RUTA VÍA DE LA PLATA (THE SILVER ROUTE)

The Vía de la Plata was one of the main backbones of Hispanic communication during the Roman Empire. It went from the north to the south of the western part of the peninsular, from Asturica Augusta (Astorga, León) to Emérita Augusta (Mérida, Badajoz)

This long communication route, which unites the edge of Cantabria with the lands in the south of Spain, was constructed In Roman times, especially during the reigns of the emperors Trajano and Adriano. It was used to move merchandise, troops, tradesmen and travellers along an unbroken route and helped spread the Roman culture, language and life style while at the same time making it easier for the Roman Empire to have the control over the territory which its leaders needed.

This route continued to be used throughout the centuries, both by Arabs and the Christians during the Middle Ages, and retained its important role in the communication network on the Iberian Peninsular. The richness of the history of the Vía de la Plata, whose name derives from the Arab for “broad surfaced road”, can be seen from the countless historical vestiges that mark its way and that offer one of the most interesting collections of our historical heritage.

 

 

This section explains the most interesting options for tourists following the Vía de la Plata in Extremadura. It is both for visitors who want to travel the full length of the route and for those who only want to travel one or more of the shorter stages. The route, which starts in Baños de Montemayor and ends in Monesterio, or vice versa, has been split into eleven stages.

As much as is possible the tourist route follows the original route taken in Roman times, which over the centuries has been converted into stretches of the A-66 road. So the visitor can start the route through Extremadura, along the Vía de la Plata from north to south, starting in Ambroz Valley, on the border with Castile and Leon, before travelling through Plasencia and the area close to this important city in the north of Extremadura. The route continues to the dominions of the river Tagus (Tajo), Cáceres and the towns that can be found on the way to the old capital of the roman province of Lusitania, Mérida. From the old Augusta Hermitage next to the river Guadiana we continue heading south through the region, crossing the fertile plains of the Tierra de Barros before finishing our route in the region of Tentudía-Sierra Sur, which borders onto Andalusia. Each stretch gives alternatives to the established route with our recommendations for visits to neighbouring areas and more distant areas of great interest to tourists.

The Vía de la Plata passes through very diverse and well conserved ecological areas, towns with a very rich and diverse history, ethnographical and archaeological features which convert it into a unique and enormous “open museum” in which are housed, just in the stretch that covers Extremadura, two World Heritage cities (Cáceres and Mérida) and many towns that have been classified as Historical-Artistic sites (Alburquerque, Coria, Fregenal de la Sierra, Guadalupe, Plasencia, Hervás, and Zafra.).