Portal de Turismo de Castilla y León

Welcome to the "The Green Metropolis" Visitors’ centre at the Obarenes Mountains-San Zadornil Nature Park

Just like the rest of the park visitors’ centres, all throughout the region of Castilla and León, this is the recommended access point for these nature areas. At this information centre, monitors will provide information about the Nature Reserve and help you to plan your visit.

Here, you can find information about the signature species and habitats, to help you identify and appreciate the cultural and natural heritage in a respectful way. It promotes the conservation and appreciation of biodiversity and cultural heritage.

Designed as a starting point, for orientation and relaxation, the visitors’ centre is the ideal place to start exploring the Green Metropolis, which is the nature area surrounding the centre. Here, visitors can find direct information about the best routes, rent quality electric bikes, reserve guided tours or learn about the keys to finding the Green Metropolis’ secrets. In order to see everything it has to offer in a new light, we recommend exploring the exhibition.

When you go inside, you will see the customer service desk. Here, you can find tourist and environmental information about the Nature Park, Las Merindades (the region in Burgos), the visitors’ centres and the network of nature areas in Castilla and León, known as the R.E.N.

The main entrance also has a door which leads to the garden with a play area, picnic tables and the restaurant.

The visitor’s centre has an exhibition area which highlights the sustainable management of the forest area.

After the door is the green shop, with local products and souvenirs from the Obarenes Mountains Nature Park.

Beside the green shop, a corridor leads to the toilets, at the end of the corridor and to the right.

To the left is the audiovisual room, a versatile space used for different activities.

The start map acts as the central element which organises the inside of the visitors’ centre. It provides a clear and complete image of the physical park.

It is a crucial resource so that visitors can really discover the places they will be in, allowing them to plan visits adapted to their needs and giving them the option to explore the Metropolis by foot, bicycle or on horseback. You can also get a printed map, detailing the distances between certain points to aid in your movement through the park.

All of the paths can be used throughout the year. The ground may be softer due to rainfall, but they do not become unusable.

The park stands out due to its exceptional biodiversity, covering 2,200 hectares and forming an integral part of the Obarenes Mountains-San Zadornil Nature Park, which covers 44,000 hectares all together. Its geographical location, surrounded by mountains, the Árcena mountains and a limestone wall, turns this park into a peninsula totally surrounded by the Álava region.

This park noticeably contrasts with the region on the other side of the mountains, in particular its forest. The orographic conditions, the altitude, climate and types of ground here allow for the presence of up to 35 native tree species. Although it is relatively small, this park hosts all of the biodiversity of the Iberian Peninsula, which makes it a botanical gem.

It has three main access points, the first of which is here, in San Zadornil. The second one is in Arroyo and can be accessed by car. The third is in Villafría, the interior of the park, and can be accessed following the road from San Zadornil, shown in black on the map.

The distribution of the Green Metropolis, also known as the New York of the woods, seems to follow the structure of a city. Due to this, we have incorporated urban resources to create an urban metaphor which allows people to move around the park and identify with this nature space. Seven squares were named, identified by symbols, such as "La Resilla"; "El Ampo", "Los Barrerones", "Membrulle", "El Casumbo" and "Los Barrucales". Each one has a recreational area, tables, benches, and different infrastructures. The towns and park access points also have recreational areas and points of interest signposted. They highlight 14 tree species known as the illustrious metropolitans, dedicated as the main characters in this green city, for example, giant sequoia, chorleywood, 100-year old chestnut trees and holly. These points of interest have informative signs, allowing visitors to find them and explore what is on their path.

We have also installed four fountains and four viewpoints in strategic locations. Each viewpoint offers a unique perspective. The "Peña Carrias" and the "Valle" viewpoints let you see the interior strip of the valley. The "Barrucales" viewpoint offers a panoramic view of the riverside area full of conifers. The "Panorámico" is a geological viewpoint which explains the formation of the whole area, as it is the highest viewpoint.

Different neighbourhoods have been established within this green city due to the disordered mixing of all these woodland species all over, creating a characteristic woodland mosaic.

Although the species all mix together, there are areas where one particular species has developed more. For example, the "Los Castaños" neighbourhood has a significant amount of 100-year old chestnut trees. Some of the oldest and best conserved ones in the park can be found there.

Next to it is the "Los Extranjeros" neighbourhood. It is the only area that doesn’t have any native trees, it is characterised by the presence of conifers from the USA and the Alps, such as the giant sequoia from California and the Lawson cypress, the Douglas fir, the Norway spruce and larches.

