Liérganes, a legendary town in 'Tierruca' (Cantabria)
Legend has it that in 1674, the young Francisco de la Vega , spent a day with his friends swimming in the estuary. An avid swimmer, he was distracted by the sight of his colleagues, who thought they would soon see him again, down the river. But Francisco did not appear . Time passed and specifically five years later, in the Bay of Cadiz some fishermen found a strange being emerged from the waters. He looked like a man, but without a doubt, he came from the sea and had developed scales for a good part of his body..
THE LEGEND OF THE FISH MAN
Was he human? A mythological being? A demon? When they rescued him, they took him to the convent of San Francisco and after exorcising him and interrogating him in several languages, the man seemed to have lost his reason. Days passed and the friars only managed to get one word out of him: Lierganes . What was Lierganes? At that time it was not as easy as consulting with Google. In the end they discovered it: it was a small town in Cantabria. Had something unusual happened there? From that green spot, at the foot of the P icos Busampiro, better known as 'the Boobs of Liérganes' , a letter arrived in which the only remarkable fact was the disappearance of Francisco de la Vega five years ago.
One of the friars John Rosendo , tied threads and wanted to know if indeed, that being taken from the sea, could be the missing person. From Cádiz to Cantabria, they embarked on a journey in which, once close to the town, the man set a firm pace to Liérganes without hesitating along the way. But nothing there interested him, he hardly ate, he didn't speak... They thought he was crazy and, mysteriously, nine years later he was lost at sea again . The only testimony? That of a fisherman from San Vicente de la Barquera, who he claimed to see him go into the great blue accompanied by dolphins . This is how the legend of the Fish Man was born, a story from the hand of one of the most beautiful towns in Cantabria, which is relived every night of San Juan. Welcome to Lierganes.
Welcome to Lierganes
legend or truth, the Fish Man even has an interpretation center in the mill under the bridge that tries to shed light on such a bizarre story and a bronze sculpture under the Puente Mayor , known as the Roman bridge -although from the 16th century-, which represent Francisco de la Vega (who knows if minutes before losing himself forever under the crystalline waters of the Mira river heading to the sea).
Faced with a unique landscape and stories upholstered in a thousand and one shades of green, we quickly feel like moths drawn to the light, to the beauty of this little corner of the land of barely 2000 inhabitants . legends aside, Liérganes has magic and charm , so much so that its historic center is considered set of national artistic historical interest and the entire municipality, as one of the Most Beautiful Towns in Spain since 2016.
LIÉRGANES, A VILLAGE WITH HISTORY
And reasons are not lacking. Liérganes owes the majesty of its historic center to its past. During the XVII century the buoyant economy of the municipality was thanks to the fact that the first known Royal Artillery Factory in Spain . Surrounded by forests and taking advantage of the strength of the river, the cannon-making industry prospered and, with it, the Mercadillo neighborhood was filled with noble houses . Many of them have endured over time and today form a most interesting architectural complex.
Little street of Lierganes
Walking there makes us think that time has stopped . Among mansions, Indian palaces, baroque and neoclassical houses , runs a path of splendor with stops at essentials such as the Palace of Rañada or Cuesta-Mercadillo, the Houses of Rañada and Portilla , with its balconies adorned with an amalgamation of plants and flowers, the one of the Cañones or the Casa Setién , one of the oldest buildings in Liérganes.
A SPA TO ATTRACT THEM ALL
Parallel to that resurgence thanks to the industry, there was already talk back in 1670 of healing power of the waters of the Holy Fountain of this locality. used to cure the rheumatism, pathologies of the respiratory tract, skin or stomach conditions In 1844, Liérganes obtained sponsorship to create a** sulphurous bathhouse**. It was in 1862 when it opened its doors Spa , to which years later was added a inn and hotel , attracting travelers from all over Spain.
To so many that at the beginning of the 20th century when the Kings of Spain ( Alfonso XIII and Victoria Eugenie ) were spending a few days at the Palacio de la Magdalena in Santander, they approached Liérganes to 'take the baths'. The population went crazy and soon this place became leisure and health center . Everything in Liérganes revolved around the Spa that is still alive today converted into a hotel and thermal circuit , perfect to disconnect from the earthly world. You can even take a bath 'the King's Pool', the one in which Alfonso XIII himself enjoyed, today rehabilitated.
Lierganes Spa
SWEETS, SACRISTANES AND EVEN OWN BEER
People came to Liérganes attracted by its legends, landscapes, healing waters and... for its sweet . Did you know that one of the most widespread customs was to approach snack chocolate with churros ? It may sound like a Madrid custom but, in Cantabria, rejoicing the body with such delicacies goes back many years as well. For example, in the daughters of the fish , in addition to preparing homemade food, every day religiously at snack time they serve their chocolate with artisan churros.
They say that Liérganes smells like puff pastry . And it is that many other typical sweets come out of this dough, the sacristans , which are loops of baked puff pastry, which is believed to have been brought by the Belgians who came to work at the cannon factory , the cinnamon flavored hearts or clear tributes to the people, such as the Miera valley rocks , with puff pastry and almond, and l as Tits of Liérganes , which they sell in the artisan pastry shop Bergua.
The Miera rocks
Of course, there is no lack in this corner of the world sobaos, quesadas pasiegas, ties, cheeses, anchovies from Santoña, mead ... Going to Liérganes and not taking a gastronomic souvenir would be a sin. You can find them in stores like dCantabria , specializing in products from the entire community, at Casa Abascal, where they also sell handicrafts and basketry, or at the socarrena.
And beer, of course. How has such a small town managed to have a craft beer that has crept into the rankings of the best in the world ? Andrew Dougall arrived in Spain more than 20 years ago. What brought you to this small Cantabrian town? Love.
So he started making beer at home for his own consumption. But in 2006 he joined Quique Caciedo and founded Dougall's , becoming pioneers of craft beer in Cantabria , which uses the water of the Miera to be elaborated. Raquera, Legend, Tres Mares, 942 ... are some of the evocative names of his creations. In addition, they collaborate with other breweries, such as the one they have just announced together with Basqueland Brewing Project. And best of all, you can learn about all its secrets by visiting the factory, by appointment and on weekends, which ends with a beer and local cheese tasting.