Portal de Turismo de Castilla y León

Welcome to the Negra Lagoon and the Urbión glacial cirques Nature Park Visitors’ Centre - "Forest Museum".

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, you will learn about the Nature Reserve and it will help you to plan your visit.

You are in front of the entrance to the Visitors’ Centre.

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.

This Visitors’ Centre is in Vinuesa, a picturesque town in the Pinares region. It has a population of 800 and covers 142 kilometres squared.

The geographical location of Vinuesa, at the foot of the Urbión Peaks and the Cebollera mountain range, sitting at an altitude of 1107m above sea level, makes it a popular tourist attraction. Its local name, "The Pine Forest Courts", reflects the richness of the forest which characterises the region. The climate in Vinuesa adapts to the high altitude, with cold winters and mild, pleasant summers.

The higher parts of Vinuesa, Covaleda and Duruelo de la Sierra, make up the "Negra Lagoon and the Urbión glacial cirques" Nature Park.

The Nature Park covers 4600 hectares and stands out due to its natural value, as part of the Nature 2000 network as a special protection area and a Site of Community Importance.

With a significant altitude of over 1700 metres, the park has a glacier landscape moulded by Quaternary climate fluctuation. Glacial lagoons stand out, such as the Negra Lagoon, Larga Lagoon, Helada Lagoon, Mansegosa Lagoon and Hornillo Lagoon. These are catalogued in the Castilla and León Regional Catalogue of Wet Areas. The Urbión Peak, at 2228 high, is one of the highest points in the Soria province and it is located near the start of the Duero River. This environment combines the majesty of the mountain landscape with the uniqueness of its aquatic ecosystems, consolidating it as a natural treasure in Castilla and León.

Go in the glass doors of the building. When you go inside, you will be in a square hallway. To the left, there is a display with objects from the green shop and souvenirs.

Go through the next glass door and you will come to the reception lobby.

The reception desk is to the right, in the middle of the room. This is where the visitors’ centre staff will assist you and help you plan your visit.

To the left, there are screens without sound that have information and images of the fauna and flora in the nature park.

The first one is titled "Get closer, there’s still more". It shows images of important things you can see, such as routes, locations and towns. There is also an interactive activity where you can find out more information about what Negra Lagoon offers.

The next one is titled "Learn about the Network of Nature Areas", known as the "REN". It has images.

Castilla and León, one of the largest regions in Spain, stands out due to the impressive richness of its nature. With an area of more then 94,000 kilometres squared, this region is strategically located and had geographical contrasts and a wide range of environments. This means that it provides shelter to numerous endangered species. The conservation of this natural heritage is important, and the Network of Nature Areas in Castilla and León was established in 1991. It is known as the "REN".

The REN is made up of 33 protected nature areas and exemplifies the ecosystems in the region in an optimum state of conservation, while promoting sustainable development. These areas cover a total of 820,000 hectares, the include 2 national parks, 2 regional parks, 14 nature parks, 5 nature reserves, 8 nature monuments and 2 protected landscapes.

After these screens, opposite them, there is a glass door which leads to another square lobby which leads to the South of the building. To the right, there is a display with products from the green shop and souvenirs from the centre. To the right are the women’s, men’s and accessible toilets.

On the wall to the left of this door, there are various panels with posters that have information about the park, and beside it, there is an interactive activity called "From the air", which shows an aerial image of Soria, one of the Nature Park and one of Vinuesa. You can use the buttons below the screen to control the image and fly over the area.

Behind the desk, there is a topography map of the park in a glass-covered table. It shows routes, towns you can visit, how to get up to the Negra Lagoon and the Urbión Peak.

To the right of the reception desk, on the wall of the main entrance you came through, the North entrance, there are some displays showing the green shop, where you can buy a souvenir.

The permanent exhibition is opposite the desk. It is a circular route around the whole museum, where you will move from one panel to the next, zig-zagging at times. The panels themselves form a type of corridor which you must follow for the complete Visitors’ Centre tour.

Continue a couple of metres and you will come to a sensory forest made of European red pine trunks.

If you listen, you will hear the crunch of fallen leaves, the birds singing, the animals that seek refuge in the pine trees, the sounds of the past in the wood. Now, smell the green sea, with smells that are more than 12,000 years old. This green sea protects against desertification, flooding and the greenhouse effect. It also absorbs carbon dioxide and turns it into purified oxygen.

