Villafranca Montes de Oca - plans to reopen the municipal albergue

[Bradypus]

An article in the Diario de Burgos website reports that the new mayor of Villafranca Montes de Oca intends to reopen the municipal albergue which has been closed for a number of years. This is not likely to happen very soon as renovation work is planned. Eventually it is hoped that the albergue will be open all year round.

Villafranca Montes de Oca busca reabrir el albergue para recuperar su lugar en el Camino de Santiago

La nueva corporación municipal busca reabrir el albergue para que los peregrinos puedan alojarse todo el año y que no se salten el pueblo. Tienen un inmueble en perfectas condiciones, con 60 camas, pero desaprovechado

www.diariodeburgos.es

 

[NorthernLight]

Good news! This albergue was a needed resource and when they were forced to shut down it was a sad day for pilgrims.

 

[J Willhaus]

Yay! Would be great to have it open year round!

 

[mspath]

Wonderful news indeed. Years past I often stayed there and loved the facts that:
upon arrival the front door was open.
in the entry was a pilgrim registry to sign with a simple welcome notice stating:
.....The dorm was up the stairs,
.....Choose a bunk upon arrival,
.....The hospitalera would stamp/collect later.

 

[JabbaPapa]

Great news !!

It's been hugely political apparently, but most local families have been starting to realise that fewer beds leads to less business ; at least that's what I gathered from conversations with some of them in 2021 and especially last year.

There's good will, among most of them anyway, and too many businesses -- bars and shops especially -- have suffered too much from the short-sighted greed of a few.

 

[good_old_shoes]

Good News!

If I understand correctly, they could open it soon, but prefer to repair the roof before? (that's what the browser translation suggests).

Anyway, for those who prefer non-private albergues, that's a really great additional option once it's reopened.

Hopefully the local business will be happy too. Even the self-catering pilgrims of a municipal will spend money in the tienda and bar.

 

[raincitygal]

I remember a big hotel? up on the hill there, seemingly the only place to stay/eat, except for a little private apartment I found, is that the place?

 

[raincitygal]

And a tiny market on the side of the main road with trucks barreling by, very dodgy to get to

 

[Bradypus]

I remember a big hotel? up on the hill there, seemingly the only place to stay/eat, except for a little private apartment I found, is that the place?

No. That one up the hill is the private San Anton Abad hotel and albergue. I have stayed there. The municipal is on the other side of the main road.

 

[J Willhaus]

I think the municipal was just a few doors down from the tienda.

 

[mspath]

Here is a photo of the municipal albergue dorm and some memories.

 

[NorthernLight]

I recall in 2013 (and in subsequent years) that the locals wanted the municipal to be operational, and were quite angry with the closure of the muni, but in 2013 the big hotel had opened a new albergue and were charging the same £ amount as the muni, so pilgrims were heading to the new one. I recall being approached by a car on the trail a few km before town and handed a flyer for the new albergue and since private albergues usually have nicer space than munis the price would be attractive. (I didn’t stay there.) However, once pilgrims had checked in, they had to pay extra for things, but the damage was done and traffic diverted. The muni couldn’t compete … and summer income helped subsidize winter heat. So come winter, the hotel would shut down their albergue (heating costs) and force pilgrims into rooms, and with the muni forced out of business, there weren't many options.

With pilgrim traffic up, it may be sustainable to operate again.

 

[JabbaPapa]

It's not that the Municipal couldn't compete, it was that the most powerful local family forced it to shut down at the town hall.

At least one of the local tiendas was forced to close for similar reason AFAIK -- though some of the businesses went bust from covid instead.

It was clear to me, more hopefully, passing through in 2021 & 2022 on my last Camino that even that family had realised they'd shot themselves in the foot, including because many pilgrims would stay in another pueblo a few K prior, then just trudge through Villafranca and spend nothing in the place.