Free walking tours in Frías and what to see

Must-sees

Frías, in Las Merindades, north of Burgos, prides itself on being one of the smallest cities in Spain, a title it has held since the Middle Ages. It sits on a hill dominated by a castle rising from a rock, with a keep that seems to hang in mid-air. From the top you see the whole Tobalina valley. Next to the castle is the church of San Vicente.

The houses hanging over the rock form the town’s best-known image. Below, the medieval bridge over the Ebro keeps a defensive tower in its centre, where the toll was collected. The walk through the cobbled streets is short and pleasant. Very close are the Tobera waterfalls and the hermitage of Nuestra Señora de la Hoz, beside a gorge.

Free tours and guided visits

There are no free walking tours as such in Frías. The usual format is a visit to the castle, sometimes with a guide, and guided walks around the medieval centre organised in high season and at weekends. Interesting excursions from here take in Las Merindades: Orbaneja del Castillo, Medina de Pomar, the monastery of Oña or the Ojo Guareña karst complex, where the cave visit is always guided.

How long to spend

Frías is easily seen in half a day: two hours for the castle and the old town, and another for the bridge and Tobera. If you stay one or two more days, the area offers several routes around Las Merindades, combining medieval villages, caves and walks along the Ebro. For the castle, go first thing or late in the afternoon.

Where to stay

The best choice is to sleep in Frías itself, in the rural cottages and small hotels of the old town, to see it without visitors at dusk. Medina de Pomar has more services and is a short drive away. The Tobalina valley villages offer quiet rural stays if you plan to explore the whole area.