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,!.$ /& 6!,%.#)! WWWLANDOFVALENCIACOM • BENAFIGOS • CULLA • LA TORRE D'EN BESORA • VILAR DE CANES • VILLAHERMOSA DEL RÍO • VISTABELLA DEL MAESTRAZGO • ZUCAINA • L'ALCORA • XODOS • COSTUR • ATZENETA DEL MAESTRAT • LES USERES • LUCENA DEL CID • VILAFAMÉS • VALL D'ALBA • SIERRA ENGARCERÁN • LA POBLA TORNESA
he L’Alcalatén and La Plana districts enjoy the backdrop so-called Royal Ceramics Factory founded in 1727 by the Count guide, make a daylong pilgrimage to the chapel of St John on Penyagolosa V-79. The shrine to Sant Joan visitors can see a well-restored Gothic town hall building and of the highest peak in the Land of Valencia, the Penyagolosa of Aranda, Lord of l’Alcalatén. Provenzal, Dutch and Saxon peak to give thanks for the town’s miraculous relief from a terrible plague (St John in Valencian) probably the Sant Joan church with a monumental late Baroque massif (1814m). It is visible from many surrounding towns, and craftsmen once worked here, bringing great renown to the in the Middle Ages. With full-grown beards, purple sackcloth gowns and goes back to the 13th C, soon portal. In the green valley of la Serra de looms high in Castellón skies. It is by no means strange that this factory. A few artisan workshops here still preserve the tradition sandals, wide-brimmed hats and staves, they take vows of silence, ascend after the Reconquest. The original les Santes, or the ‘saints’ mountain’ is a chapel peak has acquired a symbolic value for the people of the district, as of the beautiful Alcora tiles made in centuries 35km to the mountain peak, spend the night in vigil and then descend chapel was successively enlarged to erstwhile holymen dating from the 17th C. TORRE ENDOMÉNECH suggested by the song of the local musician Rozalén, past. from the chapel to return to the village, always baring their feet before in the second half of the 16th C, spreading around a small patio • Benlloch nestles against the slopes of the Serra d’En which goes something like this: “Penyagolosa, giant entering with solemn demeanours. This vow taken by the townsfolk with segmental arches to form a church that was fully transformed during • The route continues through the village Galceran. This small farming village has a chapel to a in stone/Your mighty head, whitened with snow.../ of Les Useres has been maintained down through the ages the 17th and 18th C. The impressive sanctuary, the surrounding landscape ALBOCÁCER of La Foia, where the church has a virgin (Mare de Déu de l’Adjutori) whose image was carved Penyagolosa, rock-like symbol of the land I know.” intact. Passing through Les Useres is the hiking route GR-33 and centuries of devotion make Sant Joan de Penyagolosa a unique site baptismal font tiled with products from the Alcora in wood in the 15th C. East of the town lies the so-called ‘Pedra running from Castellón to Sant Joan de Penyagolosa, which is to visit. The district basically has two kinds of scenery. Narrow factory. Then comes Figueroles next to the Llucena river, boasting Fita’, a large limestone rock standing on its edge and mentioned in the the same route taken by the pilgrims. valleys lie between the folds of the mountains, where the historic Casa dels Col.legials and the Sant Mateu church, with Xodos can be accessed from the road to Atzeneta del Maestrat or from town charter from 1250. It may have been related to the nearby Roman
SARRATELLA unirrigated croplands and small market gardens have been eked out of interesting altarpieces in wood. The landscape becomes rougher and Atzeneta preserves much of its ancient town centre, although the nearby Port del Vidre. This town preserves part of its castle and road, the Via Augusta.