The European red, also known as the Baltic pine, can reach heights of up to 30 metres, with a circumference of approximately 5 metres, growing to a notable 6 metres in just 10 years. Their conical form when they are young turns into an irregular, wide, sunken top when it matures. The trunk is initially topped, and over time it is uncovered.

The European red pine’s leaves are singular and some in pairs. They are stiff, sharp and short, from 3 to 7 centimetres long. They are semicircular and rounded on the back. The edges of the leaves are serrated. Pine nuts, this species’ seeds, are small, with a wing, which helps to disperse them in the wind.

The European red pine thrives in the sun, but cannot survive in the shade. It can adapt to different types of grounds, except waterlogged land, preferring fertile and deep ground for optimum development. Although it is drought resistant, it cannot survive pollution and its lifespan is affected by its competitions with other, taller, species. This robust tree is highly resistant to very cold winters.

The European red pine is essential for silviculture. They are used to make timber, to build beams, posts, wood flooring, laminated timber and particleboard Its plantation, by sowing or natural regeneration, has commercial rotations of 70 to 100 years, making it to 120 years in slower growth areas. Its wood is brown or reddish brown.

Groups of European red pine on the Iberian Peninsula mark the South western edge of their global distribution. There are biogeographically valuable distributions in places like Sierra Nevada, Sierra de Baza, the Cantabrian mountains, Sierra Gredo and Sierra Guadarrama.

Turn around. Beside the entrance, to the left, there is a small corridor in the direction of the building’s main entrance.

Move a few metres ahead and to your left there is a room called "The pine house".

The pine house exemplifies the ability to adapt to the environment, not only with its structure, but also through the selection of materials used to build it: stone and wood. The most distinctive aspect of this house is in the kitchen. It is a cosy room with both the light and ventilation coming from outside, through a single cone-shaped chimney.

When you leave the pine house, on the right there is a wooden cart used to transport goods in this region until the invention of motor vehicles. There are four screens on the left wall which show one of the main traditions in this pine forest region. It is called the May suspension (pingada de mayo). The tradition involves mean and women raising a large pine tree upright in the main square of towns in the region. This tradition normally takes place on the 1st of May, and the pine tree that is raised is named "May". The pine tree, or "May", is selected prior to this on the town’s mountain. It is cut down and transported to the square in a cart like the one in this room, which is sometimes pulled by oxen. With the help of large wooden forks, the pine tree is raised and placed in an existing hole in the pavement and propped up with wooden wedges to prevent it from swaying.

Continue along the same wall. There is a display with some objects used for this tradition.

Turning to your right, along the same wall, you will come to a large glass display sitting at a height of about a metre and a half. In this display, there are some of the most used objects in one of the most representative traditions in Vinuesa, the Pinochada.

This tradition represents the battle that took place between the residents of Vinuesa and Covaleda over the image of the Pine Virgin Mary, who according to tradition, appeared in a pine tree on the border between both towns. The residents of Vinuesa won the battle thanks to the women of the town. They began to rip out pine needles and hit the attackers from Covaleda, making them flee and leave the image of the virgin Mary in Vinuesa. The battle is commemorated each year on the 16th of August, in the main square of the town, through a re-enactment by the town's residents. The women dress in traditional dresses, known as piñorras. They end the re-enactment by hitting all of the men in the square, whether they are locals or not, with pine tree branches They hit while saying the phrase, "A year from today".

Turning to your right, following the same wall, you will come to a panel and another display similar to the last one. The display holds some of objects that were most commonly used by shepherds while working: a blanket and shears. This area is dedicated to transhumance and the importance that this activity had in this region and in the whole Soria province.

The panel has a map of the main drovers' roads in Soria. The Visitors’ Centre is beside the Galiana drovers’ road where merino sheep were moved between Soria-La Rioja and Ciudad Real.

Continuing along the same wall on your left, you come to a space dedicated to the use and management of the forest. Turning to the left, you will come to a space with some panels showing the use of wood.

Sustainable forest management, practised for many years, has lasted to today, standing out as a clear model of sustainable development. This approach ensures forest’s regeneration capacity is never exceeded, guaranteeing the future of local residents and of the trees themselves. The communal distribution of the wood has significantly contributed to looking after the forest.

