We are in the only province of Galicia that does not overlook the sea. Ourense is the interior. And leafy, as shown by the Allariz Area Biosphere Reserve, the Natural Parks of Serra do Xurés, do Invernadeiro and Serra da Enciña da Lastra stand out.
The Ribeira Sacra and the Vía de la Plata are some of the routes that discover the cultural heritage of this land rich in thermal waters. There are many places where the traveler can test the therapeutic properties of its springs by bathing in the open air.
This that we propose is a travel guide for a route by car through Ourense, a route that begins in the capital …
Ourense
The river Miño has determined the current appearance of the Orense capital. The best example of the Roman legacy is “a ponte vella” (the Main Bridge), although only a few ashlars remain of the original Roman bridge. You have to visit the Burgas, hot springs that have made Ourense famous. The oldest is that of Arriba, from the seventeenth century.
The Old City preserves some of the most important monuments: the arcaded Plaza Mayor (in the image above), the City Hall building, the old Episcopal Palace (today the Archaeological Museum) and the Church of Santa María Madre.
Above the historic center stands the clock tower attached to the Cathedral of San Martiño (top photo). This cathedral temple, consecrated in 1188, was built between the 12th and 13th centuries. In this beautiful setting of streets and squares are the Oca-Valladares palace, the church of Santa Eufemia and the convent of San Francisco.
We leave Ourense on the A-52 heading west. We leave it at the height of Arrabaldo, where we jump to the N-541, until we reach …
Carballiño
The Temple of Veracruz, which fuses Byzantine, pre-Romanesque, Romanesque and Gothic traces, is the symbol of the town. Other points of interest are the castreño site of San Cibrán de Las, the Pazo de los Quiroga and Santa Baia de Banga, a Romanesque jewel with polychrome wall paintings. One of its main attractions is its status as a seaside resort. The thermal waters have their two main references in Caldas de Partovia and the Gran Balneario. El Arenteiro concentrates river beaches, such as El Cuco.
Boborás
It is part of the O Carballiño region. It has an interesting landscape, where vines, forests and meadows are mixed. Of the religious and military orders that passed through here, such as those of the Holy Sepulcher, the Temple or the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, there are traces in the constructions, both civil and religious.
We take OU-0414 towards Ribadavia
Former seat of the Kingdom of Galicia, it is very chosen for wine and the Hebrew people. Its Jewish quarter is the most relevant in Galicia, both for its importance and for its state of conservation. The Jewish quarter is spatially organized around the Plaza de la Magdalena. Nearby, the Romanesque church of Santiago and a long list of temples: Santo Domingo, O Portal, San Francisco, Santa María, San Juan … And, like a stone watchman, the Castillo de los Sarmiento (lower image) .South, in the direction of Gonariz. We pass this town and come out onto OU-504. We continue to the South. We connect with the N-120 and we arrive at …
