www.caminosantiago.com   El Bierzo Villafranca del Bierzo is one of the most renowned halts along the Santiago Route. It is a pleasant place where you can recover strenght and start a short tour around the Bierzo area. The Bierzo was once an independent province, on account of its isolation. The area sits on a tectonic valley sorrounded by mountains with a height of 2000m in many cases. Most of the population is concentrated in the lowland areas, where most of the agrarian activities are developed. These consist basically of vineyards and fruit and vegetable cultivations of high quality and yield. The highland areas are used for stockbreeding and the cultivation of rye. Villafranca del Bierzo, being a beautiful wild area, offers some important monuments: Church of Santiago; San Francisco , with its Mudejar handicrafts; Collegiate Church, 16th century; San Nicolás, Baroque; and also the Castle and the beautiful houses along Agua Street. Therefore touring around this region becomes a real pleasure.