Tourists forget that Valencia is much more than a beach, leaving charming inland towns empty and uncrowded. This is the case of Alpuente, a medieval town in the Valencian mountains that has just become part of the Most Beautiful Towns in Spain. No wonder, its historic center located on top of a cliff is surrounded by dinosaur footprints.
We are facing a town with a medieval layout and monuments in every corner, including historic manor houses with doorways, balconies and noble coats of arms on their facades. It is so beautiful that it has been declared a Historical-Artistic Site and that can be felt in every corner.
Aljama Tower
The ruins of its castle date back to the Roman and Arab times, but some parts still stand, such as the Torre de la Veleta. It is located on the edge of a cliff and was once part of the enormous wall that surrounded Alpuente. This 10th century wall was Andalusian, but was later adapted to modern warfare and firearms. It is now being rehabilitated, but maintains very well preserved parts, such as the almost 1000-year-old Aljama Tower, the current headquarters of the City Council.
Church of Our Lady of Mercy
The spiritual distribution also has it covered, because its church of Nuestra Señora de la Piedad is an impressive example of Romanesque and Gothic architecture that was built between the 13th and 15th centuries. As if that were not enough, one kilometer from the town is the Ermita de la Purísima, with masonry and ashlars from the 18th century.
Los Arcos medieval aqueduct
If we walk a little further we reach the medieval Los Arcos aqueduct, which was used to water the terraced orchards that still exist around the wall. And if we continue, we can discover authentic dinosaur footprints on nearby routes. However, the ideal thing is to go to the Santa Bárbara Paleontological Museum in the town itself, where they keep fossils, bones and other remains of these impressive animals.
