Venta de Baños

Venta de Baños is a small town and municipality of about 6,400 inhabitants located in the Cerrato district of the province of Palencia, part of the autonomous community of Castile and León in central Spain. It lies some 10 km south of the provincial capital, Palencia. Noteworthy monuments include the medieval Church of San Juan Bautista (St John the Baptist) which was believed to be Visigothic.

Venta de Baños
Municipality
Church of San Juan Bautista, founded in 661 AD
Coat of arms
Venta de Baños Location in Spain Show map of Castile and León Venta de Baños Venta de Baños (Spain) Show map of Spain
Coordinates: 41°56′N 4°30′W
Country	Spain
Autonomous community	Castile and León
Province	Palencia
Comarca	El Cerrato
Judicial district	Palencia
Commonwealth	El Cerrato
Founded	1860
Government
• Mayor	Consolación Pablos Labajo (2007) (PSOE)
Area
• Total	14.25 km2 (5.50 sq mi)
Elevation	723 m (2,372 ft)
Population  (2018)[1]
• Total	6,363
• Density	450/km2 (1,200/sq mi)
Demonym(s)	Venteños, Ventabañenses
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	34200
Official language(s)	Spanish
Website	Official website

RENFE (Spanish National Railways) and the Grupo SIRO food-sector company are the main employers in the municipality.

In popular culture and among Spanish railway travellers, Venta de Baños has traditionally had the same sort of iconic status as other great railway junctions of the world, such as Crewe in the UK. Before the advent of dedicated high-speed rail routes and cheaper air travel, it was the principal transfer point for travellers between the north-east and north-west regions of Spain and the south. Generations of railway passengers have memories of the waiting rooms and cafeteria at Venta de Baños.

The town hosts an annual international cross country running competition, the Cross Internacional de Venta de Baños, which has featured some of the world's foremost cross country athletes including Kenenisa Bekele and Palencian-born Marta Domínguez.[2]