On this excursion you will experience unique, religious monuments, follow the traces of Spain’s history and reach with the end of the journey the highlight, the grave of the apostle Jakobus. The Ruta de la Plata, how they call it in Spain, is a route traced between mountains, valleys and plains joining the North and the South of Spain. This way was located when the Romans invaded the Iberian Peninsula and was ever important for the country, its economy and plays a major part in the religious development of Spain. The street is lined with beautiful and interesting churches and cathedrals and will surprise you with its variety always and again.
1st day: Flight to Sevilla
Flight to Sevilla. Welcome by our professional English speaking guide and transfer to the hotel. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
2nd day: Sevilla – Carmona – Santiponce – Sevilla
After breakfast full day trip to Carmona. We visit the Santa Clara church, built in the 16th century, the San Pedro Church with its magnificent sacramantel chapel and the Santa Maria Priory Church. Worth seeing is the roman Necropolis and Amphitheatre which lay in front of each other and both were built around the 1st and 2nd century. Our tour brings us then to Sanitponce where we see the San Isidoro del Campo Monastery, founded by Guzman el Bueno in the 14th century to honour the place, according to tradition, the body of St. Isidore was found. The bus brings us to the rest of the small town. Return to Sevilla. This very beautiful city holds the largest fane in Spain called the Patio de los Naranjos Cathereal. Moreover we visit the Santa Ciudad Church and the Salvador Church. Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel.
3rd day: Sevilla – Mérida – Cáceres (250 km)
Breakfast. Decampment to Mérida where we find the Roman Theatre, one of the biggest and most impressing theatres of the roman Hisspain generally. Building up in 16-15 B.C. it got its origin function back: during the summer the International Festival of the classic Theatres take place there. We go on to Cáceres where we pass the impressing main entrance, the 15th century-based gate Arco de la Estrella. Following we visit the Santa Maria Church, built in roman-gothic style as well as the San Jorge Square dedicated to the patron saint of Cáceres. In this square we can observe San Francisco Javier Church and the San Jorge Exhibiton Palace, both built in the 18th century in the Baroque style. Dinner and overnight stay in Cáceres.
4th day: Cáceres – Trujillo – Gudadalupe – Cáceres (250 km)
After having breakfast day-trip at first to Trujillo. We see the Palace of Marqueses de la Conquista, the prettiest one in Trujillo. The special part of it is its “edge balcony”, framed by two columns and adorned with several busts. Next stop is Guadalupe and its famous monastery. It contains inside its bulky walls the very popular Black Virgin and attracs due to that thousands of visitors every year. Since 1993 it belongs to UNESCO’s World Cultural Heritage. Back to Cáceres, dinner and overnight stay at the hotel.
5th day: Cáceres – Casar – Plasencia – Béjar (130 km)
After breakfast ride to Casar. Visiting the church Nuestra Sra de la Ascunción. Inside the outstanding points are the main Altarpiece, declared to be an Object of Cultural interest and the star-shaped dome in the apse. Then we see numerous pilgrimage chapels and go further to Plasencia. Lovely is the Old and the New Dome, the Bishop Palace and the St. Petri Church. We leave Plasencia towards Béjar where we look at the Santiago church, the Ex San Francisco Convent plus the Santa Maria Church. After seeing the Ducal Palace we enter our hotel, have dinner and stay overnight.
6th day: Béjar – Salamanca – Zamora (140 km)
Breakfast. The next stop on our excursion is Salamanca. We experience the Old Cathedral and Patio Chico, its small courtyard. Inside of it you find a Diocesan Museum and Archives. We also see the New Cathedral with its main porch, a real display of adornment. Very special in Salmanca is the Univerity because of its admireable fascade. Ride to Zamora. Visitation of the castle surrounded by a moat. In the interior of its courtyard, which you enter over a drawbridge, is the Homenaje tower. We also see the most beautiful Romanesque bilding in Zamora, the Cathedral. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
7th day: Zamora – Benavente – Leon (140 km)
After having breakfast we break up to Benavente. We come to see the La Mota Castle, a gothic-style building, influenced by the Renaissance. After that we visit the Santa Maria del Azogue Church with two mangnificent Romanesque porches in the interior. Continuing to the San Juan del Mercado Church. We leave to reach Leon, once one of the most important cities in the christian Spain. Interesting are there the Santa Maria de Leon-Pulchra Leonina Church because of the 1800 square metres of mediaeval stained glass which let in the light between the high walls of this church and the San Isidoro church museum with a fine collection of ancient manuscripts. We go on a short sightseeingtour before we have dinner at the hotel.
8th day: Leon – Astorga – Ponteferrada – Villafranca del Bierzo (135 km)
Breakfast. Ride to Astorga, which had once 22 nursing homes for french and portuguese pilgrims. Today there’s just one left which is located next to the Cathedral. Well seeing is the bishop palace, built up by Gaudí in the 19th century. It houses the pilgrim museum “Museo de los Caminos”. At this point we’ll have a footwalk towards Ponteferrada such as on a pilgrimage hundred years ago. This completes our experience of Spain and the Route of La Plata. At Ponteferrada we see the beautiful castle, rest a while and leave then by bus towards Villafranca del Bierzo and its cluniazenser monastery. A visit worth is also the church San Francisco (supposed to be founded by the Holy Franziscus himself) and different more convents. Dinner and overnight.
9th day: Villafranca del Bierzo – Puertomarin – Santiago de Compostela (220 km)
After breakfast decampment to Puertomarin. This mediaeval village was rebuildt on a new place including each of its monuments, when the storage lake of Mino flooded the whole village. The churches San Pedro and San Nicolás are outstanding buildings in Puertomarin. We go on to Palas dei Rei, surrounded by different romanesque monuments. We head for Santiago de Compostela, which is part of UNESCO’s World Cultural Heritage. Short sightseeing-tour, then dinner and overnight at the hotel.
10th day: Santiago de Compostela
Breakfast. Guided city-tour through the mediaeval, picturesque Santiago de Compostela with its old granite streets and houses: Plaza de la Quintana, Plaza de las Platerías und die Plaza del Obradoiro, where you have probably the nicest overview of the city. The highlight is the cathedral with the grave of the apostle Jacobus, built between 11th and 13th century. Its tradition for the pilgrims to put their hand into a deepening inside of the column-hall, which was formed by thousands of pilgrims in former times. Every day at 12 am they hold a pilgrim mass on which we take part. The rest of the day is leisure time. Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel.
11th day: Santiago de Compostela - Departure
Breakfast at the hotel and check out. Transfer to the airport and flight back home.
Subject to alterations. |
