Travelling from Bielsa to Jaca

The days in the Parador in the mountains were unforgettable, but we had to move on, travelling from Bielsa to Jaca.

Bielsa to Boltana

One last look at the mountains…

The road to Ainsa is all along the Cinca River, and apparently it offers good swimming – but the water must be icy!¹

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Boltana

The Romans called this ‘Territorium Bolatanum’, beautiful land, and it is indeed very attractive, perched on a hill above the Ara River. We collected a map in the tourist office, and started walking, uphill – first stop, coffee.

The Muslims built a castle at the highest point of the hill. The aim was to safeguard the Ara River. lBut by 041 the area had been retaken by the King of Navarre, and a new castle was built on the Muslim fortifications. From the Middle Ages, Ainsa overtook Boltana in importance but it nevertheless remains the administrative capital of the Sobrarbe region.

In the Middle Ages, stories of witchcraft were apparently rife in the Pyrenees. “Among the most famous stories is that of an old woman in the village who was accused of witchcraft after several years of bad harvests and strange occurrences in the area. Although she was put on trial, her guilt was never proven, but her figure was marked in the collective memory of the inhabitants, who began to fear the occult forces that supposedly dominated this woman.”²

There is also a new town, on the flat lands below the old town.

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Fiscal to Biescas

Back on the road, at Fiscal we turned off on the N260a, the road which winds through the mountains. And my goodness did it wind! It was also quite narrow and afforded some interesting driving moments. However, it was very beautiful. Unfortunately we were driving on the right, so on the inside of the road, and there weren’t stopping places, so very few pictures.

At a corner like the one below we watched a container lorry and a large car manoeuvring around one another!

Many, many years ago we camped in Torla and went walking in the mountains. I don’t remember exactly where we walked, but I do remember it was very beautiful.³

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Biescas to Jaca

From Biescas the road straightened out, and it was an easy run into Jaca.

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What a day! We were both tired, and after unpacking at the Hotel Oroel were quite ready to sink into a glass of something calming!

1. https://www.wildswimmingholes.com/cinca-river/
2. https://hotelmonasteriodeboltana.com/en/myths-and-legends-of-boltana-ancestral-stories-of-the-aragonese-pyrenees/
3. https://www.komoot.com/guide/1552443/hiking-around-torla-ordesa