On April 10, 2003, the Parador de Lerma opened its doors, a hotel accommodation in one of the most emblematic buildings in the region, the Ducal Palace of Lerma, a 17th century building ordered to be built by the first duke of Lerma. , Francisco Sandoval and Rojas. Twenty years later, and with thousands of guests staying in its establishments, this Parador continues to establish itself as one of the city’s most popular destinations in the province of Burgos.
“These twenty years have been a lot of work and effort”, says the director of the Parador, Eva Legaza, who warns that the objectives are focused on “promo- torism and work in Lerma”, also giving an “economic move”. of the town In this sense, since its inauguration in 2003, Parador says that the town has been a “reference”, something that can be seen in the surroundings, when restaurants, country houses and businesses have been opened, which were designed for the old. the history of the village.
Legaza mentions that the first years, 2003-2004, were “the best”, since the openings and installations are usually “strong”, and he mentions that the Parador opened its doors at the end of the “strong” area. That challenge has been achieved in the last twenty years, because all the time they “had more and more work”, attracting different types of customers.
In this sense, the director of the Parador indicates that they receive tourist customers, but also many who travel to work or want to know more about the history of the place. Others go there to enjoy nature and outdoor activities, such as golf or biking. August is usually the month that receives the most visitors, although May, September and October are also important.
In 2022, the Parador Nacional de Lerma accommodated 23,000 customers in its facilities, of which 16,700 were from Spain, and the rest were foreign, mainly from France, Britain or Germany, the first region that attracts the most customers. Paradox In Spain, many tourists who come to Lerma and stay in the Palacio come to Madrid, although they also have a large percentage of visitors from Castella y Leon and the Basque Country.
“Most of our customers are couples or singles to work”, explains the manager of Paradori, also as tourists who come to the Villa to visit the surroundings and perform different outdoor activities. In fact, the Parador de Lerma is located within the Paradores cycling, thus promoting “nature tourism”.
“Customers” can reach all the luxury in themselves, recalls the Parador, also alluding to the “miracle spaces” that it has for weddings, events and meetings, and the restaurant offers and activities. Along these lines, they call attention to local gastronomy, and to the wines of the Arlanza Denomination of Origin.
Twenty years of history, which Parador hopes will become another twenty, and therefore they set themselves the goal of “growing” and increasing the number of visitors, as well as the “consolation” of their customers “always innovating”. . “We cannot think that because the building is amazing, everything has been changed. We must continue to increase and maintain the facilities, adapting them to new trends.” For this reason, he claims from Parador de Lerma that he feels “one hundred percent” that he can be identified with sustainability and that he is “more reliable”.
A building with history
The leader of Lerma, the powerful King Felipe III, ordered the construction of this palace in 1601, using the site of an old medieval castle from the 15th century. It was initially conceived as a ducal residence, but it also served the royal court, a regular guest of the duke.
“The building is so spectacular, the only architecture that has ever been seen,” says the director of the Paradori, highlighting not only the architecture of this well-known palace, but also the history it contains. With 210 iron balconies and 135 windows between the attics and the bars, the Palace is located in the Plaza Mayor of Lerma and has witnessed great things.
The royal wedding was held in that place, the queen gave birth, and Napoleon Bonaparte even slept in his room, because it was used during Napoleon’s invasion of the palace. It was also used as a prison during the Civil War. However, its main patio stands out above all, which at the time housed the works of the authors of the great golden age, such as Lope de Vega or Francisco de Quevedo. “The history that Lerma contains, with everything that the figure of Duke Lerma represents, is already very important,” acknowledges Legaza.
