Pedraza: The Castilian Borgo That Trades Electric Light for a Thousand Candles

A Castile outside of time

Pedraza is the dream of anyone seeking authentic medieval Spain. This tiny walled borgo in the province of Segovia — fewer than 400 inhabitants, a single entrance through the Puerta de la Villa — is preserved with a perfection that makes it one of the most beautiful in all of Castile. But it is on the nights of the first two Saturdays of July that Pedraza achieves its greatest magic: during the Conciertos de las Velas, the electric lighting is switched off and thousands of candles illuminate the streets, squares and windows, turning the borgo into a vision from another age.

Pedraza lies about 130 km from Madrid and 37 km from Segovia. There are no direct public transport links: a car is essential. From Segovia take the N-110 north-east. From Madrid, the AP-61 motorway to Segovia and then the secondary road. The borgo is entirely pedestrian: park outside the walls.

What to see in Pedraza

The Puerta de la Villa and the walls

Entry to the borgo is exclusively through the Puerta de la Villa, a medieval arch flanked by towers that is the only gap in the walls. This fact — an entire borgo accessible from a single point — gives Pedraza a quality of isolation and enclosure that you feel physically. The walls, walkable in places, enclose an urban fabric where every building tells centuries of history.

The Plaza Mayor

Pedraza's Plaza Mayor is an irregular rectangle of stone houses with dark wooden balconies, arched porticoes and a tower that once served as a prison. It is not monumental in the way of some Castilian squares, but it has an intimacy and harmony that make it irresistible. The cafés beneath the arcades serve the finest examples of local culinary craft.

The Castillo de Pedraza

The castle, at the opposite end of the borgo from the gate, was the residence of the Constable of Castile and later the gilded prison of the sons of King Francis I of France (held hostage by Charles V after the Battle of Pavia in 1525). Today it is a private museum housing works by the Basque painter Ignacio Zuloaga, including a notable portrait of the Duchess of Alba. The views from the tower over the Cega gorge are spectacular.

The churches and the cárcel medieval

The Romanesque Church of San Juan Bautista preserves a fine carved portal. The old cárcel (prison) on the square is today a small exhibition space displaying medieval instruments of justice — a macabre but historically fascinating detail. Wandering the side streets, where cats doze on windowsills and oak doors display noble coats of arms, is a pleasure in itself.

What to eat

- Lechazo asado: milk-fed lamb roasted in a wood-fired terracotta dish. This is Castile's defining dish, and at Pedraza it reaches heights of perfection. The meat is meltingly tender, the skin crackling, the aroma all-enveloping.

- Judiones de la Granja: giant white beans stewed with chorizo, morcilla (black pudding) and pig's ear. A hearty winter dish that warms the soul.

- Sopa castellana: garlic soup with stale bread, paprika, poached egg and cured ham — the quintessence of Castilian peasant cooking.

- Ponche segoviano: a sponge cake with custard cream and marzapan, a speciality of the province of Segovia.

Restaurante El Yantar de Pedraza is considered one of Castile's finest addresses for lechazo asado. La Hostería de Pedraza, on the square, offers more refined cooking in a historic setting.

When to go

The best months are May, June, September and October. The Conciertos de las Velas (first two Saturdays of July) are an unforgettable experience but require advance booking — places are limited and the borgo fills up. The Castilian winter is cold but has its own appeal, especially when you come for lechazo asado by the fireside. Spring brings wild flowers to the surrounding countryside and perfect temperatures for exploring.

The perfection of simplicity

Pedraza has no spectacular museums, no celebrated works of art, no single attraction that justifies the journey on its own. Its beauty lies in the whole: in the architectural coherence, in the cleanness of the stone, in the silence of the streets, in the scent of roasting lamb drifting from the kitchens. It is a borgo to be lived rather than visited, where the true souvenir is the memory of an evening under the stars, candles trembling, and the distant sound of music.