Guadalajara North east from Madrid, Guadalajara is a province in the northernmost limits of New Castille. The vast expanse of the wide-open landscapes fills you with a sense of freedom., If you want to get away from it all, to places where you are unlikely to meet another human soul for miles, then Guadalajara's raw and rugged country is the place for you. There are plenty of casas rurales where a few days' stay will cleanse you of the stresses of a hectic life.
Visit: Pastrana, Brihuega, Sacedòn, Sigüenza
Pastrana is one of the many honey-producing centers in the region. The town is also positively overflowing with historical buildings such as convents, palaces, museums squares and an ancient bullring, making a visit highly recommendable.
Brihuega has a truly Castilian atmosphere in which you can learn about the culture and history and enjoy the gastronomy.
Sacedòn offers us the 17th century parroquial church and the Ermita de la Cara de Dios, which, according to tradition, contains a painted face which miraculously appeared when a blasphemer stabbed the wall with his knife.
Sigüenza is a historic, Castilian small town. The thousand-year-old castle here has been remodeled many times during its history, the last time to convert it into one of the most luxurious of the paradores, the state-run top quality hotels.
Just so you know: Camino Josè Cela, the Nobel-prize-winning Spanish novelist, wrote in simple but succinct terms, that Guadalajara "a beautiful country where people do not want to go. I spent a few days there and I liked it." Wise words!
Many of the villages are almost deserted, providing a surreal ghost-like ambience to a drive through the countryside. The stunning views are enhanced further if you take in the large resevoirs of Buendìa and Entrepeñas, which contrast spectacularly with the arid landscape, as you travel around the sierra. |
