Trail afar for seen be

Views of from the Nature Nature the from Valley Ambroz of Views station train Hervás’ former The can Toro de Segura dehesas, of Landscape

Ambroz Valley. This itinerary ends at an altitude of of altitude an at ends itinerary This Valley. Ambroz

degree of traffic and there is poor visibility due. visibility poor is there and traffic of degree tistic Site in 1969). in Site tistic

This effort is rewarded with impressive views to the the to views impressive with rewarded is effort This

- Historic-Ar a declared was Hervás of Quarter Jewish

exercise precautions as this road does have a certain certain a have does road this as precautions exercise

Nature Trail require some extra physical exertion. exertion. physical extra some require Trail Nature

road from Mérida to Astorga, etc.) and the Jews (the (the Jews the and etc.) Astorga, to Mérida from road

tion, the trail crosses the CC-58 road. Remember to to Remember road. CC-58 the crosses trail the tion,

pronounced and the final few kilometres of the the of kilometres few final the and pronounced Granjuela, the baths in Baños de Montemayor, the the Montemayor, de Baños in baths the Granjuela,

- sta the exiting after Just stream. Montesinos the

After this point, the gradient becomes a little more more little a becomes gradient the point, this After 7. Celts (the bull of ) the Romans (La (La Romans the Toro) de Segura of bull (the Celts

the old station at just after after just Camino del Aldeanueva at station old the

that have left their mark in the country: the Vetton Vetton the country: the in mark their left have that

reaches the River Balozano, a tributary of the Ambroz. Ambroz. the of tributary a Balozano, River the reaches descending again into the trenches, and reaching reaching and trenches, the into again descending

Throughout history, there have been many cultures cultures many been have there history, Throughout

The trail soon returns to the dehesa, occasionally occasionally dehesa, the to returns soon trail The 3. passes under the EX-205 road and, a kilometre later, later, kilometre a and, road EX-205 the under passes

Some 600m after crossing the River Ambroz, the trail trail the Ambroz, River the crossing after 600m Some national road and the A-66 motorway. A-66 the and road national

Grande, flanked by riverbank vegetation. riverbank by flanked Grande,

now runs, and, over the last few decades, the N-360 N-360 the decades, few last the over and, runs, now

dge and leaving the last of the town’s houses behind. behind. houses town’s the of last the leaving and dge

ash tree. The trail reaches the bridge over the Garganta Garganta the over bridge the reaches trail The tree. ash

along whose tracks the Camino Natural Vía de la Plata Plata la de Vía Natural Camino the tracks whose along

- bri the crossing After bridge”. “iron the as to referred

hesas with holm oak and dotted with the odd cork or or cork odd the with dotted and oak holm with hesas

riana Occidental and La Vizana, and later the railway, railway, the later and Vizana, La and Occidental riana

the Nature Trail: the viaduct over the river Ambroz, also also Ambroz, river the over viaduct the Trail: Nature the

- de by dominated becomes landscape the Trail, Nature - So Real La like tracks cattle and roads drover’s cam),

the arriving at one of the landmarks of this section of of section this of landmarks the of one at arriving the

- Asturi Emerita ab (Iter Astorga to Mérida from road Garganta Ancha. Over the next few kilometres of the the of kilometres few next the Over Ancha. Garganta

tinues between the banks, opening up once again after after again once up opening banks, the between tinues

gh the Ambroz Valley throughout history: the Roman Roman the history: throughout Valley Ambroz the gh poplar, willow) before reaching the bridge over the the over bridge the reaching before willow) poplar,

- throu passed have transport of forms many west, the - con again once and behind station the leaves trail The 6.

ting an oak grove later becoming a gallery forest (ash, (ash, forest gallery a becoming later grove oak an ting

As the natural crossing point of the Central System to to System Central the of point crossing natural the As

- penetra before railway the for excavated trenches the on the route, Hervás’s station is in quite good condition. condition. good quite in is station Hervás’s route, the on

Leaving the station behind, the trail briefly runs through through runs briefly trail the behind, station the Leaving 2.

under the CC-102 road. Unlike the two other stations stations other two the Unlike road. CC-102 the under (500m) all within a distances of little more than 25km. 25km. than more little of distances a within all (500m)

tainous elevations (reaching 2,000m) and valley depths depths valley and 2,000m) (reaching elevations tainous

reached after passing over the river Gallego and later later and Gallego river the over passing after reached station that served that locality. locality. that served that station