Beside this panel, there is another one which explains the pine tree distribution.

In the past, the right to use the forest was given via documents called "town charters". These came from the King and aimed to promote population grown in specific areas. Due to these, residents had an annual share in the forest for their personal use. They cut down the largest and most accessible pine trees, known as the "chosen ones". This method left a significant amount of wood unused.

Through a public draw, each resident was allotted an amount of wood, with the "adjuster" being responsible for ensuring it was equally shared. Then, each individual cut and used the assigned pine trees themselves. When the Forest Administration was formed, they regulated this distribution, along with a keeper who marked the authorised pine trees to avoid illegal cuts.

During this period, they implemented forest ordinance practices, giving rise to regeneration felling which increased production and optimised the exploitation of forest resources. Currently, although they still hold draws, all the wood is sold, and the profit is distributed fairly among the residents that participate in the draw.

Opposite this panel, on the ground, there is an interactive activity with some puzzle pieces which explain the ordinance process in the forest, from when starts growing to maturity, 140 years later.

This process begins with sowing. Once the pine trees are planted, they do not return to the area for 28 years. Then, there is a process of clearing, thinning and pruning, where they get rid of the pine trees that have sprouted from pine nuts and cut some branches from the bigger trees so that they can grow faster, taller and stronger.

After 28 years, they go to 50 years, like the forest around the visitors’ centre. At this time, they pick some branches again, to make sure the tree is not competing for sunlight.

Then, at 80 years, they clear again and the cut pines can be used in construction and for furniture.

After 110 years, the pine trees that are left are much harder and more resistant and will be cut down over time, leaving some to continue growing. The ones that make it to 140 years old are considered the best.

The keeper classifies these pine trees one by one to know how much wood can be extracted, and they mark them with two cuts and a colour, so that wood-cutting companies know which trees to cut down.

The following wall displays various tools behind glass.

The first one is a tree calliper, which is used in forest inventories to measure the diameter of trees in a quick and easy way.

The next one is an enumerator hammer, used to number the trees to be cut down.

The first is an abrasive saw, used to cut trees and large pieces of wood. Two people are needed to use it.

The last one is a hand saw, to cut branches and thin logs.

The last display has an old transmitter. It is one of the most useful tools for defending the mountain, as it allows people to communicate to plan the fight against fire in case of a forest fire.

To the right, at the end of the wall, there are some quality certification stamps. These stamps also certify that wood has been obtained in a sustainable way.

In the middle of the room, there is an old chainsaw used to laminate logs.

Behind this wall, there is a screen which shows a video with residents talking about forest management, the keepers, the jobs and their personal experiences in the forest.

On the wall to the right of this screen, there is a glass door, which leads to a small room. In the middle of the room there is a wooden sculpture of a pixie, carved using a chainsaw. On the back of the sculpture, there is an owl carved on the other side.

Exit this room.

In front of these windows, there are some totems with screens showing information on other uses of the forest, as well as the harvesting of wood.

The first panel has images about mycology, with a number of edible fungi species such as boletus, which grow near golden chanterelle and delicious milk cap.

The next one is about fishing and shows a text written by Manuel Granados in 1897, after a trip to this area.

The next one is about active tourism and the last hunt.

Then, there is a large book with five legends from the Laguna Negra. The most well known is "The Lands of Alvargonzález", written by Antonio Machado. When you turn the pages of this book, a voice-over tells you about the legend in the book.

Next, the audiovisual room is behind moving walls separated by a central beam.

The walls have images from the seasonal exhibitions.

Exit the audiovisual room, right in front of the door there is a model of the nature park which you can touch and study.

The lower part of the panel with the model has some buttons. When you press the buttons, an audio about the park plays.

Turn around, and in front of you, there is a room where you can enjoy the outdoors "live", thanks to a camera on one of the most beautiful viewpoints.

You can see an aerial view of the nature park with a simple hand movement, stopping to enjoy the depth of the landscape.

Beside the screen, a panel has a Dionisio Ridruejo quote about this area.

On the wall to the left of this one, there is a panel with a route through the nature park, from the valley to the Urbión peaks. Fauna, flora and geology, it explains the glacial formation of the Negra Lagoon.

