Barriopalacio de Anievas - Un pueblo de leyendas - Cantabria en 4K

Barriopalacio belongs to the municipality of Anievas in Cantabria and is made up of the neighborhoods of Llanía, Barrio, Ermita, Campolafuente, and Venta. This village in the Anievas valley, surrounded by nature and crossed by the Ermita or Casares River and the Canal stream, maintains its structure, morphology, and character, respecting the environment and preserving its essence. It was awarded the 2019 Cantabria Village of the Year prize for its respect for traditions and the conservation of its natural and cultural heritage. Here, time seems to stand still, amidst smoking chimneys, grand houses built by returning emigrants, historic streets, and a natural environment defined by the two rivers and the mountain slopes. Its people are dedicated to livestock farming, agriculture, and, more recently, rural tourism. Its stone buildings are two stories high, with arcaded facades, a sun porch open to the outside between windbreaks, and a gabled roof. A portico on the ground floor houses the square entrance door, the hayloft opening, and a wooden or stone staircase leading up to the house. They are constructed of masonry, although the cornerstones and openings are made of ashlar, and the interiors are wood. There are also traditional stone walls (socarreñas), bread ovens, and plans are underway to restore one of the five typical granaries that once existed in the village as an example of vernacular architecture. A stroll through its intricate, narrow streets transports you to another era, revealing corners of great beauty and its traditional mountain-style houses. On the lower slopes are the winter pastures and meadows, used for grazing in autumn and part of winter and spring. The spirit of a mountainous, livestock-farming, and artisanal Cantabria permeates every corner. This small, well-kept village boasts natural, architectural, and social treasures, hosting the Regional Tourist Interest Festival "A Village of Legends" every summer. Soon, it will feature a Mythopark behind the bowling alley, with cube-shaped structures resembling caves, housing the mythological characters of the Mitocasuca, or Museum of Mythology, as a complement to the mythological festival. Its small church, near the Casares River, is dedicated to Our Lady of the Assumption, with its patron saint's day celebrated on August 15th. The preceding Sunday is Cantabrian Mythology Day, featuring the fantastical characters that accompanied the ancestors during their childhood. After an invocation to these mythological beings, they appear in the streets of Barriopalacio for two days. The festivities include parades, traditional games, live music, storytelling, a craft market, workshops, a mythological costume contest, and an exhibition of old photographs. Visitors can also sample potatoes prepared in the style of the valleys, a popular Cantabrian dish. The actors in the plays are children from the village and surrounding areas, and traditional scenes depicting the old life of these valleys are displayed throughout the streets. Nearby is the Barriopalacio crag, and you can climb to the Espina del Gallego, where the remains of an ancient Cantabrian-Roman hill fort are located. Barriopalacio is an incredible place to enjoy rural tourism and Cantabrian traditions, ideal for getting away from it all and for nature lovers.