The upper part of the area is made up of an oak forest and Mediterranean undergrowth, with poorer soil. The "Hayas" neighbourhood is at the mountain’s summit. It is a cooler, more humid area at a higher altitude. The corner which looks east becomes a very Mediterranean environment in the "Pinaster" neighbourhood. It is the only area of the park which has the maritime pine.

To summarise, this forest is a seemingly chaotic but fascinating mix. It varies significantly during the different seasons, to the extent that it is worth visiting during each season to see its diversity.

Make your way to the Metropolitan Forest, an area with tree trunks.

The notable diversity of the vegetation in this area is one of its most renowned characteristics, caused by the convergence of different factors which turn it into a unique space. These factors include its strategic geographical location between Atlantic and Mediterranean regions, the density of the forest population, the variety of substratum, its altitude and its orientation. These factors allow a unique mosaic of vegetation to be created.

This corner contains all the species outside: beech, wych elm, holm oak and boxwood, among others. The trunks show the rich plant diversity in the environment.

The first panel focuses on the clash of Atlantic and Mediterranean climates, which means this area is extremely important. The unique mix along this border comes out in exceptional ways, uniting a significant amount of species in a relatively small area.

The next panel compares the forest to New York, showing that while New York has 6,734 inhabitants per square kilometre, the Green Metropolis has a population density of more than 90,000 inhabitants per square kilometre.

In a city like New York, people of different origins, nationalities and ethnicities co-exist in a seemingly balanced place. The same thing happens in the Green Metropolis, with different woodland species of different origins that have found a balance to share space in such a small area.

Turn to your right, leaving a wooden floor to ceiling fence to your left.

Go back to reception and behind the Green Metropolis Map you will find a small room with a vending machine for drinks, a microwave and bins. A wooden wall separates the vending machine room from the chill-out space with a library.

It is a comfortable space for visitors to rest, recover, have a drink and share their experiences.

To the left of the chill-out space, there is a wooden heart with the keys visitors need to understand and enjoy the park with as many tools as possible.

Just before you get to the heart, you will come to a shelf where you can leave and read reviews and messages from visitors.

Go through the fence.

The tables have some advice for having a better experience:

In a place like this, try not to think about your problems, and enjoy the scenery and experience.

It is important to remember that this is a tremendously important and atypical place. It is not logical for species from hot and cold climates to co-exist in such a small place. You could say that it’s like if a penguin and a tiger were to cohabit in the wild.

In this corner of the Green Metropolis, all of the forests on the Iberian peninsula are brought together. Turn towards the entrance to this room.

In the park, we invite you to be indiscreet, join nature, look at it, touch it and interact with it in a respectful way, removing the distance there often is between you and nature.

You can travel around the park using any of the three transport methods allowed in the Metropolis: normal or electric bicycles, on horseback or by foot.

We recommend you choose a path that suits you, as everything is well signposted and has plenty of interesting points.

Leave the wooden heart via the entrance.

From here on, the most controversial part of the exhibition starts. On one hand, this place is completely green, not only due to the colour of its habitants, but also because its foundations are built from the best material for combating climate change, wood.

Strangely enough, even if there was a significant change in the climate, there would always be a species that could survive, even if others could not.

Turn slightly to the left.

There is a 2-metre wide panel acting as a wall in the room, with two openings on both side, between the walls.

Go through the gap between the wall and the right-hand panel.

The detailed explanation of how this area is managed, with regards to the exploitation of its wood, is not always taken well by visitors who support more extreme environmentalism, turning this into the perfect space for exchange and interaction.

The sign goes against the usual clichés, showing a deeper view of life in the forest, beyond what is seen at a glance. The enormous population in places like this means that the battle is constant, for space, sun and water. Although you cannot see it, the reality is that life is a daily battle for them.

On the left, there is a beech tree and a pine tree entwined together. One trunk coils around the other. The two specimen have grown too closely together, in a fight for survival.

Beech trees are very competitive. They need moisture, altitude and a cool climate for their early growth, depending on shadow to protect them from the sun. Once they reach a certain height and strength, they grow quickly and project a shadow on everything below them. Their leaves grow in search of sunlight and, in the end, act as umbrellas which keep everything below them in the shadows, leaving them without resources. In this case, even though the pine tree may grow bigger, the beech tree will thrive.

