spending a week or two…Wikipedia has some good info as well: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Las_M%C3%A9dulas
Petrea
clive
SteveT
Rachel
Helen
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