• the slopes, with the occasional mountain spring or waterwheel-driven well steeper as we reach Lucena del Cid, whose steep, narrow streets run its 14th-C town walls are somewhat hard to envisage today. town walls (“El Callís”), now integrated into the town. The hiker’s route Sierra Engarcerán, also the name of the mountains, is actually a •
quenching the land’s thirst. Apart from this, there are dry mountains around a hill between the Pedronyera ravine and the Llucena river. The The Sant Bertomeu church dating from the GR-33 passes through Xodos, which is a good home base for exploring BENLLOCH town lying above 700m, with mountain peaks reaching over slopes leading sheer up to the lofty level of the Penyagolosa. Vegetation ancient town centre is representative of the architecture of these higher 17th C contains noteworthy Baroque the entire Penyagolosa massif. 1000m. The old town centre is known simply as has adapted to diverse climatic conditions and eco-systems, with and colder lands: a porticoed main square with a handsome neoclassical altarpieces. The Barranc de la Vall is the The second itinerary runs through a number of towns in the La Plana ‘La Serra’, now underpopulated, but it small dense woodlands clustering along valley streams, Aleppo church and town hall; quiet side streets leading to lookout points over the site of a fortified chapel dedicated to CABANES district, with its mountainous terrain and dry farmlands which have carefully has a large number of outlying villages or pine forests, Faginea oaks and wild pines on the market gardens bordering the river; and crowning the hilltop over the Sant Joan del Castell (15-16th C). • preserved their monuments, traditions and landscapes. La Pobla Tornesa farmsteads known as ‘masías’, such as Els Ivarsos and
slopes of Penyagolosa, and Spanish juniper on the town, the white mansion of the Duke and Duchess of Híjar, occupying This town is the starting point for three • is located between the Montnegre and Les Santes mountains, set right Els Rosildos. Recommendable visits in the town centre are
moorlands. These rugged heights are home to a the erstwhile castle of Urrea. Other sights worth seeing are the Sant other villages higher up on the CABANES on the Greenwich meridian. This village once pertained to the domains the 16th-C church of Sant Bartomeu, the mansion of the Casalduch number of birds of prey, such as the short-toed eagle, Antoni chapel, a Mediaeval village called San Miquel de les Torrocelles, Penyagolosa massif: Xodos, Vistabella of the Montornés estate, and was a strategic crossroads for communications family, popularly known as El Fort, and now the Town Hall, and Casa the goshawk, the booted eagle, the peregrine, and a cliff south of town called Salt del Cavall (‘horse jump’), the Iberian del Maestrazgo and Benafigos. between the coast and the interior. Vilafamés preserves a castle from Bertrán, another ancient mansion. In a pine wood near the town, called others. Among the larger animals are a few hard-to- tower of Foios, and the farmstead called Mas de la Costa. Lucena del Benafigos is a small village grouped BENLLOCH Moorish days, now substantially reconstructed, and an original urban Mola de la Vila, the 18th-C Valencian botanist Cavanilles encountered
• find mountain goats inhabiting the Montlleó river canyon. Cid is the starting point for the short distance hiker’s route around another church of Sant Joan
centre, the oldest part of which is built on limestone rocks a regional species of oak called the “roure valencià”. • PR-V-79 leading to St John’s chapel on the peak of the from the 14th C. Further along the road closer to the
These lands provide truly picturesque and well-preserved that seem to integrate themselves into the very carefully SARRATELLA Penyagolosa. Montlleó river is the chapel of l’Hortisella. The road continues to the On lower land, passing back through Benlloch, comes the town of Vilanova surroundings for the historic towns in the area, which can be restored old houses. In 1972 the 15th-C Casa del mountain pass Port del Vidre (or La Xaparra) where the right fork leads d’Alcolea, with an interesting Calvary route showing 18th-C ceramic reconnoitered using two major routes. From Lucena del Cid we can take the C-232 to the northernmost Batllé was opened to house the Contemporary Art to Vistabella del Maestrazgo. tiles made in Onda and Alcora on some of the stations of the cross. The part of the Alto Mijares district, traversing Castillo del Museum, with an important collection of works by Miró, The first route starts in l’Alcora, the gateway to the mountainous fiesta of Sant Antoni, a symbolic farewell to winter Villamalefa, Zucaina and Villahermosa del Río. The route then Located at 1246m above sea level, Vistabella del Maestrazgo is the Chillida, Canogar, Chirino, Gargallo, and others.
ALBOCÁCER l’Alcalatén district from the flatter La Plana district. This town using bonfires to salute the spring, is very popular doubles back to La Foia to branch out again towards Costur highest town in the entire region of Valencia. It preserves Mediaeval
