Redacción
The network of Tourist Trails of Aragon continues to add sports and tourist proposals with the signposting of the PR-HU 157; a 17 km route that adds to its natural appeal, historical, monumental and religious interest. The
route crosses the Protected Landscape of San Juan de la Peña and Monte Oroel and links two places related to the origins of the Kingdom of Aragon and the tradition of the Holy Grail, the town of Bailo and the monastery of San Juan de la Peña.
According to history, the Grail, the chalice of the Last Supper, arrived in the lands of Huesca in the 3rd century, sent by Saint Lawrence from Rome, and was kept in different temples; one of them, the church of Bailo, at the end of the 10th century, from where it then passed for more than 300 years to the nearby monastery of San Juan de la Peña. In memory of this episode, the Cultural and Recreational Association of Bailo (Acurba) organizes a recreation and a hiking march. This last act has served to officially inaugurate the PR-HU 157 Sendero del Santo Grial, adapted as a Tourist Trail, approved by the FAM, within the Master Plan of Trails of the General Directorate of Tourism of the Government of Aragon.
The Acurba association, in collaboration with the Bailo Town Council, has promoted the adaptation of the existing route to incorporate it into the Network of Tourist Trails, following the signage, cleaning and installation of safety elements, which have also included the opening of a new route on a section of hillside to facilitate traffic.
The renovated trail allows you to enjoy the natural and cultural values of the area safely, which is why the Acurba association has highlighted the importance of this initiative to publicise the area as an instrument of sustainable development , which attracts ” tourism seeking tranquillity and visitors such as pilgrims” and which serves “to revitalise the territory” and to preserve the heritage of an area affected by depopulation. To this end, the signage of a new route is already being planned and it is also intended that the PR be the first section of a Grail path that runs through the three provinces of Aragon and Valencia.
The inauguration of the trail, celebrating the XI Holy Grail Hiking March, brought together a hundred walkers, with participants dressed in medieval clothing and carrying a replica of the relic, as well as institutional representatives.
THE TRAIL ROUTE
From Bailo, the Holy Grail Trail starts at the eastern edge of the town, next to the wash house, from where it runs along the old Roman road between Zaragoza and Béarn, of which vestiges are still preserved.
After crossing the Fondo ravine, the path ascends the slopes of Castelmayor towards the San Juan de la Peña mountain range to a small reservoir where the route connects with the PR-HU 157.1 variant, which after passing through the town of Arbués connects again with the main one further on.
Always uphill, it passes by the hermitage of San Sebastián, joins up again with the variant and reaches Cubilar de Gavín, where it enters the area of the Protected Landscape of San Juan de la Peña and Monte Oroel, passing through a varied forest with Scots pines, beeches, firs and other species. The ascent gains in slope to Cuello Betito and finally the hermitage of San Salvador, a point that, in a 10-minute detour, offers magnificent views of the Pyrenees mountain range, the Canal de Berdún and the pre-Pyrenees mountain ranges.
Following the crest of the mountain range, the trail finally loses height until it ends at the meadow of San Indalecio, next to the new monastery of San Juan de la Peña, where it links up with the GR 17 Camino de Santiago del Reino de Aragón, thus becoming another incentive for pilgrims who choose to reach Santiago by following this branch of the route so closely linked to the history of Aragon. This PR trail has a total length of 16.7 km, with a cumulative positive gradient of 990 m and an estimated walking time of around 6 hours.
With this new itinerary, the FAM and the Aragonese institutions continue to support the extension and quality of the trail network as one of the main resources for population settlement and rural development, which also plays other important roles. Among others, it promotes sports and healthy living, stimulates knowledge of nature and the heritage of Aragon, raises awareness about the enjoyment and protection of the environment and guarantees the conservation of traditional paths as part of our heritage.
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