Discover Valjunquera – Baroque, Festivals and Landscapes

Valjunquera combines Baroque architecture, local festivals and a landscape shaped by fields and mountain ranges. You can plan your stay around different interests: historic architecture, lively traditions, viewpoints or paths through the cultural landscape. A holiday apartment in Valjunquera can serve as a base if you would like to combine these themes at your own pace.

Baroque Traces

The Church of San Miguel in Valjunquera was built between 1734 and 1747 under the direction of master builder Cosme Bayod. It is considered one of the most outstanding examples of Baroque architecture in the entire Comarca del Matarraña. Among its distinctive features is an impressive two-part façade altarpiece designed by Juan Antonio Martín, with artistic contributions from the sculptor Joaquín Espada, who was from Valjunquera. The church follows the architectural model of the “estela pilarista”, whose centre of dissemination was the collegiate church of Alcañiz.

The Hermitage of Santa Bárbara is the oldest of Valjunquera’s two hermitages and offers panoramic views over the municipality. It stands on a hill and can be reached via an unpaved track that branches off from the road on the opposite side of Valjunquera. The hermitage is protected as a cultural monument in the Bien de Interés Cultural category. The Church of San Juan Bautista is the only surviving building in the abandoned settlement of Mas del Labrador. The Hermitage of the Virgen de la Piedad, popularly known as “la Mare de Déu”, was built between 1697 and 1699 and is an example of Aragonese Baroque.

Festivals and Local Traditions

The San Antón and Quintos festival in Valjunquera begins on 17 January with the lighting of a large bonfire, for which firewood is brought in trailers. In Valjunquera, “Choriset” is the local name for Jueves Lardero, Lardero Thursday. The annual San Cristóbal festival includes a mass, the distribution of blessed bread and the blessing of residents’ vehicles. On San Cristóbal’s Day, residents also hold an annual pilgrimage to the Hermitage of Santa Bárbara. Since the 1990s, a communal meal for the residents of Valdeltormo and Valjunquera has been held in Mas del Labrador at the end of August. On the third day of Valjunquera’s Fiestas Mayores, which begin around 29 September in honour of San Miguel, a floral offering with a solemn procession from the parish church to the Hermitage of the Virgen de la Piedad takes place every year.

Landscape and Routes

La Parra is an elevated viewpoint overlooking olive groves and almond orchards, neighbouring villages and the surrounding mountain ranges. The Valjunquera–Mas del Labrador–Valdeltormo route passes old threshing floors and dry-stone walls, as well as fields of almond trees, olive trees and grain. The Lo Llaurador MTB route connects with the Vía Verde Val de Zafán, the Camino Natural del Matarraña–Algars and the PR-TE-163 and PR-TE-162 walking routes.

History, Film and Flavour

The Valjunquera Museum has an archive of more than 3,000 images documenting the recent history of the Matarraña region from the late 19th century to the 1960s. In the 1990s, Mas del Labrador served as a filming location for Vicente Aranda’s film “Libertarias”, which is set during the Spanish Civil War. At Valjunquera’s Tapa Fair, local associations, businesses from the town and professionals from other places prepare the tapas. When choosing a holiday apartment, you can weigh up culture, festival dates, viewpoints and active routes as the main focuses of your stay.

Other Places

For further discoveries in the region: Molinos, Miravete De La Sierra, Guadalaviar, La Cañada De Verich, Alcañiz, Formiche Alto, Aliaga, Bello.

For the broader travel overview: Teruel.