Discover Bembibre: Botillo Festival, History and La Devesa
File:Bembibre - Estación y línea de ferrocarril.jpg
Photo: GALoPaX via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Bembibre hosts the Festival del Botillo de Bembibre: held annually since its first edition in 1973, it has been designated a Festival of National Tourist Interest. The event focuses on the emblematic Botillo sausage.
Since its beginnings, the festival has been accompanied by cultural events. The first Semana Cultural was held in 1984; in 2000, the Feria Agroalimentaria de la Villa de Bembibre was added.
Culture and History
The Santuario del Ecce Homo houses a movable Gothic statue of Ecce Homo from the 15th century; every seven years, it is carried in a procession. The present-day Santuario del Ecce Homo was built in the 19th century over a building from the 17th or 18th century that was burned down by French troops during the Peninsular War. The Iglesia de San Pedro was formerly a synagogue and was converted into a Christian church in 1490.
Several Modernist houses can be found around the Plaza Mayor and on the adjoining streets of Bembibre, particularly along Avenida Susana González. They were built between 1868 and 1932.
Museums and Collections
The Museo del Bierzo Alto is located in the cultural centre of the Villa “Casa de las Culturas”. Its collection includes votive altars dedicated to the deities of the Astures, among other objects. It also includes a replica of the Augustus Edict, discovered near the town in 1999. Guided tours are available for the geology and palaeontology section of the Museo Alto Bierzo (Casa de las Culturas).
Nature and Activities
La Devesa is a natural area home to species of high ecological value. Parque Aventura La Devesa covers 9,000 m² and offers three signposted levels with varying degrees of difficulty, as well as courses for competition and training. When planning your day, you can consider the main themes of culture, festival tradition and nature separately.
The three themes have distinct focuses: the festival combines an annual tradition with cultural events and the Feria Agroalimentaria; the historic sites bring together religious and urban architectural history, while La Devesa combines a natural setting with courses of varying difficulty. This makes it possible to treat the local history, the collection themes of the Casa de las Culturas and the activities in the natural area as separate components of your travel planning.
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More destinations include Pereda De Ancares, San Martín de la Tercia, Santiago Millas, Toreno, Almazcara, Las Murias, San Andrés Del Rabanedo and Villadangos del Paramo.
Transport and Routes
In the La Estación district, Bembibre has a railway station operated by Adif or owned by Adif. The railway line traditionally known as the León–Monforte line runs through this station. Bembibre lies on the A-6 corridor, which connects Madrid with A Coruña. The N-VI national road and its former route also pass through the town.
For the main travel overview: León.
