| Sierra de Francia | |
| Sub-Range | |
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Twilight colors over the Sierra de Francia peaks
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| Country | Spain |
|---|---|
| Region | Iberian Peninsula |
| Part of | Sistema Central |
| Highest point | Pico de La Hastiala |
| - elevation | 1,735 m (5,692 ft) |
| - coordinates | |
| Geology | Granite |
The Sierra de Francia is a mountain range located at the southern end of province of Salamanca, Castile and León, Spain. It is located about 70 km from Salamanca city, the provincial capital.
Most of the Sierra de Francia's territory was declared a natural park under the name Parque Natural de Las Batuecas-Sierra de Francia in 1978. together with neighboring Sierra de Béjar it constitutes a Biosphere Reserve.[1]
The Sierra de Francia is one of the mountain ranges belonging to the Sistema Central. Its forested mountain slopes (alder, oak, pine and ash) rise over the Northern Castilian Plateau, marking the geographical limit of its southwestern plains (Llanura Salmantina). From its southern side this mountain chain marks the northern limit of Las Hurdes, the legendary Extremaduran comarca.
The Sierra de Francia consists of a quite regular succession of peaks of moderate height, of which the Pico de La Hastiala (1.735 m) is the highest. At the top of the Peña de Francia (1723 m) stands one of the highest Virgin Mary shrines of the world, as well as a RTVE antenna. Other summits worth mentioning are the Mesa del Francés (1.638 m) and the Pico Robledo (1.614 m). All these peaks are usually covered with snow in the winter season.
Among the rivers that cut valleys in the sierra, the most famous is the Río Francia, which gives the mountain chain its name, as well as the Alagón.