Maestrazgo: whispers of history and culture

How many times have you wanted to unplug and immerse yourself in a rural place where you can breathe nature, its history, its culture and its silence to rediscover peace?
Inspirience recommends the Maestrazgo (area of the Teruel’s province) where all this is possible thanks to its most emblematic villages which keep secrets to be decoded in the stones, museums, gastronomy and nature.

Each village of the Maestraezgo is a little gem with particular characteristics and symbols to discover.

Cantavieja

Starting from Cantavieja, capital of the Maestrazgo region, located on a limestone rock at an altitude of 1300 meters which has 700 inhabitants and is the most populated town in the region. Its main square, Plaza Porticada, is considered one of the most charming in the Aragon region. The traces of the numerous groups of historical relevance that have passed through Cantavieja: Templars, Sanjuanistas and Carlists, can be seen in the architecture, history, memories and legends of the town.

The castle of Cantavieja was the residence of one of the most influential characters in the recent history of the region, “El Tigre del Maestrazgo” Ramón Cabrera. Today only a few towers of its walled enclosure are preserved.

Castellote

Castellote rises on a cliff that slopes towards the valley of the Guadalope River. The castle of Castellote was one of the great Templar fortresses, of which today only the remains of the chapter house, the keep, some cisterns for water supply and part of the original walls are preserved.

In the Templar Tower of Castellote there are testimonies and documents to better figure out who the Templars were, their legend and their disappearance.

Mirambel

Mirambel, the medieval village, with its main symbol the Portal de las Monjas, notable for the wonderful latticework of plaster.

But that’s not all… Mirambel is part of the network “The most beautiful villages in Spain” and has fully preserved the walls and remarkable buildings, without altering the medieval atmosphere.

Miravete de la Sierra

Another medieval complex is Miravete de la Sierra, also defined by its inhabitants as “the place where nothing happens”, kept alive by its few inhabitants (around 50 inhabitants and according to the census of 2004 there were only 12!). Visiting the Bread Interpretation Center, no longer in operation but perfectly preserved, will mean getting to know one of the most important economic sources of livelihood in the city until half a century ago. It is also land of dinosaurs where the presence of fossil traces is highlighted, declared a paleontological area in 2003.

Villaroya de los Pinares

To discover the most rural part of the region, just visit Villarroya de los Pinares and Tronchón with its emblematic medieval prison on a rock. Tronchón is not only attractive for its architectural heritage, but also for its gastronomy, in which its cheeses stand out.

Do you remember who loved this cheese so much? If I tell you Don Quixote does anything come to your mind?

Tronchón cheese is a traditional production cheese made from sheep’s milk or a mixture of sheep’s and goat’s milk. It has a cylindrical shape, with one or both sides split “in the shape of a volcano”.

The Virtual Museum of the Maestrazgo

The importance and effectiveness of a dialogue and collaboration between local stakeholders and above all between inhabitants and regions are perfectly enclosed in the virtual museum of the Maestrazgo.

It was realized in 2008 and has progressively been enriched with contents based on the activity of the Area of Cultural Heritage and Culture of the Maestrazgo Region in collaboration with Municipalities, cultural associations and individuals.It wants to be an interactive and participatory museum able to enhance and promote the culture of this little-known land by gathering testimonies of its history through: images, videos, objects, popular sayings, characters, events or even private collections.
The most innovative aspect is that this space of knowledge was also created and managed by the inhabitants themselves, emphasizing their love for this land, but above all the desire to make known the authentic identity of this wonderful place by showing aspects of daily life.

Why visit this region with Inspirience?

The answer is simple… because Inspirience is the key that will help you read this mysterious land. In fact, you will be guided by professionals able to reveal all the secrets of the main places and gastronomy. For example, are you curious to find out what the Templars ate? they had precise rules on how to sit at the table and what to eat… they had to follow an appropriate style, as they were both monks and knights.

Furthermore, you will stay in typical rural houses and you will live in contact with the local reality and its inhabitants… but above all you will live unique experiences as a protagonist, a fundamental aspect for us, with visits to the famous tronchon cheese dairy: savor its flavor in the town that gives it its name by discovering the raw materials, the preparation process and the care that give rise to this delicious product.

And you can become a shepherd and craftsman of the famous ceramics for a day.

Why settle for visiting the Maestrazgo, when you can experience it and breathe it with Inspirience?

The atmosphere that surrounds the Maestrazgo is that of a suspended time, where the centuries that slowly passed can be lived with the same slow pace, but in the blink of an eye, thanks to its rich historical and cultural heritage.

And it is a type of slow tourism that is also achieved through many routes and excursions, just think of the “road of silence”, a spectacular panoramic road, a paradise for bikers and cyclists. Itineraries to discover the nature that characterizes the Maestrazgo.

Well yes, nature in this region paints for us images of infinite beauty capable of leaving us breathless every time. If you are curious to know what we are talking about, read  “the 4 natural pearls” of the Maestrazgo and if you want to visit one of the most beautiful and relaxing regions of Spain, consult our itinerary and contact us to receive all the information you need!

Are you ready to find your peace of mind?