Get to know six beautiful towns in Lugo and their charms

Tell you about six beautiful towns of Lugo requires a great selection effort. There are so many and so beautiful that we find in that Spanish province that synthesizing them in just six is ​​very difficult.

Not in vain, this area of Galicia It includes a coastline of spectacular beauty, but also a mountainous interior with rich vegetation. And in both one and the other, we have very beautiful towns that combine a rich monumental heritage with a privileged nature environment and also, by the way, delicious cuisine. Below, we present our proposal of six beautiful towns in Lugo.

Ribadeo

We begin our journey, precisely, on the border with Asturias. Ribadeo It is only separated from it by the spectacular Bridge of the Saints and is located on the banks of the beautiful estuary of the Eo. Furthermore, it is a perfect example of what we have just told you: the towns of Lugo that we present to you perfectly combine monuments and natural beauty.

As for the latter, in the municipality of Ribadeo you have the famous Aguas Santas beach or The Cathedrals. Specifically, it is located in the parish of Devesa and it receives this name because of the whimsical rock formations that you can see on its sandy beach. Some of them, with their openings, are reminiscent of the large archivolts of Gothic cathedrals.

Another place of enormous beauty is the surroundings of the Pancha Island, where the lighthouse is located and which offers you wonderful views of the Cantabrian coast. But the town of Lugo also has a magnificent monumental complex. A notable part of this is due to the Indian houses, who were emigrants from the area who returned rich from America and built sumptuous homes.

Among them, the Moreno Tower, the Don Clemente's House or those of the San Roque neighborhood. However, you will also find older monuments in Ribadeo. It is the case of neoclassical palace of the Ibáñez family (current headquarters of the City Council). The building of the Aduana and the San Damiano Castle. Instead, the Church of Santa Maria del Campo dates back to the 13th century and convento of Santa Clara from the 14th century, although the current one was built in the 16th century.

Monforte de Lemos, essential among the beautiful towns of Lugo

If Ribadeo has to appear in any list of the beautiful towns of Lugo, we can tell you the same about Monforte de Lemos. Not in vain, it is the capital of the beautiful Ribeira Sacra region, famous for places as spectacular as the Sil canyons or Oribio and Claudel mountain ranges.

As if that were not enough, Monforte is one of the most monumental towns in the province of Lugo. In fact, although its origin is pre-Roman, it experienced its greatest splendor in the 16th and 17th centuries. Its great architectural attractions belong to them. Among them, stands out the monumental complex of San Vicente del Pino, made up of the Benedictine monastery of the same name, which combines Renaissance and Gothic features; the Count's Palace from the 16th century and the Torre del Homenaje, dating from the 13th century. The first two constitute the current tourist stop, so you can even stay in them.

You should also visit Monforte old town, which preserves part of the walls with the gates of the Alcazaba and Nova. But another of the most spectacular monuments of the town is the Our Lady of Antigua School, popularly known as “the Escorial of Galicia” for its magnificence. Furthermore, like the famous monastery, it responds to the Herrerian style and was built between the 16th and 17th centuries. Among its most notable elements, look at its monumental staircase and the church altarpiece, the work of Francisco Moure.

Finally, the Old Bridge It is, according to tradition, of Roman origin. However, it was rebuilt in the 16th century by the master Pedro Rodríguez Remberbe. Furthermore, on one of its sides, you have the Museum of Sacred Art of the Poor Clare Mothers, one of the best in Spain of its genre.

Or Cebreiro

We continue heading inland to find another of the beautiful towns of Lugo. Or Cebreiro belongs to the municipality of Piedrafita, already bordering lands of León. Not in vain, it is the first Galician municipality in the French Camino de Santiago.

Despite its small size, this town has a lot of interest for visitors. The church of Santa Maria It dates back to no less than the year 872 AD and responds to the pre-Romanesque style. In addition, it preserves the chalice with which, according to tradition, the call was given. miracle of the holy grail. He says that, to punish a priest's lack of faith and charity, God accomplished the act of turning bread and wine into flesh and blood.

