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Stage 22

Stage from Foncebadón to Ponferrada

km 27,3

Time 06H 30’

Difficulty Medium

Hostels 11

Available without an Internet connection

At this stage you will find the highest point of the entire French road

Information about the stage 22: Stage from Foncebadón to Ponferrada

Enlarge map

Points of interest in the stage 22: Stage from Foncebadón to Ponferrada

6 Albergue Santa Marina
5 Albergue San Roque- Molinaseca
4 Albergue - Mesón El Acebo
3 Albergue parroquial Apóstol Santiago
2 Albergue La Cruz de Fierro
1 Albergue Monte Irago

The route

Km 0. Foncebadón (Hostels. Bars. Shop)

We bid farewell to Foncebadón street above, between fallen walls and the church, whose swords always receive the first lights of the day. At the exit we take the road on the left, which in a gentle slope brings us to the road LE-142, our guide in today’s stage (Km 1.5). Along a path parallel to the road, which advances next to some repopulation forest, we arrive to the Cruz de Ferro. Located at an exact 1500 meters of altitude, it is nothing more than a small iron cross supported by a disproportionate wooden mast. Turning to the cross, it is a tradition to throw a stone at the already erected pile. A quiet gesture to the one made by the Galician reapers when they traveled to Castilla to work in the cereal fields and also the arrieros and the tranhumante shepherds (Km 2,2).

Next to the cross was erected in 1982 a chapel dedicated to Santiago Apostle. From this point we resume the march along the path parallel to the LE-142. Serbales de Cazadores (Sorbus aucuparia), an deciduous tree easily distinguishable by its thick clusters of red berries, take our steps. Two kilometers and three hundred meters after the Cruz de Ferro we planted ourselves in the shelter of Manjarín, the most peculiar shelter of the Camino managed by Tomás Martínez, the hospitable Templar. The ringing of a bell and the signs of smoke guide us inwards. The indoor environment is better to discover it for yourself.

Km 4.5. Manjarín (Hostel. In season Mobile bar between Manjarín and El Acebo)

A little more than 7 kilometers separate the refuge of Manjarín from El Acebo. Except for some curve that gets stuck, the itinerary always runs parallel to the road. During the first 3.5 kilometers it is rolled and even climbed slightly, leaving aside the Military Base of Transmissions, located under Peña Llabaya and abandoned in 1990. One kilometre later the Base actually begins the descent with views of Ponferrada (from the distance there is a black spot that corresponds to the Rosaleda tower of more than 100 meters). In this stretch there is the mobile bar La Parada, which usually opens from April to the end of October! The path is rocky and on a steep slope (cyclists are advised to descend down the road). After these seven kilometers, the Camino is presented in El Acebo, the first locality of El Bierzo.

Km 11.6. El Acebo (Hostels. Hotel. Bar. Shop)

Juan Uría documents that the residents of this town were duty-free in exchange for placing 800 stakes to indicate the way to the travelers. In this Bercian nucleus surrounded by hot springs and pastures, a hotel, a store where you can buy sandwiches and a inn allow a break in the stage that we have already completed by more than 40%. Leaving El Acebo we came across a graphic sculpture made by Eulogio Pisabarros in memory of Heinrich Krausse, a German pilgrim who died making the Camino. Rest in peace.

Previously, it was followed by road for almost two kilometers to Riego de Ambrós. It continues to be followed by asphalt but a path has been set up that takes 1.3 km after the crossing to Compludo and avoids a stretch of road. Finally, as in the past, the parallel path is taken to reach the population. We cross Irrigation of Ambrós from end to end (this town of the municipality of Molinaseca is about 600 meters long), passing next to the Plaza San Sebastián, where the pilgrims’ hostel and the fountain are located.

Km 15. Irrigation of Ambrós (Hostel. Bar. Shop)

Slate roofs and wooden balconies give way to a path, which descends under the shadow of the chestnut trees and the freshness of the Prado stream. Already in the open field we arrive again next to the road (Km 16,4), which we leave again to start a tortuous descent that will leave its mark on our muscles. At the edge of some poplars, fed by the Arroyo de la Prettura, we end at the LE-142 (Km 19,2).

At the foot of the road is the Sanctuary of the Virgin of the Anguish, from the end of the 17th century and which gives way to the medieval bridge over the Meruelo River, through which we enter Molinaseca. This town, capital of the municipality that also includes El Acebo and Riego de Ambrós, has a good network of bars and restaurants, pharmacy, bakery, etc.

Km 19.7. Molinaseca (Hostels. Hostels. Bars. Shops. Pharmacy. Cashier)

We cross the town through the Calle Real that leads to the avenue of Fraga Iribarne, next to the LE-142. We passed the hostels and left the company of the road behind a tennis court. We turn right and take a path that progresses near the Meruelo River. Be careful, because when you get to the road (Km 22,5) you do not have to follow the parallel walk to this one that passes next to the urbanization Patricia. A mojón somewhat hidden under the left side of the road points us in the right direction. A track with a slide, annoying at this stage, leads to Campo.

Km 24. Field (Bar)

Already populated in the Middle Ages, Campo has a Roman fountain, the hermitage of the Holy Christ, the parish church of Nuestra Señora de la Encina and the manor houses of the Lunas. We leave Campo next to the valley of the Boeza River, which flows to the right. Several neighborhoods escort us to cross the river (Km 26.4) and four hundred meters later we saved the tracks to finish soon the twenty-second stage. Ponferrada and the parish hostel of San Nicolás de Flüe welcome us.

