Castro De Baroña offers magical adventure

For a magical exploration of a well-preserved Iron Age village in Galicia, a visit to Castro De Baroña, only discovered 86 years ago, is a must see.

The village was inhabited from the 1st century B.C. to the 1st century A.D. Fortified settlements of pre-Roman times, known as castros in Spanish, were shared among people and animals and had no windows. The family dwellings were round, surrounded by an enclosed wall, and covered by a thatched roof. The castros were built on hills for optimal defense. They were said to have magical dimensions as building higher was said to offer contact with the sky and beyond.

The Iron Age in central Europe started in 800 B.C. and ended in 375 A.D. During this period, which followed the Bronze Age, iron became the principle material for making tools. During the excavation of Castro de Baroña, fishing hooks and fishing tools were found. Around the 6th century the Iron Age spread westward through Celtic expansion.

Ariana Maldonado and Lucas Hahn take in the sights of the ancient fortress.

Galician's link their region to the Gael's (Irish) mythical hero Breogán, and will actually refer to the term "home" or "nation" of Breogán.

Many Celtic traditions exist today in Galicia including folk music traditions which almost identically replicate Irish jigs and Brenton waltzes, as well as the common use of bagpipes. In fact, Galicia became the seventh nation in the Celtic League in 1986 aside Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Brittany and The Isle of Man ... but after political outrage and protests Galicia was removed from the Celtic League one year later in 1987. Nevertheless, the Galician language holds dozens of Celtic words and every year communities around the region celebrate the arrival of the summer solstice with bonfires, parades and the collection of herbs.