As we have already mentioned in other articles, the French Way is today one of the most popular among pilgrims who decide to start their way to the Santiago Cathedral. There’re many factors that influence the growing popularity of this route and one of them is that we can find some of the most incredible monuments on the Camino de Santiago on it.

Next, we’re going to talk about some of the monuments that you can visit on the French Way. Let’s go there!

Royal Collegiate Church of Roncesvalles

The Collegiate Church of Santa María is the most emblematic building in Orreaga-Roncesvalles. Its French Gothic style, in imitation of the Parisian Cathedral of Notre Dame, leaves no one indifferent.

King Sancho VII ordered the construction of this Collegiate Church in the 13th century, as a church for the hospital institution of Roncesvalles, whose purpose was to assist the Jacobean pilgrims after crossing the Pyrenees.

Inside the temple is the sculpture of Our Lady of Roncesvalles, made in Toulouse in the fourteenth century.

Romanesque bridge of Puente de la Reina

The famous Romanesque bridge of Puente la Reina, located on the Camino de Santiago, was built to help pilgrims cross the Arga River.

With its six semicircular arches and its five pillars, it’s one of the most representative and beautiful monuments on the route. It’s located in the town where the Camino Frances de Santiago joins with the Aragonese, which receives its name from Queen Doña Mayor, wife of the Navarrese king Sancho Garcés II the Elder. It was she who had it built in the 11th century so that pilgrims heading to Santiago could cross the Arga River without difficulty.

Ponferrada Castle

The Templar castle of Ponferrada is located in the Spanish city of Ponferrada, region of El Bierzo, province of León. It stands on a hill at the confluence of the Boeza and Sil rivers.

The history of the Templars is one of the medieval legends that continues to produce the most attraction. The Order of the Temple was a religious order of Christian warriors. His search for the Holy Grail in the Holy Land has fascinated many generations, fueling fantasy and literature for centuries to come.

Construction of the Templar Castle began at the beginning of the 13th century on what had previously been a pre-Roman fort and later a Roman citadel. Throughout the centuries, the castle has undergone different reforms and modifications inside.

Leon Cathedral

If you ask any pilgrim about the most beautiful monuments on the Camino de Santiago, the Cathedral of León will hardly come out. So much so, that it is the first monument declared in Spain by means of a Royal Order.

With a clear Gothic cut, the León Cathedral began to be built at the beginning of the 12th century, taking just under a century to finish it. Inside, the collection of colored stained glass windows that can be seen on its walls is, without a doubt, one of the largest and most beautiful collections of medieval stained glass in the world.

These are just some of the monuments that you can visit on the Camino Frances, since the list is innumerable and it would be impossible to summarize them in a single article. But don’t worry, because we promise that soon we will tell you about more monuments that you can visit on the Camino de Santiago.

Remember that in our social networks we will keep you up to date with all the news that arise, follow us on Facebook or on Instagram!

In addition, we encourage you to share with us your experience traveling the Camino de Santiago on these social networks by tagging us or including the hashtag #alberguesdelcamino in your post. We look forward to your photos!