Castile-Leon (Castilla y Leon in Spanish) is a region of Spain
composed of Leon with the provinces of Leon, Zamora and Salamanca,
and Castile with the provinces of Avila, Burgos, Palencia, Segovia,
Soria and Valladolid. It was formed by the union of two ancient
kingdoms: Old Castile and the Kingdom of Leon, which were separated
and reunited several times in the Middle Ages. It borders on
Asturias and Cantabria to the north, Aragon, the Basque Country,
and La Rioja to the east, the autonomous community of Madrid
and Castile-La Mancha to the southeast, Extremadura to the south,
and borders on Portugal and Galicia to the west. It is the largest
region in Spain with its capital Valladolid almost at its very
centre.
Navarredonda de Gredos is located
in the Avila province, around 35 miles southwest of the city
of Avila. It can be reached off the N-502 route south, heading
into the Sierra de Gredos.
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Navarredonda de Gredosa is a small
village in the heart of Castilla with a splendid view of the
Sierra de Gredos. In Navarredonda de Gredos the parish tower
is very impressive, once used for military defence. Here you
will find the Parador of Gredos, the oldest in Spain, founded
by Alfonso XIII. The River Tormes come to life in the borough
of Navarredonda de Gredos, 1580metres above sea level with characteristic
oak, chestnut, wild pine, alders and birch. The mountain goat
is the emblem of Gredos. The griffin vulture, the otter and many
species of amphibians and reptiles live here, adapted to the
mountain territory. Black vulture, golden and imperial eagles
and many species of hawks all nest in the region. |