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San Justo


San Justo de Cabanillas


Location . A leisure walk . Nearby activities . Festivities . Links


El Catoute, 2117 m

Location

San Justo de Cabanillas is a small village with less than 20 inhabitants located in the broad and green valleys of Sierra de Gistredo, in Noceda, shire of El Bierzo Alto, León.

The villa is 850 meters above sea level, framed by the cuencas of rivers Sil and Boeza, and surrounded by brooks and rivulets. In the Sierra de Gistredo one can find outstanding peaks like Catoute, Valdeiglesias, Tamarón and Nevadín, Catoute beingn the highest of them all with a height of 2.117 meters.

Amid this natural, landscape, full of hazelnut trees and oaks, crowded with lush shrubbery and animals such as the deer, boar, and the stork,you will find the Ruda (rude) house. In such a village which, like those other villages around, has its houses dating from the 19 century. Houses that in former times were used as barns, ovens, wine-presses meat “curaderos” for meat from slaughter…The house is well communicated by the local road, which takes you straight to Noceda (the borough to which it belongs), 2,5 kilometers away, where you will find, snack-bar, restaurant, green-grocer, drugstore and public health service. Following this same road for another 7,5 kilometers you reach Bembibre, where there is plenty of supermarkets, shops, drugstore on duty, health service, theatre, market and a other services. There is also a Coach y Train Station for regional and national services. Once in Bembibre you can use motorway A6, by which makes easily accessible most touristic and picturesque locations.


A Leisure walk
 From San Justo de Cabanillas you may make several excursions on foot by the many rural paths issuing from the village or likewise stroll about the streets.

1) To the South of San Justo, descending the street by the church, you gain access to the route that leads to a bridge where the rivulets of San Justo de Cabanillas and Cabanillas de San Justo unite. From that point emerges another trail which, bordering on these two brooks, will show you three old mills hidden among the many oaks and lush vegetation. The mills, are presently in ruinous state, yet remain as proof of the former richness of production in this district.

2) Heading North of the village, continuing from the street with the fountain you will find the old wash house fully restored, where a natural spring pours, its untreated water, which in spite of it, the inhabitants of Sant Justo continue to drink for their “purity” and “freshness”. According to their own description, a few meters onwards, among the chestnut trees, there is a small barbeque in open air, ready to be used by visitors. From there, two rural paths stretch. One is the former trail to Noceda, and the other climbs up the sides of the Gistredo. Amid these two valleys it is possible to see the sheep of the village graze, since their daily outing from the village marks the shepherd’s routine.


3) Strolling around the village, in its centre you may visit the old church, which is now fully restored, with its typical bell gable where every spring nestle a couple of storks that, year after year return to San Justo. A bit further onward, to the right, there is an old wine press from the 19th century, fully restored. To visit it you must ask a neighbor to unlock the door for you. Descending to the left, but still over the church, crossing the San Justo brook, you may realize another mill. This one is restored and ready to remind us of its utility in former times. Among the village streets you may perceive the typical architectural traits of the area, with its corredores, amid the houses of the native, who dwell the whole year in the village, and some others restored, in an attempt to recover the essence of what they once were.

4) Heading out of the village by road, in direction to Cabanillas de San Justo, there is a small church, shared as place of worship by both villages. From there you may view the valley and the village of San Justo. Beside there is a cemetery and a wide path that climbs up toward the hills. There is also a large sports centre with football, basketball, and volleyball courts, and snack bar. However, it is in disuse and awaits repairs and maintenance to restart activity.

 5) Outside de village, direction Colinas del Campo de Martín el Moro Toledano


Nearby Activities
 In the area, among many, you may practice activities such as:

- Trekking


- Bicycle


- Parachute


- Routes on Horse


- Ski


- Beach and Swimming

  • Noceda swimming pool
  • Bembibre public swimming pool
  • Ponferrada public swimming pool
  • Plenty of RIVERSIDE BEACHES. River banks adapted into beaches with lawn, facilities – handrails, umbrellas, showers, children playground- where you can lighten the summer heat in their cool water, descended from the nearby mountains. Folgoso de la Ribera, Lago de Carucedo, Colinas del Campo, San Facundo, Molinaseca, Villafranca del Bierzo; Toral de los Vados y Folgoso de la Ribera, éstas dos con un gran equipamiento para niños.


- Reading

  • A Library-bus travels through the villages so that books are accessible to everyone
  • Libraries nearby in Bembibre
  • Libraries nearby in Ponferrada
  • House "Casa La Ruda", features many books, magazines, leaflets, ecyclopedias, and games for kids


- Theatre and Movies


- Good food and Good wine

  • Typical products of gastronomy like Botillo, Conferencia pear, Reineta apple, chestnut from the area, either in syrup or raw, cherry conserve in brandy, cecina, cucumbers,…
  • Wine from the region made with Mencía grapes
  • Gastronomic meetings organized by the many quality restaurants in the area


In Ponferrada there is a Tourism Office, just by the castle walls, where you can find further widen on the above mentioned issues.
Festivities
- San Justo de Cabanillas

  • January 28th, Saint Tirso
  • August the 6th with the “paseo” of the Virgin and the “bodeguitas”, when all the neighbors lay on their doorstep a table with food, and anyone is welcome to have a morsel


- Noceda

  • Extends its festivies among its three neighborhoods, between mid August and mid Septembre. Most outstanding is the donkey race.


- Bembibre

  • September the 14, Fiestas del Cristo


- Ponferrada

  • September from the 4 to the 9, Fiestas de la Encina


Links
 http://marcelinotaboada.blogspot.com/2009/11/tesoros-naturales-del-bierzo-la-sierra.html
http://www.bierzoportal.com/bierzo/?suplemento=7161
http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noceda_del_Bierzo
http://www.aytobembibre.com/Bembibre
http://www.renfe.es
http://www.parapentebierzo.com/
http://www.bierzorutas.com/content/view/123/76/
http://www.cuadrasantabarbara.es/content.php?page_id=4
http://www.infoaventura.com/ruta.asp?Id=47
http://www.bierzorutas.com/
http://www.vivaleon.com/estacion_de_esqui_leitariegos_villablino_laciana_leon.htm
http://www.aytobembibre.com/Bembibre/La%20Ciudad/Cultura/Teatro
http://www.cinesladehesa.es/
http://www.ponferrada-virtual.com/playas-fluviales-bierzo/2-92-10-92.htm
http://www.diariodeleon.es/noticias/noticia.asp?pkid=550258

Ermita de San Justo de Cabanillas y Cabanillas de San Justo
Valles de San Justo de Cabanillas
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