Stage: Quintanarruz - Burgos

Kilometre marker 0, located next to the Nature Trails interpretative panel, marks the beginning of this stage. The course is along what was once the old railway line and features gentle uphill and downhill slopes along the entire route. The small hamlet of Quintanarruz is crossed by Calle La Vía. Leaving Quintanarruz behind, we head south where the cork oak forests increasingly abound.

On the top of a small headland stand the ruins of what was once the Shrine of Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles, and, shortly afterwards , a wooden bench offers a brief respite to enjoy for the botanical richness of the River La Molina. After passing the 4-kilometre marker, the hamlet of Cobos Junto a La Molina and the Church of San Torcuato come into view.

Continuing comfortably the kilometres pass by, until we reach the small La Molina de Ubierna Rest Area, for well-earned break to regain strength. After passing the 7-kilometre marker, the Church of San Román comes into view. This is where various scenes of the Passion of Jesus are reenacted by the residents of La Molina de Ubierna every Good Friday. At the crossroads that provides access to the hamlet, there is an interpretive panel inviting travellers to pay a visit.

The route continues with no major interruption to an old gatekeeper’s hut, today converted into housing, just before carefully crossing the CL-629 road. Soon we reach the town of Peñahorada is where there is another Rest Area. Around kilometre point 11, the traveller reaches the old station of Peñahorada, where the passing of time is noticeable just by observing its current state.

The route continues in parallel with road CL-629, leaving a well-conserved old mineral loading bay in a good condition on the left. Just past the 12-kilometre marker come the 120-metre Callejón tunnel and the 84-metre La Hoz tunnel. Being short tunnels, they have no artificial lighting, so it is recommended to carry a torch. Immediately afterwards, we cross the road CL-629 via a purpose-built elevated bridge and the rocky mountains covered with scrubland of evergreen oaks are left behind.

We pass the gothic Church of La Mota before the old Halt Station of Villaverde Peñahorada, both to the left of the route. Crossing the BU-V-5008, we encounter more and more rain-fed cereal crops and plains. Once again, we find ourselves sharing a road with motor traffic, so we have to stay alert and take precautions. After passing the 16-kilometre marker, we cross the bridge over the Ubierna River, which is the entrance to Sotopalacios. Los Adelantados Castle dominates the village architecturally. Sotopalacios is famous the production of local black pudding, so why not take the opportunity to sample this delicacy.

After just over a kilometre, we reach the old Terminón-Castellanos station, located, as its name suggests, between the two towns. Next to the old building, an interpretive panel and a rest area offer the perfect opportunity to take a break, peruse some information about the route and the surroundings and take stock of how far we’ve come and what lies ahead.

The old railway route is left momentarily upon reaching the village, continuing along the footpath of the N-623 road inside the village. Known as the Burgos-Santander road, it is crossed at a traffic light controlled pedestrian crossing. Shortly afterwards, we turn right to return to the old railway route at the old Sotopalacios station, where a rest area offers the chance to take a break beneath two large horse chestnut trees (Aesculus hippocastanum).

The town is left among cropland, leaving behind the trail that provides access to Quintanilla Vivar, located less than 1 km from the Nature Trail. A short while later, we cross the A-73 motorway using an underpass. We return to the old railway line once again, crossing a bridge over the River Ubierna. Without further delay, we reach kilometre point 22, passing the BU-V-6279 road to Sotragero, taking the necessary precautions.

On the first few kilometres of the route, as we pass through fields of cereal crops, we leave behind the villages of Villarmero and Quintanadueñas, both to the right of the route, and the old Villarmero station and rest area. The route crosses the BU-30 ring road over a footbridge and a short while later reaches the Villalonquéjar industrial estate, where the route forks in two, adapted for cyclists and walkers at all times.

Once the industrial section is finished, the route continues along a cycle lane that will take walkers and cycle tourists to the city of Burgos. After the first few residential buildings, the route forks again, with cyclists, continuing straight along the cycle path and walkers taking the left hand path.

Its immense architectural and cultural heritage makes Burgos a must-see and a compulsory stop on this tour. Among the attractions, its world-famous cathedral undoubtedly stands out; it was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1984 and, much earlier, in the late 19th century, a National Monument.

Burgos is also a busy transit point for other important national and international routes: The Camino de Santiago, specifically the French Way route, sees many pilgrims pass through the city. The Route of El Cid is another example; it begins with the exile of Rodrigo Diaz (El Cid), a native of the nearby town of Vivar del Cid. The Saint Olav Way, which begins in the city of Burgos and ends at the original Shrine of San Olav, was inaugurated in 2011 in the Valle de los Lobos located in the town of Covarrubias.

A university city, one of Burgos’s great attractions is the local cuisine, a magnet for the immense majority of visitors. They cannot leave without tasting some of the local delicacies like roast suckling lamb, delicious Burgos black pudding, both with Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) for their quality and heritage; all combined with the famous wines from the Ribera del Duero and Arlanza Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) regions.

After a good meal, travellers can make their way through the city of Burgos where, just before the old Burgos railway station, the cycling and walking routes meet again. Travellers will only have to let themselves be guided through the city by the plaques on the streetlights to find the path that will take them out of the capital of Burgos, which will remain stuck in their minds.