Free walking tours in Béjar and what to see

Must-sees

Béjar spreads across a hillside at the foot of the sierra that bears its name and has a strong textile past. In the old town the Ducal Palace stands out, residence of the Dukes of Béjar and now a school, with a Renaissance courtyard. Nearby are the Plaza Mayor, the church of Santa María la Mayor and remains of the medieval wall. All around the centre you can see old cloth mills by the river Cuerpo de Hombre.

On the outskirts is El Bosque de Béjar, a Renaissance pleasure villa with gardens, a pond and a kitchen garden, one of the few examples of its kind in Spain. In town, the Mateo Hernández Museum, devoted to the local sculptor, and the David Melul Jewish Museum, which recalls the Sephardic presence, are worth visiting. The sierra offers mountain routes and, in winter, the La Covatilla ski resort.

Free tours and guided visits

Pay-what-you-like free walking tours are uncommon in Béjar. The usual options are guided visits of the historic centre and the textile industrial heritage route, which explains what the town was like when its mills clothed half the country. El Bosque can also be visited with a guide to understand its layout.

Nearby excursions are very interesting. Candelario, a few kilometres away, is a mountain village with very well-preserved traditional architecture. You can continue to Hervás and its Jewish quarter, or to Montemayor del Río and its castle. There are also guided hikes in the Sierra de Béjar and the Sierra de Candelario.

How long to spend

One day is enough for the town: the morning for the Ducal Palace, the Plaza Mayor and the museums, and the afternoon for El Bosque and a riverside walk past the old mills. If you want to see the area, stay two or three days and add Candelario, Hervás or a route in the sierra. In winter you can add a day of skiing.

Where to stay

The best area to sleep is the centre, near the Plaza Mayor and Calle Mayor, from where you can walk to the monuments and museums. If you are driving and want the mountains, Candelario and other sierra villages have rural houses and small hotels with lots of atmosphere. For skiing, there are also places to stay closer to the road up to La Covatilla.