Pedraza, what to see in the most beautiful medieval town in Segovia

When I started making my first travel getaways, visiting towns like Pedraza, Segovia, Santillana del Mar, Cantabria, without a doubt conditioned my current passion for discovering charming towns.

The problem that you may now encounter when visit these and others pretty towns They are so famous that you find them really crowded with tourists.

That happened to me a few years ago when on a weekend trip through the Segovia province I decided to approach, once again, visit Pedraza, a town that I had not been to for quite some time.

When I arrived at Rincon Segovia, which is part of the association of Most beautiful villages in SpainThe first thing I found was that I had to park the car in some space on the access road, and not in the usual parking lot inside the fortified enclosure, next to the castle.

Pedraza, the most beautiful town in Segovia

Having to park outside the walled enclosure of Pedraza to preserve its interior was not the problem, but rather the symptom of the large influx of visitors that there was at that time.

My first memories of Pedraza They date back to the 70s, when it was still a semi-abandoned town where to eat you only had the option of Manrique Still Life.

This is a small steakhouse with wooden benches where they only served lamb and salad.

And also to eat at that place you should have called days before your visit to reserve space for the weekend, which was when it was open, since they no longer gave food to those who arrived on Saturday or Sunday. visit Pedraza and they had not booked before.

Subsequently, this medieval village of enormous charm, it gained fame among the people of Madrid, who began acquiring houses to renovate, and converted Pedraza at the ideal place for a getaway from Madrid.

Back then, at any time of the year you would walk through the town finding its streets and beautiful corners almost empty of visitors.

The panorama has changed radically for some time now.

Currently in Pedraza you already find a dozen grill restaurants where the tasty segovian gastronomy is the protagonist, that is, the lamb, the pig, the forceful Farm beans and the delicious Ponche Segoviano.

En Pedraza, in addition to the striking furniture store Nature that you always visited when you visited the town, now there is another traditional furniture store. as well as small Craft shops.

The good news is that Pedraza has kept all his medieval charm since the buildings that have been renovated have maintained the architectural style of the town.

The bad news is that if you go on a Sunday or during the holiday season you will find it packed with visitors.

For this reason he felt that he had an outstanding debt with Pedraza, check if it is still possible to walk through its streets with hardly any people.

And I already tell you that it is possible.

This is the experience of visiting Pedraza

I have recently visited Pedraza a weekday Friday in the fall...and the town was practically empty, as you can see in the photos that accompany this report.

In this way I was able to take the car back up to the top of the hill where it is located, and enter the walled area through its only access door, where the Villa Jail.

Villa de Pedraza Prison

The aforementioned Villa Jail It is a building originally from the 13th century that was rebuilt in the 16th century, which you can now tour in guided tours that show you what a medieval prison was like.

With the vehicle I was also able to reach the traditional parking located near the castlein the fortified enclosure of Pedraza.

Plaza Mayor of Pedraza

Pedraza It is very easy to visit, since there are only three streets that come together in the Plaza MayorA beautiful arcaded square.

In it is the town hall and church of san juan, a Romanesque building from the 13th century with later baroque details.

Candle Concert in Pedraza

This square reaches its greatest splendor in the Candle Concert.

It is a nighttime event that is celebrated every year on the first and second Saturday of the month of July, and for this reason the entire town area is illuminated with candles.

Pedraza Castle and Zuloaga Museum

From this square the main Street will take you to castle of pedraza. 

It is a small fortification from the 13th century that was renovated in the 16th century by the Dukes of Frias, one of the manors that ran the village of Pedraza until the 19th century, when they disappeared.

With a tower of tribute, the castle was acquired in 1926 by the painter Ignatius Zuloaga, who set up a work workshop.

Now the castle of pedraza is enabled as a museum where you can see some of the artist's works.

In sum, my recent Pedraza visit It has been a pleasant reunion that, above all, has confirmed for me the charm that this medieval Segovian town maintains.

Map: where it is and how to get to Pedraza

Located 37 kilometers northeast of Segovia, to the North of the Sierra de Guadarrama and also to get to Pedraza from Madrid You have to go either on the A1 or the A6, and it will take you an hour and a half to complete your journey.