The Cistercian Route: abbeys of silence and stone

The archetypal Cistercian abbey and former burial place of the kings of Aragon, Poblet is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is still home to a community of monks in the heart of the Conca de Barberà.

A Cistercian monastery in Sástago, in the Ribera Baja del Ebro, protected as a monument since 1924 and an essential stop for anyone exploring the heritage of the province of Zaragoza.

A former 12th-century Cistercian monastery beside the River Piedra in Nuévalos, where Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque styles sit side by side in one of the most visited spots in Aragon.

A 12th-century Cistercian abbey near Vera de Moncayo, and an essential stop for anyone exploring the Tarazona y el Moncayo district.

The first Cistercian foundation in the Kingdom of Navarre, this 12th-century monastery in Carcastillo preserves one of the purest Cistercian ensembles in Spain, complete with monks and vineyards.

A Cistercian abbey in La Rioja known as the Monastery of Light, home to one of the first female Cistercian communities on the Iberian Peninsula and still inhabited by nuns.

Santa María de Bonaval, a Cistercian monastery founded in 1164 in Retiendas, offers a glimpse into more than eight centuries of history in the province of Guadalajara.

A former 12th-century Cistercian monastery, now partly in ruins, whose church blends Cistercian Romanesque with late Gothic, close to the Way of St James as it crosses the province of León.

A Cistercian monastery of royal foundation in Ourense, now Trappist, whose economic and social influence shaped the surrounding area and lands much further afield for centuries.