We will be happy again in Peñafiel
The Valladolid town of Penafiel is considered one of the best destinations to visit with the family in all of Spain . Nature, recreational areas for children, a medieval castle and three restaurants with Michelin stars, are some of the keys to its success.
The medieval town of Peñafiel is strategically located in the center of its region, 56 km from Valladolid Y less than two hours from Madrid (A6 and Ha-601), in an environment where a good part of the Ribera del Duero wineries . In the municipality of Peñafiel we find the towns of Padilla de Duero, Aldeayuso and Mélida that offer us experiences that generate social and environmental impact through educational, cultural and family leisure activities. That is why the recent contest held by trobatea (web specialized in planning family experiences) has placed Peñafiel as the second option in all of Spain (second only to Valencian town of Calles ) for family tourism.
We will be happy again in Peñafiel
More than a millennium old, this small Castilian town (which currently has barely 5,000 inhabitants) nonetheless constituted one of the most important epicenters in Spain in the Middle Ages thanks to the fact that the infant Don Juan Manuel, Prince of Villena, established it as his residence and so, within his borders, he made decisions that affected his subsequent state government.
WHAT TO SEE IN PEÑAFIEL: PLAZA DEL COSO, CASTLE, HOUSE OF WINE
Here they come together a rich historical heritage, a beautiful rural environment together with a great wine and gastronomic tradition. We go through the Duraton River – tributary of the Duero - while we walk through its medieval streets with the intention of reaching to his imposing castle that we see on top of a summit.
We walk down Calle Derecha al Coso, which is its busiest street, and we smell freshly baked suckling lamb... We reach the Plaza del Coso (Well of Cultural Interest) famous for being one of the first squares in all of Spain and we are surprised by his architecture, spaciousness and beauty . Here, in its 3500m², medieval shows were held and, later, bullfighting; its soil is made of sand and it is surrounded by houses of traditional architecture. It is made up of 48 stone and wood constructions with two or three floors, gabled roofs with single-row Arabic tiles. . Its large balconies catch our attention, many of them with a wooden decoration called valance , giving life to the call Balcony of Servitude (which can be visited).
We spoke with Yolanda Burgoa a young woman from Peñafiel who has returned to her land with the intention of helping spread the culture of her people and giving visibility to the opportunities offered by the land of Peñafiel: “Among all of us, we contribute to keeping our traditions and celebrations alive. During the patron saint festivities of Our Lady and San Roque (August 14-18) and Easter Sunday with the "Bajada del Ángel", these balconies are auctioned as a box to see from the front row the traditional representations that are celebrated here. And they are highly valued! And do you know Chúndara? It is a custom that we have kept alive for many years in which the municipal music band travels the streets to the rhythm of the pasodoble, together with neighbors who follow it, from the main square to the Plaza del Coso, while people throw cauldrons of water from their balconies.
Plaza del Coso
Peñafiel is presided over by the majestic castle of Peñafiel from the 10th century (National Monument since 1917), icon of the Ribera del Duero Wine Route . From the Plaza del Coso we admire this fortress in the form of a ship located at the top of the hill and embedded in the complicated orography of the mountain. Because of its boat shape, many call it "the ship of Castile" and, from the top of the hill, we can see three valleys: the Duero Valley, the Duratón Valley and the Arroyo Botijas Valley . These views made it a place of defense during the Reconquest as well as a dividing line between the Muslim and Christian empires, making it one of the most coveted places in Spain for centuries. The name of the town is due to this castle in which Count Sancho converted the name of this "Peña Falcón" in Peñafiel by stating that "from now on this will be the most faithful supporters club in Castile".
Inside we find the Wine Museum in which it is exposed the history of Ribera del Duero also adapted to the little ones in the house with a “olfactory table” where you can recognize the different aromas of wine. We enjoy a sensory journey through the history of the vine, the wine regions of the whole world, the designs of bottles and labels, the techniques of winemaking and we refine our sense of smell in a blind caste in which we have to discover the different wines that they offer us.
We continue our journey along the bridge that crosses the Duratón from where you can see the Santa Clara Convent, Baroque monument dating from the end of the 17th century Y former monastery of Poor Clare nuns ; Today, it has become the exclusive Las Claras Convent Spa Hotel.
WINE TOURISM, THEATER AND NATURE
The first Ribera del Duero winery was founded in Peñafiel in 1927 . In the same foothills of the mountain on which Peñafiel Castle stands, are the impressive wine cellars . We go through your avant-garde design underground galleries (by architect Sir Richard Rogers) and we discover the history of this winery that is marketed in more than 90 countries on five continents. We end with a tasting of these centuries-old wines that allow you to travel with your palate to any corner of the planet.
But not everything has viticultural overtones in Peñafiel, as soon as we step on the Ribera del Duero House-Museum we traveled a century back with dramatized stories that show us the traditions, customs and daily life of these lands. We let ourselves be carried away by the representation of the most famous characters of this town, Mariano and Thomas , that make us participate in their play and that make the little ones in the house laugh out loud.
In the evening we walk through the waters of the Duratón river, where the famous Jewish quarter is located , where this community lived many years ago. Here is the Judería park so that the little ones can run around freely because hey, Castile is wide here!
Protos Wineries
The next day we chose to perform part of the route of the Senda del Duero (to Pesquera) in a route of 8 kilometers (1 hour and 50 minutes) in which we discover the old paths of the fishermen . We leave the river park next to the Duratón River and after walking a little over 2 and a half kilometers we witness its mouth in the Duero River in an environment surrounded by an energizing aroma that exudes well-being . The trail runs through a leafy forest between poplars, ash trees and a large pine forest in which we let ourselves be carried away by the relaxing sound of the course of the river. We cross a walkway of modern design integrated into the landscape that takes us into the wine-producing town of Pesquera. A walk for the little ones in the house to discover the great variety of flora and fauna in the area.
GASTRONOMY: RESTAURANTS AND STARS
Gastronomy is one of the great attractions of Peñafiel, a land that owes its international culinary fame lamb roasted in a wood oven considered the best pairing for its great wines . In just over 30 kilometers there are three Michelin star restaurants. in the warehouse Payment of Carraovejas we discover the Ambivium restaurant with a Michelin star in a kitchen that runs through different flavors of the planet.
Just 20 minutes from Peñafiel we reach the town Sardon de Duero Where is he Hotel Abadia Retuerta where we stayed and discovered its Michelin star restaurant Refectorio with a creative contemporary kitchen . And with no intention of cloying ourselves but excited to discover the Arzuaga Navarro winery we approached the town of Quintanilla de Onesimo (ten minutes from Peñafiel) to discover the last Michelin in the area in the The Workshop Restaurant with an avant-garde Castilian cuisine based on the products of the land (and privileged views of the vineyards of this outstanding winery managed by the designer Amaya Arzuaga).
Its cocktail bar, a must