Frías – Castle, Ebro Bridge and Medieval Townscape

Frías is situated on the steep tuffstone platform that has been known since ancient times as “La Muela”. For your planning, the town’s themes can be clearly separated: town history and buildings, a date-specific festival, as well as mountains in the surrounding area and destinations farther afield in the region.

Culture

The medieval town of Frías was recognized as a Bien de Interés Cultural in 2005. Construction of the Castillo de los Duques de Frías began in the 12th century, and it features a fortified complex with a drawbridge, a moat carved into the rock, high walls and battlements. From the upper part of the keep and from the three windows with Romanesque capitals in the masonry of the Castillo de los Duques de Frías, there is an excellent view of the town and its surroundings.

The Puente Medieval de Frías is a fortified medieval bridge over the Ebro; historically, its tower was used to control passage and collect a bridge toll. It is considered one of the best examples of a fortified bridge in Spain. The closely built Casas Colgadas de Frías were attached to the cliff edge and form a continuation of the town’s northern defensive wall. At the same time, they form steep, cobbled streets with a medieval character. The southern side of Frías is protected by a wall dating from the 13th century. Originally, it had three entrance gates: the Medina Gate, the Postigo and the Cadena; the latter has disappeared today.

History

The Fiesta del Capitán takes place on the Sunday closest to June 24, the feast day of Saint John. It commemorates the uprising of the population of Frías against the Count of Haro in the 15th century. It includes processions through Frías, dancers, musicians, decorated horses and the Danza de San Juan. Anyone reading about Frías through its history can regard this date-specific festival as a separate point of access alongside the buildings. The different focuses help keep the study of architecture and festival tradition conceptually separate.

For a holiday apartment in Frías, you can compare travel dates, room categories and cancellation policies. The information on the respective offer pages helps classify different accommodations according to your own travel plans; content planning can be kept separate from this and oriented around the historic buildings, the festival date and the mountains in the surrounding area.

Other places for individual travel planning include Los Altos, Cigüenza, Jurisdicción De Lara, Pedrosa De Duero, Nela, Sasamón, Orbaneja del Castillo and Madrigalejo Del Monte.

Geographical Context

The separate spatial references make it possible to clearly distinguish between the area around Frías and the wider regional surroundings when comparing natural and cultural destinations. The mountains “La Cotorra”, “El Cueto” and “Alto de la Mota” are located around Frías. The castle “Castle of Miranda de Ebro” is located in the wider regional surroundings of Frías. The mountain “Santamancos” is located in the wider regional surroundings of Frías. The churches “Iglesia de San Juan”, “Iglesia de Santa María” and “Iglesia del Espíritu Santo” are also located there.

For the higher-level travel overview: Burgos.