Fermoselle

We arrived at Posada Dona Urraca, a unique and interesting hotel that would be our home for the next 3 nights. We were very close to the Portuguese border and Fermoselle is right in the heart of the Arribes del Duero National Park.

Fermoselle is a small medieval village in the province of Zamora and is part of the region of Castile and León. It has a population of less than 1,500 - it looks bigger but has a lot of empty houses. It dates back more than 2,000 years to pre-Roman times, and has been well preserved through the centuries.

Fermoselle stands at 700 metres above sea level on the Duero River, near the edge of the Arribes cliffs over the river’s 163 kilometre-long gorge. The gorge is noted for green rock formations, some exceeding 150 metres in height. The Arribes del Duero National Park at the confluence of the Duero and the Tories rivers is the largest natural park in Castile and León.

There are many examples of Roman architecture throughout the town, and the area has many rustic stone houses and narrow medieval streets. Fermoselle has a long history of viticulture. It harvests an indigenous grape variety called Juan García, from terraced vineyards on the rim of the river gorge. It is unusual in that it grows as individual bushes. The local micro-climate and terrain conditions are similar to Tuscany in Italy.

As we arrived fairly late, we ate at the hotel restaurant. The food was very good and the local wine we tried, made up of 100% Juan García grapes, was excellent and was perfect with the beef cheeks and lamb. Tomorrow we will do our first walk in the area.Read more