Km 27.3. Ponferrada (All Services)

The difficulties

Remarks

In images

What to see, what to do

MANJARÍN:
Since 1993, the hospitable Templar Tomás Martínez and his companions have been in charge of ringing a bell to guide the pilgrims to their refuge. At the entrance, some decorated boards inform about the distances from Manjarín to different points such as Santiago de Compostela, Jerusalem, Rome, etc. Inside the cabin there is a small bazaar where you can buy some souvenirs that keeps Manjarín alive. As long as some people browse the objects or serve coffee from the thermos, Thomas is in charge of sealing credentials under an atmosphere laden with the smoke of the bonfire. Also, a slate inside the cabin shows the different works that are carried out from its opening to the closing and silence: prayer, cleaning, collection of firewood, etc.
EL ACEBO:
El Acebo is an aesthetic village whose popular architecture of slate roofs and the accent of its inhabitants indicate that we are already fully in El Bierzo. The Calle Real is one of the most picturesque streets in León. In El Acebo they were exempt from paying taxes to the king in exchange for placing 800 stakes indicating the Camino to the pilgrims. The parish church of San Miguel houses a sculpture in polychrome stone with a robe with flowers that is not well known if it represents Santiago, the Savior or St. John the Evangelist. At the exit of the village a monument recalls the German pilgrim Heinrich Krausse, who died when travelling by bicycle.
WATERING OF AMBRÓS:
Located at 930 meters of altitude, Watering of Ambrós is another typical village of El Bierzo, with its slate roofs and its wooden balconies. Around it, green meadows alternate with fruit and vegetable products and traditional livestock farming. Of particular note are the parish church, with a 1706 Baroque altarpiece by Pedro Santín, and the hermitage of San Sebastián.
MOLINASECA:
At the entrance of Molinaseca is the Shrine of the Virgin of the Anguish, a beautiful baroque building attached to the mountain, whose doors were lined with iron by the custom of the pilgrims to take a chip as a souvenir. Its origin is related to that of a small hermitage from the 11th century and much of the current building is from the end of the 17th century. On August 15, the residents of this town of Bierzo come in procession. The Romanesque bridge over the River Meruelo, already documented in the 12th century and restored for the last time in 1980, directs pilgrims to the Calle Real where the hospital was located. The bridge has seven arches and its width varies between 2.6 and 4 meters. Some houses are noble and are emblazoned with nobility shields. Also noteworthy is the superb neoclassical temple of San Nicolás de Bari (the visitor can stop at the baroque altarpiece with Solomonic columns and the Gothic carving of the Crucified Christ). There is a grocery store, bakery, pharmacy, cashier and a lot of bars and lounges to eat. The sausages and sausages are well known.
FIELD:
Village located in the vicinity of Ponferrada and of medieval origin, although there are vestiges dating from previous times, such as the Roman fountain built in a vault and with water storage tank located in the middle of the Camino de Santiago Frances. In the urban center, the manor houses of Los Lunas with coat of arms and the two houses of Los Villaboa stand out, one of them with tower. In the Plaza de Campo is located the hermitage of the Holy Christ of the eighteenth century. On the other hand there is the Parish Church of Our Lady of La Encina de Campo, built in the seventeenth century and built on the foundations of the old medieval church. It consists of three naves separated by four columns of granite and half-point arches. Among its altarpieces, the main altar stands out, in a baroque and churrigeresque style and which gives shelter to the invaluable carving of the Virgin of the Encina of the 16th century. Also noteworthy are the two bells of the XVI and XVII and the centuries-old oak that continues to grow next to the temple.
PONFERRADA:
The last big city - almost 69,000 inhabitants in 2009 - before arriving in Santiago. The capital of the Bierzo is located in an old Castro and suffered different invasions and destruction. During the Roman occupation, its gold mines were famous. In 1082, the wooden bridge over the river Sil is reinforced with iron, very abundant material, giving the name of Pons Ferrata to the city. The Castle of the Templars is a superb testimony of what this controversial order of warrior monks in Ponferrada meant. It is one of the most beautiful examples of military architecture in Spain. It has become the mecca of lovers of the Templars and their rites of initiation. The Basilica of Nuestra Señora de la Encina, patron saint of the Bierzo, is of Renaissance Gothic transition, has an elevated tower and the interior consists of a single nave. Other valuable monuments are the Convent of the Conceptionists and the Town Hall, which is reached by crossing the Clock Arch. In the vicinity of Ponferrada you can visit the Mozarabic church of Santiago de Peñalba, a jewel of the Spanish preromonic. It offers all the services, including several shops and bicycle workshops that are so scarce along the Camino.
- The Factory of Light. Museum of Energy:
  Considered one of the jewels of the industrial heritage, the Museum is located in the old thermal power station of the Siderurgical Miner of Ponferrada (MSP) which was in operation between 1920 and 1971. During the tour the visitor will be able to discover how electricity was produced at the beginning of the last century, what life was like in the power station counted by the workers themselves and how the use of a natural resource such as coal was the engine of change of a territory and its inhabitants. The restoration of this installation, which preserves the original elements of the plant, has been recognized by the European Union with the Europa Nostra 2012 award for its unique and unique careful rehabilitation and has also been nominated for the best European museum of the year 2015 in the EMYA (European Museum of the Year Award) awards. More information about the museum and times and rates for the visit in http://www.lafabricadeluz.org