Three of the most beautiful towns in Segovia for an autumn getaway

Riaza

Historians say that the search for the origins of Riaza would take us to the 11th-12th centuries, after the reconquest of Toledo by Alfonso VI and the subsequent repopulation of many Castilian lands. However, the current appearance of the Plaza Mayor It dates back to 1873. And in the photograph of that square you have to dedicate some time to the parish church of Our Lady of the Mantlebuilt between the 15th and 16th centuries, with a 33-meter tower, two interesting chapels and a collection of sacred art.

From the square you can see another religious reference. Up there, among the pines and beech forests, is the Hontanares hermitage. The walk in autumn from Riaza to the hermitage comforts the spirit, with the ochre-varnished floor and the clean, cold air. Because yes, the Riaza fresco is one of the hallmarks of this town. Their neighbors say that in summer they do not remove the blanket from the bed. And, in winter, the mist covers conversations on the street.

Of the Hontanares hermitage Other hiking routes leave to the nearby Piedras Llanas viewpoint or to Riofrío and Alquité. And from the town, towards the Cheese Port (1,757 m) you reach the La Pedrosa beech forest, a rarity in southern Europe, like that of Montejo (Madrid) or that of Tejera Negra (Guadalajara).

Ayllon

The town of Ayllón is located in the extreme northeast of the province of Segovia, located on the slopes of a reddish hill and bordering the province of Soria. Once you have crossed the medieval arch that gives access to the town, it is time to approach its Plaza Mayor, with its picturesque personality and its arcades, with strong wooden pillars. There is the St. Michael’s Churcha late Romanesque temple from the 12th century and modifications from the 16th century that hosts exhibitions, concerts and other cultural events, and the Town Hall, located in what was the first palace of the Marquises of Villena.

The history of Ayllón is long. Celtiberians, Romans and Arabs, among others, passed through here, and each one left their mark. The Romans provided the stone bridge over the Aguisejo Rivertwo steps from the Arch, the magnificent entrance door to the Villa. There were three identical ones, but two of them were demolished for reasons of sad utility: they couldn’t fit the cars. The Arabs built the castle on the hill, and, from there, the wall that embraced and defended the town… Eventually, after the reconquest, new days of glory came associated with the exile of Don Álvaro de Luna, valid of John II .

Maderuelo

A modern bridge has replaced the old one, near the Romanesque hermitage of Vera Cruz (its Romanesque paintings ended up in the Prado museum in Madrid). On the other side, surrounding the stone houses, walls rise at the top of the hill that resemble the image of a ship. The town, with 109 residents, is entered through the crenellated Dos Arcos gate, where the two streets of the town begin. It is a quiet place of adobe houses and stone lintels, many of which feature stones engraved with strange signs (flowers or circles), coming from the Roman and Visigothic city that once existed. Two churches – one at each end – share devotions: that of San Miguel and that of Santa María, a former mosque as shown by the three Arab horseshoe arches.

Whoever decides to stretch the route can do so in Montejo de la Vega de la Serrezuela. This small town, where there is a Park House to collect maps and information, is one of the corners of the Hoces del Río Riaza Natural Park; the other, the aforementioned Maderuelo, next to the Linares reservoir. The path can start in a parking area on the outskirts of Montejo, and then meanders along these slopes, on the right side of the riverbed, with views of the imposing cliffs where one of the largest colonies of griffon vultures in Europe lives, one of the the places that Félix Rodríguez de la Fuente most frequented. Following the river you reach a limestone canyon where the Casuar hermitage is located. The day can be extended as long as you like, before returning home the same way.