Ponferrada is a city in northwestern Spain. It’s a major stop on the French Way Catholic pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela. Los Templarios Castle has a moat and drawbridge, and houses the Knights Templars’ Library. El Bierzo Museum traces local history, with exhibits including Paleolithic and medieval artifacts. The Basílica Nuestra Señora de la Encina is a Renaissance church with a 17th-century bell tower.