Bande town hall

Bande town hall (Casa do Concello de Bande) sits at the heart of this small municipality in the province of Ourense, Galicia, and works as the obvious landmark for travellers exploring the A Baixa Limia district — a corner of inland Galicia dense with Roman and early medieval remains.

How do you get to Bande town hall?

Bande lies roughly 42 km from Ourense, the provincial capital, and is the administrative capital of the A Baixa Limia comarca. The municipality borders Verea to the north, Muíños to the south, Rairiz de Veiga and Porqueira to the east, and Lobeira to the west. The town hall building itself stands at Calle Calvo Sotelo 2, right in the middle of town, so once you drive in along the local road connecting Ourense with the Limia valley, it's one of the first things you'll pass.

What is there to see in and around Bande?

The municipality counts around 1,500–1,700 residents spread across twelve parishes, yet its historical weight is out of proportion to its size. The Roman Via Nova (also recorded as Via XVIII), which linked Braga to Astorga, ran straight through this territory, and the Romans built a military camp here known as Aquis Querquennis, complete with a roadside station (mansio) and thermal baths. The remains of that first-century camp and station can still be visited today, and the path leading to the archaeological site is marked by stone wayside crosses (cruceiros), traditional raised granaries (hórreos) and old water mills — surviving fragments of the rural Galician landscape.

Close to the town hall stands the church of Santa Comba de Bande, a Visigothic building from the 7th century regarded as the oldest surviving church in Galicia. In 1921 it became the first site in Ourense province to be declared a national monument, making it essential viewing for anyone interested in early medieval religious architecture on the Iberian Peninsula.

Travellers looking for something more active can head to the nearby As Conchas reservoir, a popular spot for kayaking, fishing and other water sports, set against the hills of A Baixa Limia.

What is the town hall building itself?

The Casa do Concello houses Bande's local government — it's where council sessions are held and where residents and visitors alike can get information about the municipality and its sights. For a visitor, it functions as a central point of reference in the town, a convenient starting point for exploring Bande on foot or driving out to the nearby archaeological sites and reservoir.

When is the best time to visit?

Spring and summer are the best seasons for walking the Roman route and making use of the As Conchas reservoir, since longer days and milder weather suit both hiking and water activities. Autumn and early winter offer a quieter alternative for visiting Aquis Querquennis and the church of Santa Comba without crowds, though the interior of Galicia turns cooler and wetter at that time of year.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is Bande town hall located? At Calle Calvo Sotelo 2, in the centre of the town of Bande, in the province of Ourense.

What attractions are nearby? The Roman archaeological site of Aquis Querquennis, the 7th-century Visigothic church of Santa Comba de Bande, and the As Conchas reservoir.

How far is it from Ourense? About 42 km along the local road through the Limia valley.

Can visitors go inside the town hall? It's a working municipal office, so visits usually stay limited to the surrounding area — most travellers come for the nearby monuments rather than the town hall's interior.