The route starts in the valley, passes by the meadows and Pyrenean oaks. It ascends the mountain amongst a vast sea of pine trees spotted with glacial lagoons and peatland which brings it to the majestic Urbiòn Peak, located at an altitude of 2,228 metres.

During this route, you can see how ice, with its great erosive power, has modelled the glacial landscape over time, like a chisel, creating the whimsical shapes you can see today.

The route goes from 1000 to 2200 metres, so the fauna and flora you will see will vary throughout the route as you ascend.

On the lower part, where the visitors’ centre is, as well as the pine forest, there are also Pyrenean oaks, an oak tree typically used in the past to make charcoal.

On the opposite side of the panel, there are some panels focussing on the Cuerda del Pozo reservoir and La Muedra, a town which was flooded by its water.

Until recently the chimney of the old foundry could be seen, this was where iron extracted from the Vallilengua mountain was melted, forged and moulded.

Depending on the water level, part of the church comes out of the water, but the bell tower is always visible, even when the reservoir is full.

Again, on the opposite wall is about Vallilengua, which is famous for being passed by the Galiana drovers’ road.

The next panel is about the start of the route, from 1000 to 1500 metres. In this area, the annual rainfall is 860 litres per metre squared and it has an average temperature of 8.5 degrees.

The panels show information about the coal piles and fauna. Alongside the Pyrenean oak groves, you can find birds like the Eurasian jay and shrikes. This shy bird stands out due to its large, red head, its black coat with white spots on the wings, and its black tail with a white border. Up close, you can see their long tail and wide, short, hooked beak, more suited to a bird of prey. They usually perch on tall shrubs, fences or walls, where it hunts for insects and small reptiles.

Pyrenean oak wood is one of the most commonly used by charcoal burners. Charcoal burner was a traditional job rooted in the production of charcoal, a process which turns wood into a solid combustible through carbonisation. This trade involves the careful selection of wood which is piled into pyramids and covered in soil and try leaves. After setting the pile on fire, the fire is controlled for slow and controlled burning, extracting the water and volatile compounds from the wood. This process, known as carbonisation, can take a few days. Even though modernisation has affected this old trade, some charcoal burners continue, preserving the tradition which has been crucial throughout history for obtaining a fundamental energy resource.

The next panels mention the second part of the route, from 1500 to 2000 metres. Rainfall here raises from 860 in the last section up to 1360 litres per square metre, and the average temperature drops to 6 degrees.

Here you will come to a beech grove, the Cabaña beech forest, which turns Autumn into tones of brown, yellow and green.

Beech trees, just like Pyrenean oak, is also used to make charcoal, and plays an important role in biodiversity, protecting the ground, conserving rainwater and acting as a habitat for countless animals, such as the Rosalia longicorn. You can see a model of it on a circular stand.

This beetle has a body between 15 and 38 millimetres long. The males’ antennae can be twice as long as their bodies. Their elytrons are flat and greyish blue, with a variable black spotted pattern, including a noticeable one on the thorax, and another two, one in front and one smaller one on the back. Their antennae and legs are the same colour as their bodies. This colour provides effective camouflage in the beech forests, their usual habitat, where they are commonly found on tree bark.

Their life cycle is interesting. First, the female lays the eggs in a dead beech tree. Then, in Autumn, the larvae hatch and for two years they eat the wood of the tree while carving out a passage. Afterwards, the larvae turn into pupas, and during the third year of their life they turn into a beetle.

Other species which can be found are otters, roe deer, wild boar and wolves.

In front of the panels, there is a display in the middle which shows other tree species, such as birch, quaking aspen, spruce, yews and rowan. Did you know that the fruit of a rowan tree has three times more vitamin C than an orange and is normally eaten as a jam or liqueur?

Continue down the corridor, you will come to a display with a scale model of a large rock, known as a "walking stone". The real rock weighs 100 tonnes, but if you push it, you can move it due to how it is positioned. Above the display, there is a photo of the real rock.

Cross over to the next room through a gap to the right of the walking stone.

This room lined with posters is about the same part of the route as before, at 1500 metres.

Here, there are signs informing on the flora and fauna, such as birds like woodpeckers and golden eagles.

On the ground, below the panels, there is a large wooden pot with a tube. It is full of soil and represents the mycelium of the mushrooms.

The Miguel mushroom stands out in the pine forest, the Caesar's mushroom in the Pyrenean oak groves, the clouded agaric in the beech forest and the St. George's mushroom in the meadow.

