Walk around the Walled Town

Pedraza can be walked in full, on foot and in little time, but it deserves to be taken slowly. You enter by the Puerta de la Villa, the only way in and out, with black poplar doors and the coat of arms of the Fernández de Velasco family, lords of the town for four centuries, and climb to the Plaza Mayor, irregular and arcaded, which since 1550 has become a bullring during the festivals. Its manor houses and palaces, with 16th- and 17th-century facades and coats of arms, were built with balconies so that the noble families could watch the bulls from home.

The route

In the square is the church of San Juan Bautista, Romanesque from the 13th century, the only one open for worship (Mass on Sundays at 13:15). Outside it keeps the Romanesque double-arched tower and apse; inside, Baroque altarpieces and two chapels, a small winter one, dedicated to the Virgen del Carmen, and the larger, summer one. Continue towards the castle along calle Mayor and you will see the church of Santa María, with its tall tower, owned by the Zuloaga family since 1925: the Constables of Castile held their religious ceremonies there for centuries, it was abandoned in the 19th century and it keeps its bell tower, a Romanesque semicircular apse and a doorway with carved jambs and arch; it sometimes hosts exhibitions. In the old Jewish quarter, Santo Domingo ceased to be a parish between 1840 and 1845 and in 1998 was bought by the Fundación Villa de Pedraza with the money from the Candle Concerts; since 2012 it has been its cultural centre, with exhibitions and talks. On the other side, the Town Council has restored a stretch of wall, which has existed since at least the 11th century, and the Pozo de las Hontanillas, a 15-metre cistern inside a detached ashlar tower; today it can only be seen from outside. Notice also the Casa de la Inquisición, with its coat of arms of a cross, palm and sword, which is now a hospitality business, and, next to the car park, the Romanesque hermitage of San Pedro, now a dwelling.

Outside the wall

At the foot of the village, by the road, an aqueduct carried water from a spring to the Caño fountain; several walking routes start from there. On the outskirts is also the Imperial Eagle House, with the San Miguel gardens, open from Easter to All Saints.

When to go and what to combine

The walk is free and has no hours: the streets are public, and you can do it with a dog on a lead. During the patron saint festivities of the Virgen del Carrascal, from 6 to 12 September, the Plaza Mayor is closed off as a bullring, with country bull runs on the 9th and novilladas on the 9th and 10th. To go in with some context, start with the Town Jail or book the tourist office guided tour, and finish at the castle. For lunch, on the same square are El Soportal and Casa Taberna.