They are an important cultural and architectural heritage of our country and, perhaps, you do not know them. But they exist. It is about the underground towns that occupy kilometer and kilometer under ground in the Spanish geography. Located, for the most part, in Castilla y León, they can also be found in Valencia, Álava, Ciudad Real or La Rioja, among other Autonomous Communities. Underground paths linking caves . Many of them were houses in their day but most are now warehouses.
Aranda de Duero (Burgos)
Aranda de Duero has a network of 7 kilometers in which 135 underground cellars are preserved, with a depth of between 9 and 12 meters, built between the 12th and 18th centuries.
Market Gumiel (Burgos)
In this small town of only 360 inhabitants there is an important set of caves, many of which are still active.
Vadocondes (Burgos)
Despite having a population density of only 350 inhabitants, the town has almost a hundred wineries and as many wine presses in its historic quarter. Some date back to the 13th century.
Moradillo de Roa (Burgos)
An even smaller number of inhabitants has this town (171), in which there are seven cave-presses that make up the ethnographic complex of 'El Cotarro' and which have made it receive the 2020 Europa Nostra Award . A project to raise awareness, protect, maintain and recover wineries and wineries in a place where there are 157.
Sotillo de la Ribera (Burgos)
With an extension of 3 kilometers, Sotillo de la Ribera hides 86 wineries and 99 wineries that, although most of them are private, visits are organized.
San Esteban de Gormaz (Soria)
This little town in Soria is famous for its Romanesque architecture. In addition, there are 298 wineries in it, some of which are little known . In addition, there are also for sale.
Atauta (Soria)
In Atauta there are more wineries (141) than inhabitants (60). They have been in operation for eight centuries and have been restored by the residents themselves. He received the award for best practices in Ethnological Ensembles of Castilla y Leon 2020 .
Fermoselle (Zamora)
Known in the past as the town of a thousand wineries, it has them dating back to the 10th century. They communicate through galleries and six stand out, in particular, which have tourist routes.
The pellet (Zamora)
In Perdigón, the clay soil in the area made it easy to excavate galleries. It has about 200 wineries that are located outside the urban core, in three neighborhoods. There are interconnected rooms, with two or more superimposed floors, and brick arches are frequent in them. Many have restaurants and are specialized in weekend tourism .
Valdevimbre (Leon)
A perfect town for those looking for centuries-old wineries. Also, many of them are now famous restaurants .
Alaejos (Valladolid)
It is a whole labyrinth under our feet and there are several tunnels that communicated the castle with the town's churches. They were used by Juana la Beltraneja, a rival for the throne of Isabel la Católica, to go to mass. Now they are kept under the houses and each one has a piece of it that they use as a warehouse-storage room . Although, for many years, they were used to store wine or grain.
Mucientes (Valladolid)
With cellars from the 16th and 17th centuries, Mucientes received the award for Best Wine Tourism Municipality in 2020 . It was for the recovery project of a neighborhood of excavated underground cellars, called Cuarto de San Pedro. Currently they have been adapted to accommodate a teaching space and an interpretation room has been installed.
Wheel (Valladolid)
In this small town of 670 inhabitants you can find numerous galleries 25 meters below ground. Some of them date back to the 15th century.
Baltanas (Palencia)
This town of Palencia is a Site of Cultural Interest because it has the largest set of underground cellars in the country. Nothing more and nothing less than 374 spread over 6 levels dating, for the most part, from the 15th century (time of wine splendor in the town).
Utiel (Valencia)
Of medieval origin and Arab framework, the tunnels were built to connect the walls with the fortress. They worked, above all, in the 18th and 19th centuries . There are almost 400 wineries that are part of a circular itinerary where you can take guided tours.
Laguardia (Alava)
Known as "drafts", there are many underground cellars in the urban area. In fact, there are so many that it is forbidden for trucks to circulate on its streets.
Haro (La Rioja)
In Haro there are seven hundred-year-old underground cellars, of which the Muga stands out above all, with more than 3,000 meters. That is why it is considered the largest underground cellar.
Photos | Unsplash and Wikipedia
