Basílica de la Encina

The Basílica de la Encina stands on the highest point of Ponferrada's old town, its Baroque tower visible from most of the city. Construction began in the late 16th century and continued across several generations, which explains why the building mixes Renaissance and Baroque elements in a way that architectural historians argue about but visitors simply find handsome. The interior is cool and austere, with the main focus being the image of the Virgin herself — a small Gothic figure set into an elaborate gilded retablo.

The basilica is the spiritual heart of the Bierzo region and receives a steady stream of Camino pilgrims who stop to collect a stamp and pay their respects. It sits on a small plaza that is one of the most pleasant spots in the old quarter — benches under trees, old men with newspapers, the tower ticking quietly overhead.

things to do sight
A story
The Virgin of the Encina — Our Lady of the Holm Oak — was supposedly discovered hidden inside an oak tree in 1200, not long after the Templars had taken control of the town. The oak was felled to clear ground for the castle's expansion, and the figure discovered within became the patron saint of the Bierzo region. She is still venerated here, and during the September festival her image is carried through the streets in a procession that draws pilgrims and locals alike.

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