AN IMPERIAL ROUTE

Created in 2007 with the aim of supporting and promoting tourist, historical-cultural and economic  resources on the Charles V routes, the Cooperation Network of the Routes of Emperor Charles V maintains a full programme for the development of cultural and tourism activities in connection with Charles V. It now consists of over 80 towns and historical sites in over ten countries, located on the routes that Charles V of Habsburg travelled between 1517 and 1557.

HISTORY AT YOUR FINGERTIPS

Emperor Charles V left his mark in many places, which can be visited thanks to this network. It is much more than historical, because the towns boast not only of their history but also of their rich artistic, cultural and gastronomic heritage.

Tazones, Laredo, Medina de Pomar, Medina del Campo, Valladolid, Toledo, Guadalupe, Granada, Yuste Monastery…  And so on, nearly fifty places, collaborating centres and institutions custody the legacy of the emperor. Places that remember his visit in the form of historical re-enactments with the participation of hundreds of people. They are powerful elements for the development of the towns where they are held. The emperor’s disembarkation in Tazones and Laredo, his journey through Medina de Pomar, Medina del Campo, Valdestillas, Mojados and Tornavacas, the emperor’s arrival at the palace of the Counts of Oropesa in Jarandilla de la Vera – now a National Tourism Parador – these are all recreations that are worth seeing at least once in a lifetime.

We must not forget the attractions of each of the member towns in the Network of the Routes of Emperor Charles V. From historical towns like Medina de Pomar in Burgos, and also the capital city of that province, to Ampudia and Becerril de Campos in Palencia, and Medina del Campo or Tordesillas in Valladolid – and that province’s capital city. Equally, Pasarón de la Vera, Garganta la Olla and Cuacos de Yuste in La Vera in Cáceres (Extremadura) and Tazones and Villaviciosa, in Asturias. We can also add World Heritage cities like Guadalupe and Toledo and gems like the Alhambra in Granada.

Places with charm, full of legends and even historical facts, such as the story of Barbara Blomberg, the mother of Don John of Austria, Emperor Charles V’s illegitimate son, or of that son and a local noble’s daughter, Magdalena, in Pasarón de la Vera.

A LOT MORE THAN HISTORY

History is linked with other aspects, such as gastronomy, nature and heritage, which make the member towns and villages of the Network of the Routes of Emperor Charles V attractive places in which to spend a holiday, a weekend or a simple excursion. Places like Ampuero and Merindad de Valdivielso, among others, are a joy for the senses.