Free walking tours in Urueña and what to see

Must-sees

Urueña is a small village in Valladolid province that keeps its medieval walls almost intact. You can walk part of the wall-walk and look out over the Tierra de Campos plain, which seems endless from up there. Inside the walls are several bookshops, bookbinding workshops and spaces devoted to books, as Urueña is known as the Villa del Libro, the book town. There's even an interpretation centre devoted to reading.

Besides the bookshops, the church of Santa María del Azogue and the village museums are worth a visit, including one devoted to musical instruments and the Fundación Joaquín Díaz's collection of ethnography and traditional music. At the foot of the village is the hermitage of Nuestra Señora de la Anunciada, Romanesque with Lombard influence, unique in Castile. At sunset, the wall is the best place to take in the landscape.

Free tours and guided visits

Urueña doesn't have pay-what-you-like free walking tours like the cities. The usual options are guided visits of the village and the walls, offered in season and at weekends, a guided visit to the hermitage of La Anunciada and book-related activities such as workshops or launches. From Valladolid there are day trips combining Urueña with Medina de Rioseco or Tordesillas.

How long to spend

Allow half a day for Urueña: an hour for the walls, another for the bookshops and the rest for the church, a museum and the hermitage on the outskirts. If you love books, it's easy to stay all day. Ideally, arrive in the afternoon, watch the sunset from the walls and stay the night, leaving the next morning for Medina de Rioseco.

Where to stay

Inside the walls there are a few rural houses and small places to stay, and they're the best option: the village is quiet and at night you have the walls almost to yourself. Beds are scarce, especially at weekends. If you can't find a room, Tordesillas and Medina de Rioseco, less than half an hour's drive away, have more hotels, and Valladolid is about 45 minutes away.