The city of Ponferrada has its origins in the Middle Ages, having emerged as a settlement along the route that pilgrims would take to Santiago de Compostela on the St James Way. Ponferrada is the capital of the Bierzo region.
The city is crossed by the rivers Sil and Boeza. Ponferrada is an important stop on the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage.
It spans a total area of 283 km2 and has a population of some 65,000 inhabitants.
The industrial, agri-food and trade sectors are its main activities, along with tourism.
Ponferrada is a benchmark for cultural, artistic and heritage, gastronomic and nature tourism, and is one of the main stopping points on the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage. Ponferrada offers a wide range of tourist attractions: restaurants, hotels, municipal hostel and tourist office. It also plays home to numerous historical and artistic gems, such as the Templar Castle from the 11th–15th centuries.
It offers a selection of outstanding museums, including the Bierzo Museum, the Radio Museum, the Railway Museum and the Energy Museum, and has an attractive old quarter with the Basilica de la Encina, Calle del Reloj and its tower (built on one of the gates of the old city wall), which leads to the main square featuring the majestic city hall building. The municipality extends southwards to the Montes Aquilianos and the lands of Valdueza, taking in spectacular scenery along the way: Santiago de Peñalba and its 10th century Mozarabe church, Montes de Valdueza and its monastery, and Compludo and its iron forge.
Ponferrada received 105,000 tourists in 2019, who made 200,000 overnight stays between them.
Admission to the Smart Tourism Destinations Programme | The city of Ponferrada joined t the Smart Tourism Destinations programme in 2020, and its Diagnosis Report and Action Plan were drawn up in 2021 for its ultimate transformation into a Smart Destination. |
Outstanding initiatives
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