Ponferrada - Municipal albergue

[palmah]

I'm doing some preliminary planning and looking at Ponferrada I don't see the municipal albergue listed in Gronze. We stayed there in 2010 and thought it wasn't bad; 2 sets of bunks per room, plenty of showers, toilets, clothesline and kitchen. Does anyone know if it has closed, or am I missing something?

 

[Robo]

This one?

Albergue parroquial San Nicolás de Flüe | Albergue de Peregrinos en Ponferrada | Gronze.com

Información del albergue de peregrinos Albergue parroquial San Nicolás de Flüe, en Ponferrada: Precio, plazas, características, etc...

www.gronze.com

 

[trecile]

I'm doing some preliminary planning and looking at Ponferrada I don't see the municipal albergue listed in Gronze. We stayed there in 2010 and thought it wasn't bad; 2 sets of bunks per room, plenty of showers, toilets, clothesline and kitchen.

I stayed in the donativo parochial (not municipal) albergue in 2016. It was one of the few that had a separate women only dorm. (since I walked from Rabanal del Camino I arrived to late to get a bed in the women's dorm)

As I recall, there were all of the amenities that you list, but the room that I was in had 3 or 4 bunk beds. Perhaps other rooms were smaller.

 

[palmah]

This one?

Albergue parroquial San Nicolás de Flüe | Albergue de Peregrinos en Ponferrada | Gronze.com

Información del albergue de peregrinos Albergue parroquial San Nicolás de Flüe, en Ponferrada: Precio, plazas, características, etc...

www.gronze.com

I looked at this one and thought because it is a donativo it couldn't be the municipal,but maybe it was converted from a municipal? I guess it is possible. I see that I was lucky in getting one of the bedrooms with 4 beds. Thanks

 

[J Willhaus]

I looked at this one and thought because it is a donativo it couldn't be the municipal,but maybe it was converted from a municipal? I guess it is possible. I see that I was lucky in getting one of the bedrooms with 4 beds. Thanks

This one is staffed by HosVol and this summer they are allowing shorter 10 day assignments rather than the usual first half or last half of the month. Easier for younger people (not retirees like a lot of the HosVol hospitaleros). It is a big albergue and it takes 4 hospitaleros in the high season.

 

[dougfitz]

I looked at this one and thought because it is a donativo it couldn't be the municipal,but maybe it was converted from a municipal? I guess it is possible. I see that I was lucky in getting one of the bedrooms with 4 beds. Thanks

I stayed there in 2010. It was a donativo then.

 

[Vacajoe]

An albergue can be owned by a city but run by volunteers and operated as a donativo. Those categories are not mutually exclusive. Canfranc Pueblo is a similar setup

 

[mspath]

I looked at this one and thought because it is a donativo it couldn't be the municipal,but maybe it was converted from a municipal? I guess it is possible. I see that I was lucky in getting one of the bedrooms with 4 beds. Thanks

palmah,
Since you are planning a future stop in Ponferrada you might find this recent post and the descriptive archives link to be of special interest.
Happy planning and Buen camino!

 

[Botaivica]

I'm doing some preliminary planning and looking at Ponferrada I don't see the municipal albergue listed in Gronze. We stayed there in 2010 and thought it wasn't bad; 2 sets of bunks per room, plenty of showers, toilets, clothesline and kitchen. Does anyone know if it has closed, or am I missing something?

The reason you don't see that albergue is that not all albergues in Ponferrada are listed on Gronze.
This happens in all the major places on the Camino, Gronze picks a few albergues and puts them on his list. How they choose, I don't know.

edit; try here

French Way | Eroski Consumer

Conoce Información sobre French Way. Puntos de Interés, Itinerario, Albergues, Monumentos y Experiencias de otros peregrinos

caminodesantiago.consumer.es

 

[wisepilgrim]

It's there, and it is open year round. In my opinion it is one of the best. The same organization runs the much smaller municipal albergue in Foncebadón.

Albergue de peregrinos San Nicolás de Flüe | Camino de Santiago Apps and Maps

Albergue de peregrinos San Nicolás de Flüe, Parochial accommodation in Ponferrada.

www.wisepilgrim.com

 

[JabbaPapa]

The old Municipal was very nice, but it was much too small for people's actual needs, and it permanently shut down in the late 1990s or early 2000s when the far larger Association Albergue opened.

It isn't technically a Parrochial, though it's often called that from being run by a Catholic Association.

 

[peregrino_tom]

I'm doing some preliminary planning and looking at Ponferrada I don't see the municipal albergue listed in Gronze. We stayed there in 2010 and thought it wasn't bad; 2 sets of bunks per room, plenty of showers, toilets, clothesline and kitchen. Does anyone know if it has closed, or am I missing something?

Yes, as others have said, the municipal/parroquial classification may have changed but it's the same building with the small bunkrooms and big kitchen area. When I first visited in 2008 there was one hospitalero in charge - a kind of stressed out micro-manager. Last few times, including last November it has been run by an excellent team of volunteers.
I recommend the pilgrim's mass/blessing in the adjoining church.

 

[palmah]

I stayed there in 2010. It was a donativo then.

I stayed there in 2010. It was a donativo then.

