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Spain
Madrid Talavera:
Beautiful towns are the feature near this famous battlefield, however,
the area of the bloody struggle has been marred by excessive development
and even has a motorway bisecting it. 120 km (75 miles) south-west
of Madrid. 1 hour 38 minutes drive.
Somosierra: Renowned for the heroic charge of Polish lancers
against strong defensive positions. 80 km (50 miles) north of Madrid.
1 hour drive.
Ocana: Where France's Marshal Soult crushed a major Spanish
force almost twice the size of his own. 61 km (38 miles) south of
Madrid. 47 minute drive. Valladolid: 205 km (128 miles) north-west of Madrid. 2 hours 30 minute drive.
Salamanca: An excellent place to visit as the battlefield
has scarcely changed since it was fought over. 205 km (128 miles)
west of Madrid. 2 hours 43 minute drive. Salamanca Salamanca:
An excellent place to visit as the battlefield has scarcely changed
since it was fought over.
Garcia Hernandez: Again a fine site to visit as the hill
on which the battle occurred is undeveloped. 30 km (19 miles) south-east
of Salamanca.
Ciudad Rodrigo: A must-see of any tour with the town being
a National Monument and consequently unchanged since the siege and
bloody storming. 86 km (54 miles) south-west of Salamanca. Sahagun:
A decisive British cavalry victory over their French counterparts.
212 km (133 miles) north-east of Salamanca. 3 hours drive. Benavente:
A spirited cavalry clash in which British hussars bloodied the noses
of pursuing French horsemen on the retreat to Corunna. 126 km (79
miles) north of Salamanca. 1 hour 48 minute drive. Burgos:
The ruins of the castle dominate the strong and impressive defensive
works that defied the British. 237 km (148 miles) north-east of
Salamanca. 3 hours 8 minute drive. Fuentes
de Onoro: Another pretty much unchanged battlefield that witnessed
the clash between the Duke of Wellington and Marshal Massena. Parts
of the field are in Spain, while others are in Portugal. 112 km
(70 miles) south-west of Salamanca. 1 hour 34 minute drive. Valladolid: 112 km (70 miles) north-east of Salamanca. 1 hour 33 minutes drive. Madrid: 205 km (128 miles) east of Salamanca. 2 hours 43 minute drive. Burgos Burgos:
The ruins of the castle dominate the strong and impressive defensive
works that defied the British. 237 km (148 miles) north-east of
Salamanca. 3 hours 8 minute drive.
Vitoria: Many different walks to key areas of the almost
unchanged battlefield are available and there is an excellent museum
with artifacts and a model of the military struggle. 102 km (64
miles) north-east of Burgos. 1 hour 6 minutes drive.
Pan Corbo: Scene of French victory over a Spanish army. 64
km (40 miles) north-east of Burgos. 39 minute drive. Sahagun:
A decisive British cavalry victory over their French counterparts.
125 km (78 miles) west of Burgos. 1 hour 45 minutes drive. San
Sebastian San
Sebastian: Picturesque seaside town with narrow streets, a castle
and an Old Town.
Vitoria: Many different walks to key areas of the almost
unchanged battlefield are available and there is an excellent museum
with artifacts and a model of the military struggle. 115 km (72
miles) south-west of San Sebastian. 1 hour 23 minutes drive.
Valmaceda: One of the few Spanish victories over French troops
throughout the Peninsular War. 153 km (96 miles) south-west of San
Sebastian. 1 hour 49 minute drive.
Bayonne: The historic fortress from which the French made
a determined but, ultimately futile, breakout attempt can be seen
by visitors - albeit in the middle of houses. On the edge of the
town there are two lovely and interesting cemeteries of British
Guards' officers who fell in the battle. 50 km (31 miles ) east
of San Sebastian. 35 minute drive.
Sorauren: One of the best examples of a Peninsular War battlefield
and one that shows clearly the difficult terrain soldiers had to
fight over. 78 km (49 miles) south-east of San Sebastian, just north
of Pamplona. Saragossa Saragossa: Citizens of the city suffered two terrible French sieges and outbreaks of disease that cost more than 50,000 lives. 307 km (192 miles) west of Barcelona. 3 hour 15 minute drive.
Tudela: A major French victory over Spanish regular troops.
90 km (56 miles) north-west of Saragossa. 58 minute drive. Cordoba Bailen:
Site of the battle of Bailen, a Spanish victory that stunned France.
96 km (60 miles) west of Cordoba. 1 hour 13 minutes drive. Seville
Badajoz:
Modern progress has not treated Badajoz well and the spread of unimpressive
suburbs has surrounded the old town whose walls saw such brutal
fighting during the storming of the city. Most of the city's walls
have survived, including the three breaches eventually forced by
Wellington's men, as have the three outlying forts of the stronghold.
The main last-stand point known as the "castle" is well
preserved and there are nearby areas filled with old narrow streets
and the city's convent. 211
km (132 miles) north of Seville. 2 hours 58 minutes drive. Albuera:
The battlefield can be found just to the south of the town of
Albuera, but it is not well-marked. The terrain is rolling countryside
and you can see just how difficult it was to get a clear view of
the enemy positions. 187 km (117 miles) north-west of Seville. 2
hours 36 minutes drive. Cadiz:
Seat of the Spanish government for much of the Peninsular War, Cadiz
was an impressive fortress naval base. 120 km (75 miles) south of
Seville. 1 hour 20 minute drive. Barrossa:
The battle occurred when Marshal Victor marched to ward off an attempt
by British and Spanish troops to end the siege of Cadiz. 144 km
(89 miles) south of Seville. 1 hour 40 minute drive. Gibraltar:
A major naval base taken from the Spanish and a key strategic staging
point for British forays into the Mediterranean and Atlantic. 140
km (88 miles) south-east of Cadiz. 1 hour 57 minutes drive. Corunna
Corunna:
Despite the fact that the city has grown considerably, the battlefield
remains largely unchanged from the times of the momentous British
victory over the French and the subsequent evacuation. The village
of Elvina, scene of long and hard fighting, has probably not changed
at all.
Cacabelos: The scene of a rearguard action between British
troops and advancing French units.
Porto:
One of the Duke of Wellington's most stunning victories as the
British army crossed the Douro River under the noses of large French
forces. 283 km (177 miles) south of Corunna. 3 hour 26 minutes drive.
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