Liébana - Paraíso por descubrir - Cantabria en 4K

The Hermida Gorge, the longest in Spain, is the only natural gateway between the Cantabrian coast and the Liébana region. The Liébana Valley is bordered by the Cantabrian Mountains and the Picos de Europa, boasting breathtaking landscapes and making it one of the most charming rural areas in Cantabria. Cahecho, in the eastern part of the valley, faces south and is known as "The Liébana Viewpoint" or "The Picos de Europa Viewpoint" for its excellent views of the mountain cirque. It forms part of the "Valle Estrechu" or "Valdeaniezo," the narrow valley of the Aniezo River on the western slopes of Peña Sagra. Its fifty inhabitants live in traditional mountain houses made of wood and stone, most of which have been renovated and converted into restaurants, inns, apartments, or rural guesthouses. Its Church of Our Lady of the Assumption stands out, built in the 15th century in the Romanesque style and rebuilt in the 16th century in the Gothic style. Potes is part of "The Most Beautiful Villages of Spain," and is the capital of Liébana, nestled at the foot of the Peña Sagra, Peña Labra, and Picos de Europa mountain ranges. It lies at the confluence of the four valleys of the region, where the Quiviesa River flows into the Deva. It is known as the town of bridges and towers, and held the "Rural Tourism Capital" award in 2020. Its neighborhoods are situated along the riverbanks, with beautiful corners and traditional houses perched above the Quiviesa River. The La Solana neighborhood, with its labyrinthine streets from bygone eras, sunny terraces, and charming corners, immerses us in an incomparable historical atmosphere with narrow cobbled alleyways and small, centuries-old manor houses. Two churches dedicated to Saint Vincent stand out: one from the 14th century, and next to it, austere and cold, neoclassical church from the 19th century. From the bandstand in Plaza Capitán Palacios, we can see the 15th-century Torre del Infantado, which served strategic and military purposes. Near Potes is the Monastery of Santo Toribio, which was inhabited by Benedictine monks throughout its history and has been occupied since 1960 by a small community of Franciscans. Here, in the 8th century, the monk Beatus wrote his works, including the Commentary on the Apocalypse of Saint John. In that century, the "Lignum Crucis," the largest preserved relic of the cross of Christ, was also moved here. Bishop Toribio of Astorga had brought it back from his pilgrimage to the Holy Land. In 1512, Pope Julius II, by papal bull, granted the celebration of the Lebaniego Jubilee Year, with plenary indulgence for the years in which April 16, the feast day of Saint Toribio, falls on a Sunday, as it will in 2023. Since 1705, the shrine has protected the "Lignum Crucis," which, after numerous splinters were removed as small relics, was finally sawn and arranged in the form of a cross, leaving intact the sacred hole where Christ's hand was nailed. At the foot of the Eastern Massif of the Picos de Europa, Mogrovejo is also one of the "Most Beautiful Villages of Spain," having been chosen as "VILLAGE OF CANTABRIA 2017." A year earlier, it had become a picture-perfect village, thanks to the filming of "Heidi, Queen of the Mountain." Formerly known as Luarna, it received its current name in the 13th century. It boasts ashlar and masonry houses with wrought-iron balconies, and a square tower dating from the late 13th century, one of the few remaining elements of the Mogrovejo family's former residence. The 17th-century parish church of Our Lady of the Assumption features a Baroque altarpiece with the Mogrovejo coat of arms and "La Milagrosa," a Flemish sculpture of the Virgin Mary from the late 15th century. Its "School Museum" showcases the importance and development of rural schools in the Liébana region. The Vadiniense Way, a Jacobean route that connects the Northern Way with the French Way, passes through here. Near the border with Asturias lies Fuente Dé, a mountain cirque formed during the last Ice Age, with vertical walls up to 800 meters high, and a glacial tongue that carved its way through the valley. The Fuente Dé Cable Car originated from the mining operations in these mountains at the end of the 19th century, with the installation of a cable to transport the extracted material to the foot of the mountains. A cable car for public use was inaugurated in 1966, and later, in 2015, the mechanical and safety systems of the cable car were completely renovated, with two cabins that can accommodate 20 people each. At the cable car station, there is a spectacular viewpoint with magnificent views over the Cantabrian Mountains, the limestone massif of the Picos de Europa, and the deep valleys of Liébana. From here, you can take a walk to the Áliva Hotel or explore the trails of the National Park. The Fuente Dé cable car is a truly "vertigo-inducing" experience in the Liébana valley, in the heart of the Picos de Europa.