17TH-CENTURY
DUQUE'S PALACE
At
the highest point of the town of Lerma is found the Ducal Palace. It was
constructed on the site of a 15th c. castle and built according to architect
Francisco de Mora's plans in successive phases between 1601 and 1617. Francisco
Gómez de Sandoval y Rojas, first Duke of Lerma, ordered the castle
built as a place of lodging, rest an general enjoyment for King Felipe
III.
THE
PARADOR
This
building features a central courtyard surrounded by columned arcades in
altenating sections: the first has 20 Tuscan columns with semi-circular
arches, and the second has 20 Ionic columns. The palace was restored and
converted into a Parador rooms that have a capacity of 133 persons. Aside
from the usual hotel services such as restaurant and convention rooms,
the Parador is also equipped with Internet access.
The
Parador's gastronomy is based on natural flavorful products found locally.
The blood sausage with rice and Burgos fresh cheese stand out, without
forgetting the fresh river fish, such as trout, as well as arriero-style
soups and stews (made with garlic, peppers, onion and often paprika), such
as 'ajo carretero' (a lamb stew with tomato, onion and garlic) or 'ajo
pastor', always accompanied by the traditional 'Torta de Aranda', a round
bread made with olive oil.
The
lamb, roasted in a wood-fired oven slowly and with care, should not be
missed, nor should desserts from the palace's recipe books such as the
'Cañas del Duque rellenas de crema de vainilla' (tube-shaped pastries
filled with vanilla cream), 'Pastel de membrillo' (quince cake) and the
'Dulcería en sartén' (pan fried sweets).
The
fields of the Ribera del Arlanza provide the area with some magnificent
wines that have a very distinct character; the tempranillo or 'tinto fino'
grape, as it is referred to locally, is king in these delicious reds.
Hotel
Facilities:
-
Cocktail
bar
-
Currency
exchange
-
Disabled
facilities
-
Golf course
-
Parking
facilities
-
Restaurant
Room
Facilities:
-
Air conditioning
-
Cable
/ Satellite TV
-
Internet
access
-
Mini bar
-
Telephone
Additional
Information:
-
Distance
to airport: 200km
Distances
to nearest paradors
-
Santo
Domingo de la Calzada: 104 Km.
-
Cervera
de Pisuerga: 140 Km.
-
Tordesillas:
140 Km.
-
Argómaniz:
161 Km.
-
Limpias:
170 Km.
-
Benavente:
180 Km.
-
León:
210 Km.
Typical
festivals
-
BAROQUE
MONTH IN AUGUST: - Two-organ concert at the Collegiate church, performed
on instruments dating from the year 1615. - 17th-century theatrical performance
in the Plaza Mayor. Conferences and exhibitions.
-
Local
Medieval festivals in August.
How
to get there:
The
Parador is situated in the city of Lerma's plaza mayor. Lerma is from 36
km from Burgps, its main access road being the A-I motorway, and is 199
km from Madrid. The nearest cities to Lerma are: Palencia (55 km), Vitoria
(145 km) and Logoño (165 km).
Click
above to view map
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Places
to visit:
-
22 Km
away: Covarrubias, where one can visit the Collegiate Church of San Cosme
y San Damián (15th c.), the Church of Santo Tomás (12th c.),
and the squares of Doña Urraca and Doña Sancha.
-
31 Km
from Lerma: 18th-century Monastery of Santo Domingo de Silos, where one
can enjoy listening to the GREGORIAN CHANTS sung by the monastery's monks.
The nearby gorge of La Yecla can also be visited.
-
In Lerma:
Plaza Ducal, Convent of San Juan, Santa Clara Plaza, Convent of Santa Clara,
San Pedro Collegiate Church, La Piedad Sanctuary, Arco de la Cárcel
(entrance gate through the old medieval wall. 11th c.), Convent of Carmen,
Convent of San Blas.
-
Burgos
(36 km): Burgos's old neighborhoods are dominated by the Gothic cathedral
that enchants with its many small towers and spires. Around the cathedral,
the Gothic churches of San Esteban, San Gil, San Nicolás and Santa
Águeda can be found. On the outskirts of town are the splendid Royal
Monastery of Las Huelgas and the Miraflores Carthusian monastery.
-
Covarrubias
(22 km): A lovely town founded by Count Fernán González in
987. The collegiate church stands out as an important example of a Gothic
church and the best of the Burgos school.
-
Quintanilla
de las Viñas (35 km): This town features an 11th century Visigoth
church. Not far away and worth a visit is the Romanesque San Quirece abbey,
founded by Count Fernán González.
-
Sierra
de Atapuerca (51 km): Important archeological sites are located in this
mountain range, with human remains dating back more than a million years,
where the first settlers of the continent of what we now call Europe lived.
-
Sierra
de la Demanda (45 km): This is a unique mountain range in the southeastern
part of the province. In the shadow of its majestic and forever snow-capped
peaks, a series of scenic and human elements converge to make the area
an attractive natural and tourist paradise. Glacial lakes and sites with
dinosaur prints and fossilized trees are also found here.
-
Road to
Santiago: The strategic geographical situation of what is today the province
of Burgos made it a necessary step on the pilgrim's road to Santiago, traveled
by people from all over Europe in search of the tomb of Saint James
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