I guess my question should have been one to clarify it being a municipal. I had not thought of it being parochial. I checked my notes from way back then and I referred to it as "municipal. So even then I didn't get the "feeling" it was parochial. Thanks

 

[palmah]

The old Municipal was very nice, but it was much too small for people's actual needs, and it permanently shut down in the late 1990s or early 2000s when the far larger Association Albergue opened.

It isn't technically a Parrochial, though it's often called that from being run by a Catholic Association.

Thanks Jabba, so I'm not totally losing my marbles Your response really helps me understand my notes from 2010, in which I did not mention any sort of parochial characteristics (blessing, confession, etc).

 

[palmah]

Yes, as others have said, the municipal/parroquial classification may have changed but it's the same building with the small bunkrooms and big kitchen area. When I first visited in 2008 there was one hospitalero in charge - a kind of stressed out micro-manager. Last few times, including last November it has been run by an excellent team of volunteers.
I recommend the pilgrim's mass/blessing in the adjoining church.

Thanks Tom! I will definitely stay there and I look forward to the mass and blessing as we leave the Frances and start the Invierno.

 

[palmah]

It's there, and it is open year round. In my opinion it is one of the best. The same organization runs the much smaller municipal albergue in Foncebadón.

Albergue de peregrinos San Nicolás de Flüe | Camino de Santiago Apps and Maps

Albergue de peregrinos San Nicolás de Flüe, Parochial accommodation in Ponferrada.

www.wisepilgrim.com

Thank you! I will definitely be staying there.

 

[Jodean]

Stayed here last year and really liked it. They had women and mens dorm rooms with bathrooms in each room, a great kitchen, snack machines and coffee machines, a large common room, and surprise - elevators. http://albergueguiana.com/ The price for a bed is reasonable.

 

[Sidknee]

Hi Palmah, we stayed at the donativo mentioned by Robo, in September 2022. As mentioned, there were 4, 6 and 8 bunk rooms, there were multiple power sockets in each room, the kitchen was quite good with fridges. There are some drink vending machines on site. Showers and toilets are all in the same room (seperate male and female facilities)

The gardens and gazebo areas were great. The laundry was down the back with plenty of hanging place for clothes.

The albergue was very clean and well maintained. Hospitaleros were very good. Have attached a couple of photos, sorry I couldn’t find the one of the room.

It’s a bit of a walk into the town centre and the Templar Castle. The nearest Supermercado was about 1km away.

All the best for your next Camino

 

[lt56ny]

I have stayed there and I remember it being a donativo. I arrived very early in the day and it was late November. The hospitaleros were just wonderful. They were not open yet but they were happy to hold my backpack. I went out for lunch and came back and got the first room on the left. The kitchen is very large and well equipped. In the evening there were probably about 25 pilgrims eating dinner in the albergue. It was a fun time. As I remember it was off the camino a little. I would imagine in the summer or fall it may have a different vibe as it is a big hostel but I would recommend staying here for sure.

 

[J Willhaus]

San Nicholas de Flue is is one of the ones that is also open year round on the CF.

 

[Curly Cath]

I stayed there in July I like that hostel. I seem to remember there's a good pizza place abt 750m further on.

 

[David Tallan]

I'm doing some preliminary planning and looking at Ponferrada I don't see the municipal albergue listed in Gronze. We stayed there in 2010 and thought it wasn't bad; 2 sets of bunks per room, plenty of showers, toilets, clothesline and kitchen. Does anyone know if it has closed, or am I missing something?

The reason you don't see that albergue is that not all albergues in Ponferrada are listed on Gronze.
This happens in all the major places on the Camino, Gronze picks a few albergues and puts them on his list. How they choose, I don't know.

The reason isn't that it isn't in Gronze. It is. Just that it isn't listed as a municipal, as the discussion clarified.

 

[Eamonrodden]

I'm doing some preliminary planning and looking at Ponferrada I don't see the municipal albergue listed in Gronze. We stayed there in 2010 and thought it wasn't bad; 2 sets of bunks per room, plenty of showers, toilets, clothesline and kitchen. Does anyone know if it has closed, or am I missing something?

It is a parish Albergue San Nicholas de Flue. It has a mix of beds, rooms with 4 bunks, rooms with 8 and underneath, when it is busy a huge area. It does have a female only section(rooms , showers toilets) which many appreciate. It has a philosophy of turning no one away. It has mats for the floor on the dining area or outside area. It is donitivo.
I volunteered there precovid

 

[nycwalking]

The old Municipal was very nice, but it was much too small for people's actual needs, and it permanently shut down in the late 1990s or early 2000s when the far larger Association Albergue opened.

It isn't technically a Parrochial, though it's often called that from being run by a Catholic Association.

I volunteered there 2002. It’s a parochial albergue.

As a hospitalera you realize the extensive involvement of the church.

Every day, sometimes twice a day, the priest would visit albergue. He’d ask about pilgrims with problems; tried to assist them if possible. He made certain the vending machines were stocked and operative; and so much more.

He performed Mass.

I remember how often Father Miguel Ángel asked how we hospies were faring.

The church does quite a bit behind the scenes to provide pilgrims the best nights stay possible all along the camino.