A Postcard From Extremadura
By Lizzie Trimble
For all the nature-loving history and movie buffs out there, Extremadura is the little-known region of Spain you should consider visiting soon. Found on the border with Portugal and southwest of Madrid, it’s in the process of being made easier to access thanks to the gradual opening of the Madrid-Extremadura high-speed train line. When the line is complete, it’ll take approximately 90 minutes to reach the region from the Spanish capital, Madrid. I travelled from the capital, but it’s also possible to reach Extremadura from Seville – either route is straightforward, as it means you can easily add on a few days in either of these beautiful cities to your visit.
The countryside in Extremadura includes lots of lush green valleys and is dotted with charming old-fashioned villages plus a new national park – Monfragüe National Park – and a couple of natural parks, Tajo International, and Cornalvo and the Sierra Bermeja, which are rife with spectacular birdlife. I lost count of the number of birds of prey I saw.
The region produces some delicious cheese and Iberian ham, as well as fantastic wine.
We visited Plasencia, a city in the north of the region. Full of historic palaces and ancestral homes as well as a spectacular cathedral, it was an important destination on the Vía de la Plata (Silver Route) that was built in Roman times and ran north to south through Spain.
There are many wonderful hotels here; lots of them converted palaces that now offer fabulous accommodation
It was then on to the city of Cáceres, its Old Town granted UNESCO World Heritage status because of its blend of civilisations throughout history. The medieval walled city was one of the filming locations in the Game of Thrones. We took an early morning balloon ride over the city, which was spectacular. Our next stop was Merida, where we were lucky to arrive for the weekend of the Emerita Lvdica festival when Merida relives its Roman past with mock gladiator fights and legionaries marching across the longest remaining Roman bridge. Merida’s Roman amphitheatre is one of the largest and best-preserved in the world and the city was home to the gladiator whose story was told so epically by Ridley Scott in the 2000 film.
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This is a feature from Issue 17 of Charitable Traveller.
by net effect