The Ebro and its structures offer several ways to explore Salces. The walking and cycling trail on the Fontibre–Montes Claros section of the Camino Natural del Ebro GR 99 passes directly by the town. Bridges, the church and the Fábrica de Salces offer other ways to explore the town’s history. Activities by the river, built heritage and archaeological questions therefore provide different starting points for planning a stay.
Trail by the Ebro and the Origin of the Name
A walking and cycling trail on the Fontibre–Montes Claros section of the Camino Natural del Ebro GR 99 passes directly by Salces. This gives anyone travelling on foot or by bicycle a specific point of reference for planning. Local trail conditions may change; check them before setting out.
Along several stretches of the Ebro between Fontibre and Salces, the riverside tree that gives the town its name lines the river. When exploring Salces, you can consider the riverside landscape and the trail as two distinct aspects.
Bridges, Church and Historic Routes
Two medieval bridges in Salces cross the Ebro. The church of Salces is a two-nave building; the temple of Salces was built in the 16th and 17th centuries. Another historic route associated with the town is the IV Iniecta Glarea route. It ran through Salces from Reinosa towards Liébana. It therefore differs in its historical context and direction from the named GR 99 Fontibre–Montes Claros section. Here, architectural and route history sit side by side in the story of the town: the bridges date from the Middle Ages, the temple was built in the 16th and 17th centuries, and the historic IV Iniecta Glarea route adds a route through Salces to the architectural history.
Industrial History and Other Uses
The Fábrica de Salces, also known as Las Pisas, is a four-storey industrial building. The old boiler is currently used as a fish farm; the factory building is used for residential purposes and as a bread oven. These uses may change. The site thus has several different kinds of reuse: fish farming at the old boiler, and housing and a bread oven in the factory building.
Archaeological Site and Open Interpretation
The archaeological camp of Salces lies on a ridge 942 m high, immediately southeast of the rise on which the Castro of La Guariza is located. Surveys identified ditches; together with visible earthworks, these indicate a fossa-agger system typical of Roman military camps. More recent interpretations consider a Roman castellum possible, but do not entirely rule out an Iron Age fortified settlement.
Discover more destinations: Cillorigo De LiĂ©bana, Alfoz De Lloredo, Santa Cruz De Bezana, SantotĂs, Puente Viesgo, Colindres, El Astillero, Rionansa
For the full travel overview: Cantabria.
