Ponferrada

Ponferrada is a municipality in the province of León, Castilla y León, and the principal city of the Bierzo comarca. The city takes its name from an iron bridge, pons ferrata, that historically spanned the Sil river, replaced in the medieval period by the bridge infrastructure associated with the Templar castle.

The Castillo de los Templarios, constructed from the late twelfth century by the Knights Templar, is the dominant monument of Ponferrada, a massive fortified complex with towers, walls, and a keep occupying a strategic promontory above the confluence of the Boeza and Sil rivers. It is one of the largest and best-preserved Templar castles in Spain.

For pilgrims, Ponferrada is the major urban centre of the Bierzo section, offering full services and the dramatic encounter with the Templar castle before the route continues west through the wine country toward Villafranca del Bierzo.