Once geared up, we leave Astorga to start our stage. The road climbs gradually uphill to one of the most famous landmarks on the Camino, the Iron Cross, which stands upon an enormous cairn dating from time immemorial, marking the highest point on the French Camino in Spain. The pile is topped with a simple wooden pole and an iron cross.
However, what makes this cairn stand out from the others along the trail is its sheer size and the fact that pilgrims continue to honor the tradition of leaving a stone here as they make their way west, serving as a testament to the countless pilgrims who have passed along the Camino de Santiago. In fact, every so often, stones must be removed to keep the pile from blocking the nearby road.
As for the stones themselves, they come in all shapes and sizes and symbolize the burdens that pilgrims wish to shed along their journey.
After reaching the cross, there is a rather long descent that offers astonishing views and takes us to El Bierzo Valley. There we are welcomed by the quaint village of Molinaseca with its Pilgrim’s’ bridge, traditional architecture, and the Baroque church of San Nicolás de Bari.
Just a few kilometers onwards, the impressive 12th-century Knights Templar castle in Ponferrada will surprise us as we enter town. The name Ponferrada comes from Pons Ferrata, the name given to the bridge built on the Bishop’s order in the 11th century to facilitate the crossing of the Sil river for pilgrims as they made, and continue to make, their way out of town.
