Fundación Las Médulas
Fundación Las Médulas logotype Photograph of Las Médulas
Image Las Médulas, a World Heritage Cultural Landscape
Fundación Las Médulas
index | web map | contact us
The Foundation
The cultural park
separador
bullet What are Las Médulas?
separador
bullet Cultural landscape
separador
bullet Cultural park
separador
bullet How to get there
separador
bullet Itineraries
separador
bullet Infrastructures and services
separador
bullet The archaeology of a mining landscape
separador
bullet Natural heritage
separador
bullet Las Médulas after the Romans
separador
bullet Research work in Las Médulas
separador
   
Activities
News
 
The cultural park | Itineraries | null. Las Médulas before the romans.
 
Itinerary Las Médulas before the romans
Press in the image to see it extended
The communities that inhabited this area before the arrival of Rome were hillfort dwellers. Their population centres were hillforts, fortified settlements established on dominant topographical positions. This itinerary provides a visit to the only two pre-Roman hillforts in the area.

El Castrelín location
Press in the image to see it extended
boton pdf
Click on the icon to view or download the PDF version
 
 

- Start. From the national highway 536 at the Las Ventas restaurant and alongside the village of San Juan de Paluezas (municipality of Borrenes) one takes the road leading to Castrelín de San Juan de Paluezas, located on a projection on the river Sil which dominates the river meadow and El Bierzo.

If you are going by car note that in rainy conditions the road to the village can be in quite poor state. It is recommended that you use a 4x4 or that you leave your car at the Estrella quarry, currently abandoned, and continue on foot (estimated time: 30 minutes).

- The El Castrelín de San Juan de Paluezas is a good place for discovering the way of life of the pre-Roman Astur communities who occupied the area from the 3rd century BC to the change of era. There is an information post in the village detailing the essential characteristics of this type of site, the layout of the dwellings inside the walled enclosure or their functional differences and their grouping into domestic units.

Castrelín northAerial photo Castrelín westExcavated sector

- Access to the Borrenes hillfort is from the village of Borrenes by following the track that leads to the Corona del Cerco peak, that leads from the road that leads from the Borrenes village to the La Chana village. The condition of the track, which is barely 1 km in length, can be poor. It is recommended that the route be covered on foot (estimated time: 20 minutes) or use a 4x4 vehicle for the visit. You should leave your car at the first information point you encounter and then continue the visit on foot.

- The Castro de Borrenes (1st century BC) is also an Astur hillfort, built in the time just prior to the arrival of the Romans. The information point located here describes the role of the village’s defensive structures and their construction features, especially its impressive ramparts. The sudden demise of the village is clearly linked to the appearance of the Romans.

Aerial photo BorrenesBorrenes wallsBorrenes entrance
Click to view Flash movies of 3 itineraries
Fundación Las Médulas
Imegen de apoyo gráfico