- moun with landscapes of diversity a offers it east, the

tell they are approaching Hervás . Its former station is is station former Its . Hervás approaching are they tell

des access to ) and arrive at the old old the at arrive and Monte) del Casas to access des

the most western foothills of the Sierra de Gredos to to Gredos de Sierra the of foothills western most the

a dense oak grove. Upon emerging, the traveller can can traveller the emerging, Upon grove. oak dense a - provi (which CC-15.3 under pass we kilometres two

tremadura, bordering the province of Salamanca. With With Salamanca. of province the bordering tremadura,

The track passes over the Romanillo stream, entering entering stream, Romanillo the over passes track The 5.

ves, dehesas and pastures for cows and sheep. After After sheep. and cows for pastures and dehesas ves, - Ex of community autonomous the in Cáceres of vince

- gro olive among landscape, agricultural essentially

- pro the of north the in located is Valley Ambroz The cork trees making way for Pyrenean and common oak. common and Pyrenean for way making trees cork

The first few kilometres of the trail run through an an through run trail the of kilometres few first The 1.

vegetation also begins to change, with holm oak and and oak holm with change, to begins also vegetation

AMBROZ VALLEY AMBROZ

ding the slopes of the Cruces Altas mountains. The The mountains. Altas Cruces the of slopes the ding ture trail. The starting point is 300 metres to the south. the to metres 300 is point starting The trail. ture

- ascen while constantly, but gently rise to continues - na the as far as right the on track dirt the take metres, 100

couple of kilometres. On the way to Hervás, the route route the Hervás, to way the On kilometres. of couple section that crosses Castilla y León reaches Béjar. Béjar. reaches León y Castilla crosses that section After N-630. the of 447 km at starts that road country paved

the northeast, running parallel with the A-66 for a a for A-66 the with parallel running northeast, the ties of Hervás and Baños de Montemayor, where the the where Montemayor, de Baños and Hervás of ties the along accessed be can and Monte del Casas and Jarilla

- municipali the between boundary the on 770m, over to direction changes and here turn a makes trail The 4. between boundary municipal the at begins section This

MONTE - HERVÁS SECTION HERVÁS - MONTE

VÍA DE LA PLATA. PLATA. LA DE VÍA CASAS DEL DEL CASAS

NATURE TRAIL NATURE

PENINSULAR CENTER PENINSULAR SECTOR

SECTOR PENINSULAR CENTER Guide to the Nature Trails of

Since 1993 the Ministry for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food‘s Nature Trails Program aims to restore former transport infrastructures such as railway tracks, cattle trails and tradi- tional routes, for public use and enjoyment. FROM THE PLAINS OF THE AMBROZ VALLEY TO These routes take us to the countryside to discover the bio- THE FOOTHILLS OF THE SIERRA DE BÉJAR diversity and beauty of our precious natural heritage, and discover the villages, sights, traditions and people that are part of the unique cultural landscape of our country. Following the course of the old -Astorga rai- We invite you to visit them and offer you the keys to en- lway (which forms part of the route known as the Vía de la joy the trip. In this brochure you will find a brief description Plata), this section of the Vía de la Plata Nature Trail cros- of Vía de la Plata Nature Trail. Casas del Monte - Hervás ses the county of Ambroz Valley from south to north. Over section and the map for the journey, along with recommen- the course of this trail the landscape changes from lives- dations to make the most of this experience. We only ask tock pastures and dehesas to the deciduous forests (oak, one thing of you: do not forget to leave everything as you Pyrenean oak and some the most important chestnut gro- found it. The conservation of these pathways is also your NATURE TRAIL ves in Cáceres) on the mountain hillsides. responsibility. DL: VÍA DE LA PLATA. TELEPHONES OF INTEREST:

• Casas del Monte Town Council: 0034 927 17 90 23 CASAS DEL MONTE • Segura de Toro Town Council: 0034 927 48 40 31 • Aldeanueva del Camino Town Council: 0034 927 48 40 48 NIPO: -HERVÁS SECTION

Casas del Monte to Hervás [Cáceres] MIDE

Harshness of natural environment 1 Upward grad¡ent 365 m Guidance along the route 1 Downward gradient 1 m Route difficulty 1 ROUTE LENGHT 19,7 km Amount of effort needed 3 TIME 5 h 40 min

town point of interest

Casas del Monte Hervás’ municipal limit

Hervás former station

Aldeanueva del Iron Bridge over 1000 Casas del Monte Camino former station River Ambroz 7 900 former station Romanillo creek 800 700 Garganta Grande 600 500 400 300 200 (m) 0 (Km) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21,08 6 5 4

3

2

1

SECTOR NATURE TRAIL Starting point Town Bathing area PENINSULAR CENTER VÍA DE LA PLATA. End of trail Monumental area Dam Nature CASAS DEL MONTE - Trails HERVÁS SECTION Former station Bridge