On our way from Astorga to Valladolid Sheila happened to spot the village of Uruena from the motorway, set high up in the hills of Montes de Torozos. And so with screeching of breaks and burning rubber we left the motorway and made our way up to the town of Urueña, which is located in Castilla y León and northwest of the province of Valladolid, about 200 kms from Madrid..

This town is set in a strategic location on an elevation from which the great plain of the region of Tierra de Campos and all the bordering provinces can be seen and the first settlement here was the Iberians and later the Romans.

Urueña’s streets and stone houses have been restored to those of a medieval town. The city walls date back to the thirteenth century and the towers of the old castle were built in the eleventh century and both of these indicate the importance the town had at that time as a border enclave between the kingdoms of Castilla y León. Hopefullly these photos will give you an idea of the town completely contained within the city walls.

Near the main square is the church of Santa María del Azogue, which was built in gothic-renaissance style, and is the only church built within the walls.

From the walls of Urueña are views of very impressive landscapes.

Urueña was declared a Historic-Artistic Site in 1975 due to the maintenance of the monuments that it conserves from its long history. It also has four museums and is a member of the International Organisation of Book Towns, a network of villages which house many second-hand and antiquarian bookshops.