Hervás

Surrounded by pine and chestnut groves, this charming, hilly village makes an interesting detour from either the Jerte Valley or Plasencia. Hervás was a predominantly Jewish settlement during the Middle Ages, populated by Jews escaping Christian and Muslim persecution in Spain's larger cities. In 1492, when the Jews were expelled from the country altogether, the Jewish quarter was left intact but the possessions of its inhabitants were ceded to the local nobility. Stripped of its wealth, the village lost its commercial reputation and was forgotten. Now fully restored, the Judería (Jewish quarter) is among the best-preserved in Spain.