A walk through Reinosa

Approximately thirty kilometers from Aguilar de Campoo, sharing a border with the infinite plateau lands of Palencia, as well as with the superb Ebro Canyons and the north of Burgos, one of the great capitals of Cantabria, invites the curious traveler, on a journey through dreams: Reinosa.

Given its privileged location, on the very edge of the so-called Palentina Mountain, the picturesque town of Reinosa can also be an ideal base of operations, offering both travelers and tourists ample possibilities for adventure and expansion, since It is just under an hour from two fascinating and antagonistic geographical landmarks: the immeasurable Picos de Europa and the surprising coasts and beaches of the Cantabrian Sea.

Leaving aside the inconspicuous scenes of the outskirts, with their industrial warehouses, roadside hotels and warehouses, which extend to the vicinity of the highway that connects Cantabria with the Castilian Plateau, the old town of Reinosa still preserves, that peculiar charm of the traditional, whose beauty captivates the senses, providing a journey through the melancholic settings of the past.

Crossed by the circumspect waters of the Ebro River, which leave evocative siren whispers as they pass along both banks, the walk begins at the Liberty Square, the popular Street of the Fountains and the Spain Square, where the Town Hall, next to one of the oldest churches in Reinosa, that of Saint Sebastian - a figure always represented as Apollo, his body eternally arrowed - with a structure, which, made in the 16th century, alternates styles such as Gothic and baroque, adapting to the fashions that were beginning to prevail at the time.

Speaking, precisely, of architectural fashions, the walk, which truly begins on Street of the Fountains, located near the Principal Theater and the so-called Dawn Fountain, is also a visual spectacle, where traditional architecture coexists, in a elegant, with the tradition of Gothic buildings and houses and palaces of eminently modernist character, based on solid pillars, which, distributed on both sides under the popular structure of arcades, offer, in addition, not only shelter from a climate where rain showers are usually frequent, but also discreet corners and in many cases, not devoid of mystery.

It is precisely here where the presence of traditional product stores is located, with greater intensity, as well as a notable variety of restaurant services, which make, by default, precisely the most cheerful and busiest place in Reinosa, It is common, especially in the summer, to enjoy the color of the terraces, usually packed with the shouting of children and the gatherings of friends and families, enjoying moments of laughter and leisure alongside succulent appetizers.

The walk can continue, significantly, at the height of one of the old medieval-looking bridges built in the time of Charles III, a detail for which it bears its name, which still languidly sees the Ebro pass by and behind, following the bank of this and enjoying some picturesque panoramic views, where the observant traveler will see different nuances, whose details are alternative views that combine the ancient with the modern, an unequivocal sign of the inexorable passage of time, which, as we all know, never stops. his path.

Passing, then, the bridge, whose structure still supports, like the backs of a giant, the fluid and continuous passage of pedestrians and vehicles and arriving at a second bridge, modern and with much less charm, one finds, for lovers of the History, the old mansion that was the palace and birthplace of Juan Francisco de Güemes, who was viceroy of Mexico in 1691, count of Villagigedo and also one of the greatest promoters of maritime trade.

In fact, and introducing ourselves a little into the rigorous vicissitudes of History, we observe that Reinosa - the old Renosa - was already part of those territories hostile to the Muslim invader, in which part of the legendary adventures of the first counts also took place. of Castile, like Sancho García, who, in a sealed document, precisely in that thousand year that generated so much fear among the Christians of the time, whose arrival they interpreted as the date on which the Apocalypse would be unleashed, bequeathed these lands to the abbeys of Aguilar and Santillana del Mar, a detail that also explains how the large cities and municipalities were born and developed.

In fact, for many years, Reinosa was the town that had one of the largest markets in the surrounding area, especially in regard to a topic that has always characterized the towns and cities of northern Spain: livestock farming.

In addition, it also had, like the famous Trubia, in Asturias, a powerful arms industry, whose conquest and possession was highly coveted by the two contending sides in the Civil War and explains, even if in a macabre way, why they developed so intense fratricidal combats in the area.

But, in addition, Reinosa is also an essential starting point for not only hiking routes, but also cultural routes, such as those of Romanesque art and architecture, abundant in the surrounding towns or the old Celtiberian forts, such as the from Argueso, located a dozen kilometers away.

In short: a place that can be an excellent base of operations, guaranteeing, due to its proximity, access to numerous places, whose characteristics can fully satisfy the most varied interests and hobbies.

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