The best road cycling routes around Vilalba

Mondoñedo Cathedral, also known as the Basilica of the Virgin of the Assumption, is one of Galicia's most important monuments, both for its historical and artistic value. Construction began in 1219 and was completed in the 14th century.

The original castle dates back to the 11th century, although the current tower was rebuilt in the 15th century after the Irmandiño revolts, which destroyed much of the fortress. It was owned by the lords of Lemos and later passed into the hands of Fernán Pérez de Andrade, who left his heraldic mark on the tower with the figure of the wild boar, a symbol of his lineage. In the 19th century, during the First Carlist War, the tower was reused as a defensive bastion and later restored.

The Andrade Tower in Vilalba (Lugo) is an impressive medieval building that constitutes the only vestige of the old Vilalba Castle, and one of the most important historical symbols of the Terra Chá region.

The Hospital of San Pablo and San Lázaro de Mondoñedo is a historic building of great heritage value, located on the Alameda de los Remedios, in the upper part of the city. Its construction was commissioned by Bishop Sarmiento de Sotomayor in 1750, with the aim of unifying the city's old hospitals: one for pilgrims and another for lepers.

Mondoñedo Cathedral, also known as the Cathedral Basilica of the Virgin of the Assumption, is an impressive cathedral located in the town of Mondoñedo, in Galicia, Spain. This cathedral combines Romanesque and Gothic architectural styles, and its main construction took place between 1219 and 1243. The façade was remodeled in the 18th century, and the towers that give it its current appearance were added.

A mighty and historic tower with a beautiful coat of arms 🤙

The hospital was built between 1750 and 1775 in the upper part of Mondoñedo, on the Alameda de los Remedios. This building has a square floor plan with a baroque façade and a central courtyard. Above the main doorway is the coat of arms of Bishop Sarmiento and Mondoñedo, forming a unique ensemble. Inside there is a chapel that houses a two-body baroque altarpiece from the 18th century with a period Christ.

A good way to find inspiration at the start of a cycle touring trip is to cycle unhurriedly following the universal yellow arrows of the Camino de Santiago. In Ribadeo begins the Natural Route of the Cantabrian Route and it is also the entrance to Galicia of the Camino del Norte or Camino de la Costa from Asturias, in both ways it is known the Camino de Santiago that runs along the Cantabrian coast from Irún to Santiago de Compostela. The Jacobean route leaves the Cantabrian coast and faces the first stage through the interior of Galicia, the landscape, the language and the cultural signs change but the faithful yellow arrows remain along with the inseparable Compostelan scallop shell along the Camiño Norte. The main purpose of including this variant in the trip is to connect with the Natural Route of San Rosendo and to discover the landscapes and villages that this ancient pilgrimage route travels between Mondoñedo and Foz. The connection point between the Camino de Santiago and the Natural Route is in Vilanova de Lourenzá, an ancient town of the Bridge from other times, when pilgrims sought asylum and protection in the hospitium of the Benedictine monastery of San Salvador. The meeting of the two routes is precisely at the medieval bridge over the Baos river, at the entrance to the town, and one could continue directly along the Natural Route of San Rosendo towards the coast, but the visit to the historic city of Mondoñedo is fundamental, former seat of courts, lordships and bishoprics, it has an old town declared a Historic-Artistic Site with arcades, cobbled streets and facades decorated with coats of arms and crests. The two routes coexist in the villages of the route until the Plaza de la Catedral de Mondoñedo, then you have to return along the same route and in Lourenzá undertake the descent towards the coast through the parishes of Casolga and Celeiro, in the mountains of the Masma river valley, the river collector that flows into the estuary of Foz. The landmarks of the Natural Route of San Rosendo pass through the basilica of San Martiño de Mondoñedo, the ancient site of Mindumneto, refuge of the bishop of Braga, Sabarico, in the mid-9th century and seat of the diocese until the year 1112, it is the oldest preserved cathedral in Spain and the first raised in southern Europe, built in the 6th century. The signs of the Route continue through the forests that lead to the panoramic spot of the hermitage of Obispo Santo and finally descend to the coastal platform, connecting with the Natural Route of the Cantabrian Route on the outskirts of Foz to finish the cycling stage by touring the coast of the Gulf of Masma to Cape Burela.