• sits on the river Mijares, flanked by ridges where visitors can see Vall d’Alba is located in undulating terrain in this area. Vilanova is the centrepoint for these
and the nearby village of Mas d’Avall. These dry farmlands portals and some stretches of the ancient town walls. The stout • chapels devoted to Sant Cristòfol del Calvari, and a little farther leading up to the l’Alcalatén mountains. The scenery in this festivities, and lights bonfires in the streets, through
were once home to Neolithic hunters, Iberian tribes, Roman parochial church dates from the early 17th C, presenting a monumental TORRE ENDOMÉNECH on, to Sant Vicente Ferrer. The town church is Gothic in style, remodelled flat area, called Pla de l’Arc, is mainly dry farmland dotted with which local bravehearts gallop on horseback. troops (vestiges of a Roman road at Camí dels Bandejats) and façade by Joan Anglés. Traversing the Pla (plain) in the 16th C. The name of Alcora comes from the Arabic “cora” meaning wellhouses. Its excellent potential for agriculture was Torre Endoménech, named after a tower, is a later, Moors, Moriscos and Christians. de Vistabella is a road leading to the sanctuary the lands under the jurisdiction of a castle. About three km north of recognized by settlers long ago. Cabanes belongs to the small village at the foot of the Penya-roja peak, leading on Penyagolosa peak and the Font Coberta, the town are the remains of the castle of l’Alcalatén, at Les Useres is the home of one of the most impressive religious ancient holdings of the Miravet family, to whom the castle of to the village of Sarratella, which a centre of devotion for the whole district, the foot of which lies the chapel of San Salvador. traditions in the Land of Valencia: a pilgrimage made by thirteen Miravet and Albalat once belonged. Pla de l’Arc presents a solitary has a chapel to Sant Joan Nepomucé. and a hub for various hiker’s routes that “actors” in a religious rite that has survived down to our days. Every last Roman Arch, once marking the major Roman Road running along Today’s tile industry originally stemmed from the meet here: the GR-7, GR-33 and PR- Friday of April since the 14th C, twelve pilgrims, accompanied by a the coast, and this arch now symbolizes the area. In the town centre, LA POBLA TORNESA •
VILANOVA D'ALCOLEA • FIGUEROLES • L'ALCORA • XODOS • COSTUR • ATZENETA DEL MAESTRAT • LES USERES • LUCENA DEL CID • VILAFAMÉS • VALL D'ALBA • SIERRA ENGARCERÁN • BENAFIGOS • ATZENETA DEL MAESTRAT • CULLA • BENLLOCH • LA TORRE D'EN BESORA • VILAR DE CANES • Ares del Ares del Tirig La Iglesuela Benasal Maestre Maestre Cima CV-15 Zona de escalada GR-7 Cueva / Pinturas rupestres CV-166 Albocàsser Árbol monumental CV-129 Riu Montlleó Fuente Vilar de Mosqueruela Les Coves Castillo / Murallas Canes de Vinrommà Puertomingalvo Ermita Monumento / Museo CV-165 Pozo de nieve Sant Turrón Pau Aceite Culla CV-166 Alfarería CV-1720 Sant La Torre Madera Sant Bertomeu Cristòfol Sant Joan Área recreativa d'En Besora Nepomucé GR-7 Área de acampada Refugio La Carrasca Sarratella Alojamiento rural de Culla Pla de PR-V-75 Les Coves de Vinrommà / Albergue CV-170 Sabater Molí Azor Rambla de la Viuda Sant Mateu Hotel / pensión Bco. de Forcall Riu Montlleó Restaurante PLA DE VISTABELLA Vistabella del Actividades aire libre Font de Maestrazgo L'Hortisella SERRA TossalD’EN GALCERANde Gasolina l'Alforí Saragossa 1.081 m Puerto de montaña Els Masía SERRA D’ESPANEGUERA Información Turística Monfort Rosildos Mas del CV-154 Mosqueruela Collet Benafigos CV-15 CV-10 Port del Vidre Sierra La Nevera CV-165 Engarcerán Puertomingalvo 1.195 m Torre PR-V-72 Endoménech PR-V-68 Sant Joan de Sant CV-169 Penyagolosa Cristòfol Sant Miquel CV-170 Xodos Río Linares CV-155 Vilanova El Carbo PR-V-79 PR-V-71 Sant d'Alcolea PR-V-64 Gregori Mare de Déu CV-171 Els Mas de Ivarsos de l'Adjutori 0 - 400 m Gargán Atzeneta del 400 m - 800 m GR-33 Maestrat Río Carbo Penyagolosa 800 m - 1.200 m 1.814 m más de 1.200 m Coll de la Bassa Torreblanca / A-7 CV-170 Benlloch Carreteras Sant Joan Itinerario excursionista señalizado Villahermosa del Castell d'Atzeneta Curso de agua del Río Sant Miquel Rambla de les CV-156 Bibioj CV-1740 Torrocelles
CV-165 GR-7 Río Villahermosa CV-1960 PLA DE L’ARC
Altís El Villar San 1.312 m La Manzanera Mas de Vall d'Alba Bartolomé la Costa Llucena Riu GR-33 La Cimorra Arco CV-175 La Barona CV-157 Romano Mas de Luis Cortes de CV-159 CV-162 Arenoso PR-V-79 Cabanes Cedramán Les Useres
CV-15 CV-190 El Revolcador CV-190 Lucena Torreblanca / A-7 Torre de Zucaina Foios del Cid Mas CV-10 Font La Badina Rambla de la Viuda Castillo de del Prat d'Avall Villamalefa
GR-33 Santa Ana CV-193 Figueroles Costur Vilafamés Oropesa / A-7 Jara 930 m El Estepar CV-195 La Granella Montanejos Giraba de Arriba Les Santes Riu Xinxilla CV-194 Embalse La Foia Giraba de Abajo de l'Alcora La Pobla Tornesa Miravet Salt del CV-160 El La Valentina Cavall Juncar El Salvador Sant Vicent Sant Cristòfol Ludiente Sant Sant Joan SERRA DE LES SANTES Argelita L'Alcora de Moró Miquel Borriol / Castelló