Spain launches new initiative highlighting lesser-known cultural routes Spain launches new initiative highlighting lesser-known cultural routes

Most people know of the Camino Francés, the most popular of the pilgrim trails that shepherd 400,000 people to Santiago de Compostela every year. But there are many more historical routes across Spain. In fact, thousands of kilometres of cultural trails span the country, tracing the steps of kings, monks, pilgrims and ancient humans.

A handful of the lesser-visited stops along eight of these cultural routes are now being spotlighted by a new tourist initiative aimed at luring visitors away from Spain’s busiest sites. These Cruce de Caminos – or crossroads – are where many historic trails intersect. And even if you’re not up to a 300km trek, they offer a great way to explore some remarkable histories. The following are just a few of the more interesting stops.

The Charles V Route (550km) traces the path taken by the eponymous Holy Roman Emperor after his abdication in 1556. Arriving in northern Spain with 50 ships in tow, he fled to Yuste Monastery via forts (Velasco), palaces (Valladolid) and glacial valleys. But among the key stops was Burgos, a city whose holy sites and UNESCO-listed cathedral feature on many historic routes.

Even the 2,000km Camino del Cid, which apes the path taken by the medieval knight and ruler Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar (El Cid) upon his exile, begins in the fringes of Burgos. The cathedral is where he and his wife’s remains lie, and its tombs set the scene before following his trail to Valencia, where El Cid raised an army to take the city in 1094.

Alternatively, the Via de la Plata takes in a trio of crossroads cities on its 800km route from Seville to Santiago, including Mérida, the former capital of Roman Hispania, and pilgrim’s favourite León, with its grand basilica and royal burial site. But the star here is Cáceres, a medieval gem in Extremadura where gargoyles and stork’s nests still infest the Gothic and Renaissance skyline of its walled Old Town.

For some bold religious architecture, the Cluny Ibérica route traces the paths of the Cluniac monks, who played a key role in establishing the camino pilgrim trails by building a network of hundreds of monasteries in the Middle Ages. A key stop on this route is Fromista, whose San Martín church is one of the most celebrated examples of Spanish Romanesque architecture on the Iberian peninsula.

Or if you want a pilgrim route with a twist, the 315km Caminos de Pasión spans a collection of Andalucian towns known for their Holy Week (Semana Santa) celebrations. Between the solemn processions of Carmona, the drummers of Baena and the colourful floats of Alcalá la Real (famed for its 1,000-year-old fortress), it pays to plan a visit here in time for Easter.

And lastly, the Prehistoric Rock Art Trails offer a far deeper history of Spain. One key stop among many on its 15 regional routes is Cantabria’s Ramales de la Victoria, a crossroads for visiting several caves in the area, including Covalanas, whose rust-red wall art dates back some 19,000 years.

For more detailed information on the above routes and others, visit spainculturalroutes.com

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