On the left wall of this room, there is an interactive activity with a wheel. When you turn it, you can see close European red pinecones, pinecones that have been opened by a crossbill, others eaten by squirrels and others by rats.

The following panels explain the glacial creation of the Negra Lagoon, through images, diagrams and informative text.

Before the glaciation, the Negra Lagoon valley had a typical "V" valley shape, instead of the characteristic glacier "U".

During a colder and wetter period, the first glaciers formed, reaching its maximum expansion with lower sizes and levels.

The glaciers from the last phase evolved to smaller shapes, the majority are cirques and located in shaded areas. The Negra Lagoon glacier broke into various glaciers of different sizes.

In the highest areas, the glaciers persisted due to the severe climate conditions, while the rest of the valley was released from ice, creating the current topography.

Nowadays, you can see the marks left by the glacier that disappeared from the landscape. Currently, there are no glaciers in the Iberian System or any other Spanish mountain, except for the Pyrenees.

The force of the water and temperature changes continue eroding the area until, in the future, another glacial phase starts, assuming global warming does not prevent it.

The Negra or "Black" Lagoon was named after its water which looks black, as it reflects the darkness of the great 80 metre wall and 30-metre-tall pine forest. This, as well as its depth and the rocks at the bottom, make it totally black.

In the past, people thought that this lagoon was an eye to the sea, meaning that if they dove into it and followed the caves, they would make it to the sea.

From the Negra Lagoon, there is a 13-kilometre route which leads to the Urbión Peaks. This is the last part of the route, with an altitude of 2000 to 2223 metres. In this area, the annual rainfall is 1875 litres per metre squared and it has an average temperature of 3.7 degrees.

This area has more lagoons, such as the Larga Lagoon, Helada Lagoon, Masegosa Lagoon and Hornillo Lagoon.

It also crosses over peatlands, typical ecosystems in cold, lake environments. They are formed due to the slow decomposition of organic plant material. During the glaciations, they made up a large part of the land. They are relics of the past.

Interestingly, 10cm of peat is formed every 100 years.

Peatland is a crucial tool for the investigation of vegetation and climate conditions in the past.

In these areas, characterised for their acidity and lack of oxygen, there is partially fossilised wood, plant matter and pollen. Through exploration, this material is extracted and dated according to the depth it was found at.

According to pollen fossil records, the European red pine has been constantly present in the region since the end of the Last Glacial Period, approximately 12,000 years ago. It played a crucial role in the revival of the temperate broadleaf forests that were devastated by the intense cold glacial conditions.

On the right of the panel, there is an interactive activity made of a wooden box with a small hole. Inside the hole there is a fossilised pollen sample.

The panel on the wall opposite the last one, covers the lagoons on the Urbión peaks.

Despite its name, the Larga "Large" Lagoon is a small lagoon which holds the starting water of the Revinuesa River. It is the highest lagoon on these peaks.

The panel to the left mentions the two endemic plants in this area, the Armeria bigerrensis and the Leucanthemopsis alpina. Both grow between rocks, with very difficult climate conditions.

The next panel, to the left of the path, covers the fauna at the peaks. The snow vole also stands out in these conditions. They eat all of the green parts of plants and eat any insects and young mammals to complement their diet.

There is also a grey partridge, a mid-sized bird with a squat appearance and mainly greyish colouring. Their torso has greyish brown, black and white marks, with a dark yellow horseshoe on its back and an orange face. This species, which is sociable and land-dwelling, is very active on foot and has an explosive and light flight pattern which includes rapid wing movement and short gliding at low heights.

The last panels in this room focus on the Duero River. It is 897km long and its mouth is in Portugal. It passed through the mountains, watering plants and providing drinking water for animals.

This part of the centre has information on different Nature Areas and the REN. They are periodically displayed, showing the peculiarities which make them unique, through a photo exhibition, video and interactive information point.

This audio track ends your visit to the Negra Lagoon and the Urbión glacial cirques Nature "Forest Museum" Park Visitors’ Centre. Here you have learned a little about this region, the fauna, the flora and the glacial period which created this environment, with lagoons, cirques and a U-shaped valley.

If you wish to receive more information, go to the reception desk or consult any of the visitors’ centres employees.

Thanks for your visit.