Heredad Beragu: an incomparable hotel experience in a village with a lot of history
Heredad Beragu: an incomparable hotel experience in a village with a lot of history
Gallipienzo Antiguo (“Old” Gallipienzo), in Navarre, is a beautiful, practically unpopulated municipality built entirely in stone and crowned by a church. Perched atop a hill, the town offers an unparalleled panoramic view of the Aragón River Gorge and the Kaparreta Nature Reserve. The village currently has 103 inhabitants, although the majority live in the lower part of the mountain, in Gallipienzo Nuevo (“New” Gallipienzo).
Eight years ago, Heredad Beragu opened its doors in Gallipienzo Antiguo, a hotel aimed at the adult public that has managed to make the municipality and its heritage extremely visible, even attracting new residents. By joining together four houses that were side by side, Patxi and Ramón, the brains behind this project, achieved 800 m2 of space for a living room with a fireplace, a wine cellar, a restaurant, and nine double rooms whose names –”Los Almadieros” (“Rafting”), “La Herbolera” (“The Herbalist”), “Beragu,” “La Bodega” (“The Winery”), “El Molino” (“The Mill”), “El Hogar” (“The Hearth”), “La Capilla” (“The Chapel”), “La Almazara” (“The Oil Press”), and “La Fragua” (“The Forge”)– make reference to what they were historically used for. Construction of the hotel was carried out using 90% recovered and demolition materials: stones, beams, and columns of woods that are local to the region, lime and sand mortar, floors featuring handmade clay tiles, hydraulic tiles, Arabic tiles, old brick, and walls with lime mortar and natural dyes. This sustainable spirit was also applied to energy consumption: they use biomass and solar energy to warm the establishment’s water and to operate the heating.
Likewise, Heredad Beragu has an ecological vegetable garden and chicken coop to supply the restaurant (and it is for exclusive customer use). The establishment’s cuisine is exceptional: baked cheese cazuelica (“casserole”), organically grown quinoa sautéed with vegetables, squid with onion, beef tail in San Martín red wine, and chocolate with olive oil and salt. The ingredients used are local, purchased directly from the producer or at local markets, thereby contributing to the local economy/production method and preserving the gastronomic traditions of the area. On its wine list, in addition to the classics, we must highlight the selection of wines from the Lower Mountain of Navarre – from old vines with recovered native grape varieties. Vineyards that grow surrounded by thyme, rosemary, lavender, and juniper; limited production signature wines handcrafted by vocational winegrowers and winemakers who passionately showcase the best of their land: Huracán Daniela White Wine, Umea Rosé, and Xi’ipal Red.
The restaurant has an indoor dining room and an outdoor terrace protected by an olive tree, both with views of the Kaparreta Nature Reserve. Additionally, the hotel has another gardened terrace with lounge furniture that is ideal for sunbathing or enjoying a drink at sunset.
At night, Heredad Beragu is lit up by a blanket of stars that completely covers the silent cobblestone streets of Gallipienzo Antiguo. The peace and quiet is the same at night as it is during the day, although the visual image changes completely. The beauty of this place is unimaginable.
Heredad Beragu
Calle del abrigo 12, Gallipienzo.
Tel.: +34 948 05 01 09
