The hermitage of San Saturio, on the banks of the Douro River in Soria, Spain.

© DoloresGiraldez/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Ermita de San Saturio

Top choice in Castilla y León


A lovely 2.3km riverside walk south from the Monasterio de San Juan de Duero will take you past the 13th-century church of the former Knights Templar, the Monasterio de San Polo (not open to the public) and on to the fascinating, baroque Ermita de San Saturio. This hermitage is one of Castilla y León's most beautifully sited structures, an octagonal building that perches high on the riverbank and over the cave where Soria's patron saint spent much of his life.

Climb through a series of fascinating rooms hewn from the rock – but linger longest in the Capilla, an extravagantly frescoed chapel near the building's summit.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Castilla y León attractions

1. Plaza Mayor

0.78 MILES

The narrow streets of Soria's old town converge on the Plaza Mayor. The plaza's appeal lies in its lack of uniformity, and in the attractive Renaissance…

2. Iglesia de San Juan de Rabanera

0.81 MILES

At the Iglesia de San Juan de Rabanera, which was first built in the 12th century, hints of Gothic and even Byzantine art gleam through the mainly…

3. Casa de las Poetas

0.86 MILES

Pays homage to Antonio Machado and other Spanish poets who have a connection to the town.

4. Palacio de Los Condes Gomara

0.87 MILES

A block north of the Plaza Mayor is the majestic, sandstone 16th-century Palacio de los Condes Gomara. It can only be admired from the outside.

5. Concatedral de San Pedro

0.88 MILES

Halfway up the hill towards the historic centre from the river, the Concatedral de San Pedro has a pleasing plateresque facade. The 12th-century cloister…

6. Museo Numantino

1.03 MILES

Archaeology buffs with a passable knowledge of Spanish should enjoy this well-organised museum dedicated to finds from ancient sites across the province…

7. Monasterio de San Juan de Duero

1.04 MILES

The most striking of Soria's sights, this wonderfully evocative and partially ruined cloister boasts exposed and gracefully interlaced arches, which…

8. Iglesia de Santo Domingo

1.04 MILES

Soria’s most beautiful church is the Romanesque Iglesia de Santo Domingo. Its small but exquisitely sculpted portal is something special, particularly at…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "spain/soria/attractions/ermita-de-san-saturio/a/poi-sig/1131452/1321376",
      "destination": "Castilla-y-León",
      "continent": "Europe",
      "country": "Spain",
      "region": "Castilla-y-León",
      "position": "superzone"
    }