Ponferrada, Medieval town in León Province, Spain
Ponferrada is a municipality at the confluence of the Sil and Boeza rivers in León Province. The Knights Templar castle rises on a hill above the old town, surrounded by vineyards and winding streets that lead to the main square.
The settlement grew in the Middle Ages along a pilgrimage route, which monks eased by building an iron bridge over the river. King Ferdinand II granted the area to the Knights Templar in 1178, who established a stronghold to secure passage to Santiago.
The Basilica of La Encina stands on a former temple site and houses the town's patron saint in a gilded shrine. Pilgrims on the Way of Saint James often stop here before continuing into the mountains.
The town sits along the A-6 highway and has a railway station with connections to larger Spanish cities. Most points of interest cluster in the old town, which is easily walkable from the castle.
The National Energy Museum preserves machinery and documents from the coal era, when mines shaped the region. Many old industrial buildings still stand around the town and recall those decades.
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