Pedraza (Segovia)

Pedraza is one of Spain's most beautiful walled medieval villages. When you enter the village (there is a large carpark next to the Castle where visitors are asked to park their cars to limit traffic on the village's cobbled streets), and walk through its narrow streets, you feel as if you have suddenly been transported back through history.

Pedreza is in the province of Segovia, and is just one hours drive away from Madrid. Although clay pots found buried in the area suggest that people lived in clusters in the area as early as 400 B.C., it was not until the Spaniards reconquered Castilla from Arab occupation in the Fourteenth Century that the village began to grow, and dukes and nobles built residences there. The village is full of large houses where nobles lived during the middle ages. Until recently, many were derilict, but in the past 25 years houses, streets and the castle itself have been restored and as you stroll through the streets, you feel that the local inhabitants are very proud of their village.

What to see in Pedraza:

• Pedraza Castle: The original fortress dates back to the Thirteenth Century. The castle was rebuild in the Fifteenth Century.
• Santa Maria Church: Built in the fifteen hundreds, the church still conserves its basic structure and tower.
• Plaza Mayor: Beautiful medieval town square.

Where to Stay in Pedraza:

There are a few small hotels and pensiones in Pedraza. Other possibilites: Hotel de la Villa, Hospedería de Santo Domingo. Other nearby possibilities include the Parador in Segovia or a hotel in Madrid.