Puebla de Sanabria

Sanabria first appears in documents from the Council of Lugo in 509, though this may refer to the broader comarca rather than the current town. By the 7th century, it was documented as a Suebi parish and Visigothic mint under the name Senapria. The 10th century saw the establishment of Urbs Senabrie as a territorial reference point when it became part of the Kingdom of León.

During the 14th century, the town passed through various noble hands including Juan Alfonso de Alburquerque and members of the Losada family. In 1451, half the town was sold to Alonso de Pimentel, third Count of Benavente, who also took possession of its castle. The Counts of Benavente subsequently controlled the town's political and social life, appointing mayors and rebuilding its defenses.

Portuguese troops occupied Puebla in 1710 during the War of Spanish Succession, holding it until 1715 when Spanish forces recovered it under the Peace of Utrecht. The town became part of Zamora province in 1833 and later incorporated the villages of Ungilde in 1967 and Castellanos in 1973.

Puebla de Sanabria's urban ensemble reflects centuries of historical interventions, with its northern section preserving the main buildings of former civil, military and ecclesiastical power. Medieval defensive structures, modified and reinforced from the 15th century onward, enclose two distinct areas: the villa and the arrabal, separated by a natural valley. The Castle of the Counts of Benavente dominates the site, built between 1455-1499 by Rodrigo Alonso Pimentel on a medieval fortress.

Constructed in granite ashlar with a quadrangular plan, it features semicircular towers and the famous keep known as "el Macho." The castle now houses the visitor center, tourism office, Center of Fortifications, and cultural facilities including library and exhibition halls. The Church of Santa María del Azogue, built in the 12th century in Romanesque style with later Gothic and Baroque modifications, closes the main square on its eastern side. Its Latin cross plan features a polygonal apse and decorated portals with multiple archivolts.

The town hall occupies another side of the main square, built in masonry with a ground-floor portico of three semicircular arches.

RENFE train station provides regional services from Zamora and Valladolid, plus long-distance Talgo trains on the Madrid-Galicia line. Auto-res buses connect Madrid-Vigo with stops at Cobreros near Puebla de Sanabria, with direct Madrid-Puebla services also available. Regular buses serve Zamora, Salamanca and Portugal.

Access by car uses the A-52 motorway (Benavente-Vigo) or a winding road from Braganza, Portugal. Walking suffices within town, though a car helps explore surrounding areas. Local specialties include Sanabresa beef steaks, trout and habones beans, available at restaurants like Parador Nacional, La Plaza de Armas, La Casona, Los Perales and Carlos V.

Bar Buenos Aires serves notable pinchos morunos, while Bar La Estación offers burgers and homemade portions in the historic train station building. Hospedería El Pico del Fraile in Cobreros provides specialty rice dishes.