Municipal albergue in Cistierna has reopened

[davejsy]

Just incase it is of use to anyone en route!

Los primeros peregrinos ya visitan el albergue municipal de Cistierna tras su reapertura

Diario de Valderrueda - Las instalaciones, tras años cerradas, vuelven a dar vida y servicio a lo senderistas que realizan tanto el Camino Olvidado como el Camino Vadiniense. ...

www.diariodevalderrueda.es

 

[Bad Pilgrim]

Just incase it is of use to anyone en route!

Los primeros peregrinos ya visitan el albergue municipal de Cistierna tras su reapertura

Diario de Valderrueda - Las instalaciones, tras años cerradas, vuelven a dar vida y servicio a lo senderistas que realizan tanto el Camino Olvidado como el Camino Vadiniense. ...

www.diariodevalderrueda.es

I'm getting there in a few days. Will go for a hostal, but good to now there is the albergue if hostals are full!

 

[peregrina2000]

I'm getting there in a few days. Will go for a hostal, but good to now there is the albergue if hostals are full!

I stayed there on my first Olvidado, but have since made the switch to the Hotel Moderno. Even if you sleep in the albergue, make sure to eat an excellent menú del día in the hotel restaurant. The albergue is in an old house, and had all the necessary basics - beds, baths with hot water, kitchen even with a coffee pot (but I was glad I had my coil). Another floor of the building was then used for immigrants who were working in the area.

The article says they are going to license it out, so let’s see who thinks it’s a good business proposition to run the albergue. It is in a good location for mountaineering generally, so maybe they should expand their reach to market it to hikers and groups generally. I just don’t see how the Olvidado and Vadiniense traffic can sustain it.

 

[unadara]

Just incase it is of use to anyone en route!

Los primeros peregrinos ya visitan el albergue municipal de Cistierna tras su reapertura

Diario de Valderrueda - Las instalaciones, tras años cerradas, vuelven a dar vida y servicio a lo senderistas que realizan tanto el Camino Olvidado como el Camino Vadiniense. ...

www.diariodevalderrueda.es

Thanks, I'll be there in Oct and will check it out.

 

[unadara]

It’s very hard to recommend this Albergue so here’s the Facts. October 11th (I think).
It’s easy to find following directions to the Address given. There are phone numbers in the door, the last one answered and said I’ll be there in a moment and he was.
I had the place to myself. Bedsheet provided (disposable). Cost €12. 2 beds in the room I was given, I didn’t see the other rooms. There was No Hot Water in the shower/taps, it got Luke warm. No heat on. There is a very Big Fan heater to plug in and use. The kitchen is a Microwave which had been left filthy and should be replaced. A big fridge had left over stuff in it. No sink no stove , definitely no coffee pot. As I had planned to stay there I cleaned the microwave and ate my dinner as planned. The couches and communal areas look dirty. I went out to a bar and only came back to eat at the table and go to bed.
It turned out that Hostal Moderno did not open the kitchen that day so the other pilgrims were out on the street looking for dinner. There is a Supermarket and Bakery near the Albergue and the Food market is nearby also. I was able to make a hot drinks and eat a breakfast before I left next morning. No Wi-Fi. If I’m going through again I’d have to consider Hostal Moderno.

 

[peregrina2000]

It’s very hard to recommend this Albergue so here’s the Facts. October 11th (I think).

@unadara describes conditions very similar to what I experienced in 2011, so this seems to be a longstanding condition. Since then, I’ve been through Cistierna several times and have always stayed in the Hotel Moderno. Family run, very good home-cooked menú del día in their restaurant, reasonable price.

But maybe Álvaro Lazaga’s most recent video shows there is reason for hope that things are changing. He shows that there is painting going on. That’s very cosmetic and doesn’t address the major concerns, but maybe it’s a start of something bigger. Some cleaning utensils are also in sight. Check it out at minute 6:20. He was there yesterday, Oct. 23,2024. The charge is now 12€, so presumably the new municipal licensee intends to clean it up!

 

[davejsy]

Yes the original article seemed to suggest the local council were re-opening it for the summer after which it would be put out to tender. So it perhaps was reopened as is just enough to be functionable with a view to improving it I guess once in the hands of someone longer term. It still does sound like more could have been done to make it more hospitable from what @unadara described. But perhaps that is now happening under new management as you surmise @peregrina2000.

Edit: I think the new hospitelero is the Giuseppe in the video later on!

 

[unadara]

Just checking this now, The kitchen dining area has been reversed and painted, I also see a Coffee filter machine but doubt anyone would use that, The Microwave and fridge have swapped places so it looks like things are being changed for the better. I didn't mention they Do provide nice blankets.

 

[AlanSykes]

I've stayed twice in the albergue and twice in the Moderno. Both have issues. I managed to fuse all the building lights in the albergue once, trying to boil some pasta. Luckily quite easy to reset. The menú in the Moderno is definitely preferable to sitting in the dark in the albergue wondering if you've blown the electrics forever.

But, as @unadara says, the blankets in the albergue are nice, which the Moderno's really aren't.