In this room, you can also see a dead fallen tree. These specimen live outdoors and are exposed to strong winds, snowfall and other harsh weather, which means that some cannot survive.

This circle of life implies that some trees end up like this, but usually they grow into really big specimen, like the beech trees growing in the Árcena mountains region.

Normally, what fall from a tree must be carried away, as a seed which falls too close to its parent cannot fully develop.

This is where a problem arises with the management of the area, on whether it is better to let young trees thrive or to conserve the old specimen, which lend character to the forest.

This area has always been closely linked to the local community, given that in one way or another, all the residents here have contributed to the work in the forest. They all feel that the forest is a part of their identity, and throughout history, there has been constant human management and interaction in this environment.

Sometimes seeing tress cut down scares people, the thought that someone has come in with a machine and uprooted everything, meaning that nothing can grow in the area. However, what is done here are "cuts". These cuts are done through a selection process which identifies which specimen cannot thrive and removes them to give the others more opportunities.

This approach has a significant impact on management of climate change, as it allows trees to continue absorbing CO2 while they grow. When they are fully grown this process slows down, so they are given another use, which could be for furniture, paper, biomass or biofuel.

One of the situations which generally makes people uncomfortable is when trees to be cut down in the next campaign are marked with a cross. At first sight, it can seem like blacklisting, knowing that a specific tree is destined to be cut down.

Given that the area experiences significant snowfall, with build-up of 50 or 60 centimetres some winters, the sloping trees run the risk of accumulating huge amounts of snow, which could cause them to fall down. If these trees fall, they could negatively affect nearby healthy specimen. Intervening and cutting down these sloping trees before they can cause harm is a way of protecting the environment and means their wood can be put to good use.

A good example is a seemingly thin and inoffensive tree which is growing beside a more robust pine tree. This pine tree, known as the "father pine", keeps the area below it clear to allow its seeds to bear fruit and for new pine trees with the same genetics to grow. However, as the thin tree is growing close to it, it cannot meet its basic needs for water, space and light. Getting rid of the weaker tree helps to keep the area healthy and avoids it becoming ground zero for disease which could affect the rest of the trees in the environment.

The third sign refers to the whole "Los Extranjeros" neighbourhood, which has been here for about 80 years. These trees have shown a great ability to adapt and some have even been able to reproduce, like the Douglas fir. After so long, they are seen as an integral part of the environment, thanks to their strong adaptation process.

Continue on down the corridor.

You will come to a floor to ceiling mirror.

Given the exuberance and diversity of this forest, it is the perfect habitat for a variety of animal species, such as wild boar, wildcats, foxes, roe deer and red deer. It has also been named a special protection area for the conservation of wild birds.

The wild boar is an omnivorous and robust mammal, with sharp curved tusks, and its coat is normally dark. They usually live in forests like this. They are sociable and live in groups.

Wildcats are medium-sized felines with a spotted coat and ringed tails. They are usually smaller than domestic cats. They are solitary, territorial and nocturnal animals, who are very skilled hunters.

Foxes can be found in diverse habitats, from forests to urban areas. They are animals who have adapted to eating almost anything, such as rodents, birds, fruit and any available foods.

Roe deer are small deer with reddish brown fur in summer and grey fur in winter. The males have branched antlers.

Lastly, the red deer is similar to the roe deer, but it is generally bigger. Red deer also usually live in social groups, while roe deer are usually more solitary and territorial.

These species contribute to the richness and diversity of the fauna in the parks environment, creating an important ecological balance.

It is of vital importance to look after and protect both this animal and plant environment which has stayed in excellent conditions to today, thanks to the conservation efforts.

If you visit the forest, you also need to understand that you have a responsibility to preserve it. Experience it as another spectator who enjoys the heritage not as an owner, but rather as custodian for future generations.

Now go to the audiovisual room, located next to the entrance to the visitors’ centre.

Go into the audiovisual room, which marks the end of the visit.

A video titled "The New York of the Woods" is projected here. It was filmed in summer 2016 as part of the CEDER Merindades campaign to promote the Merindades region.

The room also hosts different exhibitions, among them is the permanent "Memory corner". This is a space full of old photographs provided by the area’s inhabitants, preserved and documented as part of the local heritage.

This audio track ends your visit to the "Green Metropolis" visitors’ centre in the Obarenes Mountains - San Zadornil park, where you have learned a bit more about life in this area. If you wish to receive more information, go to the reception desk or consult any of the visitors’ centres employees.

Thanks for your visit.