Stone Villages, Traditional Food and a Templar Castle

Ready for the first day on the road? Start driving early to make the most of the day.

The first destination is the town of Astorga, which despite its small size has many interesting places to visit. You can leave your car in this free car park, which is located in the centre and usually has space if you arrive early.

As the museums open from 10:00 or 10:30, you can take advantage of the time to walk to the Plaza España and see the first movements of the morning. This is where the town hall building is located.
Astorga is famous for being a crossing point of the Camino de Santiago, for having been a crossroads in Roman times (today you can visit several Roman remains) and for its gastronomic specialities such as chocolate, mantecadas and cocido maragato (there is more information below).

One of the most famous chocolate shops is located very close to Plaza España. Although a visit to the Chocolate Museum is suggested afterwards, you can stop by this shop to buy not only chocolate, but also mantecadas, another traditional sweet. It is always good to travel with a sweet snack in your bag to eat at any time of the day.
Open Hours Monday - Sunday: 6:00 - 21:00. Closed for a break: Wednesday and Thursday from 14:00 to 16:00.

On your way to the first suggested museum, you can pass through Calle Los Sitios where you will see two murals on the walls. One is a scene of the making of mantecadas and the other a scene from the war of independence.

Gaudi's Palace is one of the few works by this artist outside Catalonia. In this case it is a neo-Gothic style building that currently houses the Museum of the Pilgrims' Roads.
In the museum you will find a large number of objects that make reference to the Camino de Santiago.
To find out more about the museum, visit this website.
To buy a ticket, you can do so at this website. You must choose a visiting time. Keep this in mind to organise your morning.
Open Hours From May to October. Monday - Sunday: 10:00 - 14:00, 16:00 - 20:00. From November to April. Monday - Sunday: 10:30 - 14:00, 16:00 - 18:30.
Note Please note that during the morning you can divide your time between the three sites to visit. Spend more time on what interests you most.

The Cathedral of Astorga is very close to the palace. It is a building that is striking for its large size in a small city. It is well worth seeing inside. You can buy your ticket on this website. The entrance includes audioguide. On Tuesdays the visit is free.
Opening hours Monday to Sunday: 10:00 - 20:30 (Last visit 30 minutes before closing time) Variable opening times depending on the masses.
Free visit timetable Tuesday: 10.30 - 12.30.

The last activity of the morning is a visit to the Chocolate Museum. The museum has two floors and several rooms that can be visited to learn all about chocolate, from its origins and instruments to chocolate families and advertising. At the end, you can do a tasting and, of course, buy more chocolate.
Open Hours Tuesday to Saturday from 10:30 - 14:00, 16:30 - 19:00. Sundays and holidays from 10:30 - 14:00.

It's time for lunch! And if you are not vegetarian/vegan you must try the most traditional food of Astorga and surroundings: the cocido maragato. This meal has the peculiarity that it is eaten "backwards", that is, instead of starting with the soup and ending with the meat, you eat the six or seven varieties of meat first and then the chickpeas, the vegetables and the soup.
One of the places to try it is Las Termas.
Open Hours Monday to Sunday: 13:00 - 16:00.

After lunch, the proposal is to drive another 7 km to visit a picturesque village: Castrillo de los Polvazares. You can leave the car in this car park and walk.

Castrillo de los Polvazares is a small village that has been revived thanks to the pilgrims who come here to sleep or eat. When you walk through its cobbled streets and look at its stone houses with green and blue windows and doors, you will want to photograph the whole landscape!
The main street is Calle Real, where the shops are concentrated. You can walk there and back and turn off at any corner.
As you walk you can look for the symbols of the Camino de Santiago, such as shells.

To get to Ponferrada, you can choose to follow the mountain route that accompanies the French Way and pass through small villages that welcome pilgrims or you can take the highway.
In this case, the itinerary suggest the first option. The road may have stretches that are not in the best conditions, but the landscapes and the villages that receive pilgrims are more interesting and picturesque.
One of the first places you will see is the small village of Foncebadón. There are some hostels, taverns and services for pilgrims. You can stop for a photograph or to do some shopping.
If you follow the path you will see a cross (Cruz de Hierro). And, possibly, many pilgrims who stop there to rest or take a photograph. In front of the cross there is an area with tables and benches.
You can also stop to take photographs and look for symbols of the Camino de Santiago in places such as Manjarín or Riego de Ambrós. These are very small places, which may only have a few buildings.

The next suggested destination to stop for coffee or refreshments is Molinaseca. You can leave your car in this car park and take a short walk.

As it could not be otherwise, in the walk through the village you are going to find objects or sites related to the Camino de Santiago, and one of them is the Monument to the Pilgrim.
From there, you can walk along Calle Iglesia (where you will see the Town Hall) or along Calle Real, which is the main street. You are sure to like the typical houses with their balconies full of flowers.

Choose somewhere to have a coffee or a snack. There are several on Calle Real. One of them is Donde María.
Opening hours are not specified, but it is always open in the afternoons. If you find it closed, look for another nearby.

If you want to know more about the town, you can go to the Puente Romano or Puente de los Peregrinos. From the bridge, you can see the Church of San Nicolás de Bari and take some nice photographs.

Back to the car park to continue on your way!

You have arrived Ponferrada! Find a hotel with parking and leave your stuff there. Don't delay too long because the next visit is to the Templar Castle and there is not much time left.

The last visit of the day will be to the Templar Castle. This castle has been a Site of Cultural Interest (BIC) and a National Monument since 1924. It is worth a visit because it has its origins in prehistoric times and you will learn a lot during your tour.
You can visit the Old Castle, the New Palace, the Towers and the city walls.
Open Hours Tuesdays - Sundays: 10:00 - 14:00, 16:30 - 20:30. Monday closed
To buy tickets, you can do so on this website

There are several places to dine around the castle. One of them is the Bodega de Godivah. There you can order tapas, such as potatoes with ali-oli, croquettes, calamari rabas, cecina de León (typical of the area), cured ham, tortilla and many other tapas.
Open Hours Mondays: 17:00 - 24:00. Tuesdays- Fridays: 10:00 - 24:00. Saturdays - Sundays: 11:00 - 24:00

Time to rest! Return to the hotel to recover energy for the second day of the route.