Attractions and Places To See around La Aldehuela - Top 14

Valdecorneja Castle, located in El Barco de Ávila, is a medieval gem that dominates the Tormes River valley from a strategic, elevated position. It is one of the most emblematic monuments in the province of Ávila and a must-see for history and architecture lovers.

Built on a Vettonian fort that was destroyed by the Romans, it was built in the 12th century and rebuilt in the 14th century. After being conquered from the Arabs, King Alfonso VI donated the Lordship of Valdecorneja to his daughter and son-in-law, Ramon de Borgoña, for repopulation. At the beginning of the 14th century, Henry II of Trastamara donated these lands to the House of Alba in the person of Don García Álvarez de Toledo. The House of Alba was responsible for building the castle. Grand Duke Don Fernando Álvarez de Toledo had his second residence here. During the Peninsular War, it suffered significant deterioration, not only due to the war itself but also because its stones were used to build private homes. The old interior arcade (which apparently formed a double gallery on the inside of the tower) was dismantled and rebuilt to provide arcades for the town hall building, located in the Plaza Mayor. Between 1851 and 1904, the interior of the castle grounds was used as a municipal cemetery, which further deteriorated its condition. Today, the exterior is in perfect condition after restorations carried out in 1985 and 2004, preserving its original perimeter. The pavement and part of the keep were repaired. Access to the monument is free, and visitors can see the well located in the center of the courtyard, a vaulted cistern excavated in the subsoil rock, and the ancient windows and oriel windows with double pointed arches. The courtyard is used for certain cultural events held in this town.

Beautiful views, on a good day you can see people taking off on paragliders.

La Horcajada is located in the southwest triangle of the province of Ávila. It is practically the space between the foothills of Gredos and the mountain ranges of Malpartida and Collado del Mirón, on the one hand, and the port of Villatoro and the confluence of the Corneja and Tormes rivers, on the other. This surface has been called "Valdecorneja" for centuries. The Cancionero de Baeza, from 1445, for example, records this. The four most important towns in the Valley are, possibly since Vetton times or before, El Mirón, Piedrahíta, La Horcajada and El Barco de Ávila. La Horcajada is located about 75 kilometers southwest of the provincial capital, Ávila, about 82 kilometers from Salamanca and 185 kilometers from Madrid. The town is located at 1033 m above sea level. n. m. between the towns of Piedrahíta and Barco de Ávila on the slopes of the Sierra de la Horcajada.

A large port, 15 km long if we start from Piedrahita, and with a constant slope of 6% except for a couple of short sections that are less and some sections that reach 9%, but very punctual. The condition of the asphalt is good, it is one of the few ports in the area with a surface in good condition. Upstairs it has very good views and there are usually people doing paragliding (if the weather conditions allow it)

Old bridge, currently misnamed La Fonseca, its real historical name is La Ponseca. It belongs to the municipality of La Horcajada, which has also recently been rehabilitated because its rock was detaching and its stability was beginning to be endangered. It crosses the river Corneja and as a curiosity, Emperor Carlos V passed over this bridge on his retirement journey to the Yuste monastery.

Beautiful castle that is located at the top of the town of El Barco de Ávila and that shows us the history that the town had in ancient times. Even running its walls are beautiful!

While riding my bike near Villar de Corneja, I come across this beautiful medieval bridge that allows us to cross the Corneja river. This river was really useful for irrigating the orchards and using the mills.