You also have to see in O Cebreiro the ethnographic park. It is made up of the singular pallozas, name given to the primitive pre-Roman houses typical of Los Ancares. These are stone constructions with conical plant roofs that were in use until the last century.

Two of them are visitable. If you do, you will discover what the life of its inhabitants was like, the furniture they had and even the tools they used in agricultural and livestock work.

Mondoñedo, more history among the beautiful towns of Lugo

Capital of the Central MariñaIn Mondoñedo we find another of the beautiful towns of Lugo that are living history of Galicia. In fact, its name comes from the Celtic languages ​​and its old town is recognized as Historical-Artistic Set. The nerve center of the town is the Spain Square, where you will find the spectacular cathedral, a magnificent Romanesque and Gothic construction from the 13th century.

No less majestic is the Royal Conciliar Seminary of Santa Catalina. It was built in the 18th century with dark slate from the area and following neoclassical features. For his part, the Sanctuary of Remedies It houses a wonderful baroque complex. It is from the 16th century, just like the St. Paul's Hospital. On the other hand the Alcántara monastery and the Convent of the Conception They are from the XNUMXth century.

However, you can also see civil monuments in Mondoñedo. Among them, you should look at the pazo or Palace of Alderman Luaces, a marvel of Elizabethan Gothic style, and in the Old Town Hall, current municipal library. But, equally, you have to see others like the Episcopal palace or San Isidro mansion.

King's shovels

Also towards the interior of the province, in the Ulloa region, you will find this other town that should be included among the beautiful towns of Lugo. King's shovels It is closely linked to the pre-Roman fortified culture, as demonstrated by the numerous archaeological remains found in the area.

But it was also important in later centuries. Several mansions and emblazoned houses have remained in the town from its stately past. Among them, the tower houses of Filgueira and Fontecuberta, the Ulloa's house to mansions of Laia and Mariñao.

On the other hand, in the village of Vilar de Donas You can see a Romanesque church from the 12th century that, at that time, belonged to a monastery. Likewise, in its main chapel there are Gothic paintings. But the great symbol of Palas de Rey is the Pambre castle. It is a medieval fortress from the 14th century that has been very well preserved. It has a quadrangular plan with four towers in its corners and another one of the Homage that is more centered and tall.

Samos, a finishing touch to the beautiful towns of Lugo

We finish our proposal of the beautiful towns of Lugo in Samos, which is a finishing touch. Belongs to the Sarriá region and it is a passage for pilgrims heading to Santiago de Compostela. It offers you an impressive natural environment dominated by Sierra del Oribio, which we already mentioned when talking about Monforte de Lemos.

For its part, the great monumental attraction of the town is its Royal Benedictine Abbey of Saint Julian, which is dated to the 6th century. Its foundation is attributed to San Martin Dumiense, although it would be Saint Fructuosus who would promote it. However, its current form is due to the complete reconstruction that was carried out in the 16th century. For this reason, it combines the late Gothic and Renaissance styles to which later reforms added the Baroque. As a whole, the two cloisters. The largest is the largest in Spain, with three thousand square meters. It is also known as from Father Feijoo because this Benedictine and writer lived in the monastery.

Likewise, it is spectacular baroque church built in the 18th century. It has a Latin cross plan with three naves and is accessed by a staircase reminiscent of the Obradoiro of the the Cathedral of Santiago of Compostela. On the other hand, the library has about twenty-five thousand books, some of them incunabula of enormous value. Finally, the little one Mozarabic chapel of the Cypress, dated to the 9th century, completes the complex.

In conclusion, we have proposed a route for six beautiful towns of Lugo. But, as you will understand, there are many others. For example, Nursery, with its church of Santa María del Campo and its House of the Lions; Piornedo, in the Ancares Biosphere Reserve; Portomarin, with a part submerged in the Belesar reservoir, or Castro de Rey, with its archaeological remains. Dare to discover these locations.