Day 28 continued, Ponferrada

I got to the Hostal early enough that I decided to check out my surroundings. I stopped at the tourist office first and found out that on Wednesdays all museums are free which included the templar castle. In 1178 the Templar Order and its knights were decreed to be the protectors of Ponferrada. These legendary knidht-monks were also the protectors of pilgrims across regions of Spain and Europe. The castle was built in different periods and styles from the 12th to the 16th centuries and is now a national monument. It encompasses over 8000 square meters (86,111 SQ ft). It took me until it closed to cover its entirety. It needed a separate footprint. The spiral stairs up to the top lookout were very steep and narrow but the surrounding views were well worth the effort.Read more