The Silver Way, Historic Road

The Silver Way, which runs from Augusta Emérita (Mérida, Badajoz) to Astúrica Augusta (Astorga, León) was one of the main roads that formed the backbone of communication in Hispania during the Roman Empire, cutting through the peninsula from north to south. It was created during the reigns of the emperors Trajan and Adrian and along it merchandise, troops, merchants and travellers circulated in what was a continuous traffic that favoured the diffusion of Roman culture, and at the same time made it easier to control the territory as required by the empire's administration.

This route continued to be used over the centuries, by both Arabs and Christians during the Middle Ages, and later played an important role in the network of communications of the Iberian Peninsula.
The section of the Silver Way that lies in Extremadura, from north to south, begins in Baños de Montemayor, passes through Plasencia, Cáceres and Mérida and exits the region towards Andalucía via Monesterio.

The Silver Way and its surroundings offer a wide range of natural landscapes in an excellent state of conservation, and a wealth of diverse monuments, ethnographic and archaeological heritage, making it a vast, singular open-air museum.

Travelling along the Silver Way you can discover wonderful places like Plasencia, Baños de Montemayor - famous for its hot springs since Roman times-, or the Roman town of Cáparra, located on the border between Guijo de Granadilla and Oliva de Plasencia.

If you continue south you come to Cáceres, with its old town, full of stately homes and palaces, that has been a World Heritage Site since 1986. Very close to Cáceres is the natural monument of Los Barruecos, and the Vostell-Malpartida Museum.

The other great Roman landmark on the Silver Way is Mérida, or Augusta Emérita, as it was known during Roman times. You simply cannot miss a visit to its archaeological sites and the National Museum of Roman Art.

Continuing south, you will reach Zafra, with heritage that is the legacy of its Medieval Arab era.

The last stretch of the Silver Way in Extremadura passes through Monesterio, where the Iberian Ham Day is held, a Festival of Tourist Interest in Extremadura.