Monday 12th – Friday 16th May 2025
After leaving Jávea we travelled to Culla, with free time for refreshments and to have a wander through the historic centre where the Templars left their mark. Culla still preserves its medieval atmosphere in its old town, partly surrounded by impressive walls and designated a Site of Cultural Interest.
We then reboarded our coach and went on to La Iglesuela del Cid, one of the landmarks of the Maestrazgo. The town experienced a long period of economic prosperity in the past, which has given it beautiful examples of civil and religious architecture. We had a very speedy check in to the 4* Matutano-Daudén Palace Hotel, where we were staying for2 nights with dinner and breakfast included. The meals were excellent, along with plenty of good rosado/white/red wine accompanying our dinner.
The hotel is in the old Daudén Palace, built in 1773 by Sebastián Dauden; declared a National Monument in 1931. Its façade and interior have been preserved to achieve a design that combines tradition, luxury and excellence, thus creating a welcoming and comfortable atmosphere.
After breakfast on Tuesday morning we made our way to Fortanete, where we had a guided walking tour to see the old municipal jail; the House of the Dukes of Medinaceli, a noble house from the last third of the 16th century, with three floors ending in large wooden eaves in the style of the Renaissance palace-houses throughout the Maestrazgo and the 16th century Town Hall.
After time for a refreshment break, we reboarded the coach and travelled to nearby Miravete de la Sierra for a visit to the old mill and Bread Cycle Interpretation Centre. The Miravete de la Sierra mill no longer grinds wheat, but it is perfectly preserved and is thebest way to learn about one of the most important parts of the economy of the villages until half a century ago. The remainder of the afternoon was free to enjoy the hotel or to wander around La Iglesuela del Cid (fortunately we arrived back to the hotel before a heavy hail storm!).
On Tuesday evening we had a cava reception in the hotel bar so that we could all sing happy birthday to Ian Cummings, who was celebrating his birthday with us all! Angela presented him with a bottle of wine on behalf of the group.
After breakfast on Wednesday we checked out of the hotel and travelled to Tronchón for a visit to the Queseros Artisanos, a family-run cheese factory which produces the famous Tronchón cheese as it did in the past. But the ingredients remain the same: perfectly controlled raw goat or sheep milk, which only needs rennet and salt and a curing time.
Our guide then showed us Tronchón’s historic centre and its important architectural buildings, such as the church of Santa María Magdalena, the Town Hall, which is a Renaissance building from the 16th century, the Palace of the Marquis of Valdeolivo and the Gothic prison building built in the 14th century, and the old hospital. Monica was very friendly with the Mayor of the village and he had a very large key to enable us to go inside the various sites!
Monica accompanied us to Zorita del Maestrazgo, a mountainous region with large pine and holm oak forests. We had lunch at the onsite restaurant, where dish kept following dish, and for me probably the best duck I’ve ever tasted – served on a slate hot plate! The lunch was accompanied with plenty of local wine. Then Monica gave us a guided visit to the Santuari de la Mare de Déu de la Balma, declared an Asset of Cultural Interest and Historic-Artistic Monument, which is embedded in the hollow of a huge mass of rock, and was simply spectacular!
Before making our journey to Cantavieja we stopped for a short guided visit to Mirambel, often referred to as “a jewel within the walls”. Mirambel is included in the list of “Most Beautiful Villages of Spain”. In 1980 it was declared an Historic-Artistic Site for being “a town steeped in history, fully conserving the walled enclosure and notable buildings, without altering the image and medieval atmosphere”.
We then proceeded to Cantavieja and checked in to the 4* Hotel Spa Balfagón for 2 nights’ accommodation, with dinner and breakfast included. Awarded the prize for tourism merit, it reflects a combination of contemporary and traditional style, maintaining the strong personality of the area based on natural materials, such as stone and wood.
It was only a short downhill walk from the centre of Cantavieja, the historic capital of Alto Maestrazgo.
After breakfast on Thursday we travelled to La Iglesuela del Cid for a guided visit which started with a tour of the Aliaga house, going through the rooms to see and understand how the nobility lived in rural areas from the sixteenth century to the twentieth century. Monica, accompanied by Mari from the tourist office, gave us a guided walking tour of the historic area. We returned to Cantavieja and the rest of the afternoon was free.
On Friday morning we checked out of the hotel and made our way to Rubielos de Mora. There was time for refreshments on arrival, before we embarked on a guided walking tour with Miguel from the local tourist office. Rubielos de Mora, located on the right bank of the Rubielos River, is a walled enclosure with beautiful stately homes, picturesque corners and impressive buildings. Everyone had free time for lunch, and some of us enjoyed an excellent menu del dia in a typical small Spanish restaurant, which included 3 courses, bread, water and wine for 20 euros!
We reboarded our coach and continued our journey to Jávea, just stopping for the usual ‘ice-cream’ stop enroute. It was a lovely 5 days, with many interesting sites and stunning scenery on a grand scale. Fortunately, we also managed to avoid the hail storm and although it was cooler in the mountains, the sun shone for us.
I would like to thank everyone who took photos of the tour and in particular, Sieglinde Czerwinski and Ian Cummings, who posted many beautiful photographs on the Jávea U3A Facebook page (only a small selection has been included here). A very big thank you also to all the members who made it such a fun and enjoyable trip, and to our guide, Monica, who was simply excellent.
Report by Angela Chantry
Group Leader, Spanish Culture & Cuisine
spanish.culture.cuisine@u3ajavea.com
