Verín brings together pilgrimage routes, a distinctive festival calendar and buildings from different periods. The city is a hub for pilgrimage routes arriving via the Vía da Prata or from Portugal. It also offers Entroido, churches and houses in the old town, and fertile valley scenery watered by the Támega. When planning your trip, you can first decide whether pilgrimage routes, festival dates or architecture should be your main focus.
Valley, springs and recreation area
Verín lies in a fertile valley watered by the Támega River. The area has the highest concentration of mineral-medicinal springs in Galicia. One specific place to visit for its springs is the Cabreiroá spring: it is a few minutes’ walk from the centre of Verín, in an extensive park with large trees of various native species. Check what is currently available at the spring before your visit.
A Braña is a recreation area in the parish of Cabreiroá (San Salvador) in Verín. When choosing a place to visit, you can consider two distinct locations: Cabreiroá, with its spring and park, and A Braña, a designated recreation area. Both are among the city’s natural attractions, while the pilgrimage routes offer a different way to plan your trip.
Entroido: several dates, one defining figure
The Entroido de Verín is designated a Festival of National Tourist Interest. Its main figures are the Cigarróns. The festival calendar includes several named events: on Domingo Corredoiro, the Sunday before Entroido, the Cigarróns appear in Verín after the morning Masses. Entroido also includes Xoves de Comadres and Xoves de Compadres, centred on women and men respectively. On Luns de Entroido, a flour fight takes place in Verín.
Another event takes place on 17 January in Ábedes (Verín): the Festa do Chourizo is celebrated there, and around sunset the Cigarrón mask appears for the first time that year. If you are planning to visit Verín for one of these events, check the dates for your chosen year before setting your travel plans. This way, you can plan your stay around the event that interests you most, rather than treating the different days of Entroido as a single event.
Old town and architectural history
Casa dos Acevedo is a house of historic and artistic significance on Plaza García Barbón. The stone building has a portal with three round arches, two upper-floor balconies and a coat of arms between the balconies. Opposite stands the Edificio Modernista. Its façade combines stone and glass, with galleries, richly decorated stone ornaments and a tower topped by a dome. A prior appointment with the owners is required to visit the Edificio Modernista. Arrange access before your visit.
Religious buildings also showcase different architectural styles and periods. Capela de San Antón has a rectangular floor plan, Roman ashlar masonry and Romanesque elements; it was extended in the 18th century. Igrexa da Mercede contains a Baroque altarpiece. The church is in the old town on Praza da Mercé and can be reached via Avenida Luís Espada, as well as Rúa da Cruz and Amaro Refoxo. The present-day complex of Convento Padres Mercedarios dates mostly from the 18th century; its construction year is given as 1738.
Igrexa de Santa María a Maior is in the old town on Rúa Maior and can be reached on foot from Praza García Barbón. The church houses the Cristo das Batallas, attributed, probably, to Gregorio Fernández or Martínez Montañés. Verín therefore offers a range of architectural points of interest: details on individual façades, buildings from different periods and a work of art whose attribution has not been conclusively established.
Plan your stay around your travel interests
When looking for a hotel, it helps to decide first what brings you to the area. A visit for Entroido depends on the festival date you want to attend; if you are interested in architectural history, you can focus on the houses and churches. If you plan to visit the Edificio Modernista, arranging the required appointment should be part of your preparations. Pilgrimage routes, festival days and buildings offer different reasons to consider Verín for your stay.
Discover more destinations: Os Peares, Parada De Sil, Mosteirón, Laza, Sampaio, Viana Do Bolo, Riós, Bubaces
For the broader travel overview: Ourense.
