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Nobsa is a small town in Boyacá, Colombia, known for its handmade wool products and wooden furniture.
Introduction to Nobsa
Nobsa, which translates to “decent bath of today” in the Chibcha language, was originally inhabited by the indigenous Muisca people. The town was founded on January 9, 1593, by Jerónimo Holguín and Misael Millán. It became a municipality in 1811. The main industries are agriculture, livestock, limestone mining, and furniture production.
Ruanas
Nobsa is famous for its ruanas, which are thick poncho-style garments made of wool. They were first worn by the Muisca to cope with the cold weather of the Boyacá region and are still used by locals today. On the main road through town, there are several souvenir shops selling handmade ruanas. You can also find blankets, sweaters, wool hats and gloves, and other locally made souvenirs.
Plaza
The main plaza is a great place to start exploring Nobsa. It’s a beautiful grassy space full of trees and benches.
There’s a mixture of modern and colonial buildings around the plaza. You’ll find some interesting iron sculptures as well.
Church of San Jerónimo
The Church of San Jerónimo (Iglesia de San Jerónimo) stands on the east side of the plaza. It was built in 1898 and features a tall central bell tower. Inside are paintings by Spanish artist Francisco de Zurbarán (1598-1664). The altar was made by Anselmo Zárate.
Viñedo Marqués de Puntalarga
Viñedo Marqués de Puntalarga, in the village of Puntalarga just outside Nobsa, has existed since 1982. They produce Marqués de Puntalarga. The first vines, Riesling and Pinot Noir imported from Germany, were planted in 1984. Since then, the vineyard has been working on improving their wine year after year. (Note: When we visited, we were able to take a free 20-minute tour followed by a tasting. Unfortunately, the grapevines are no longer there and no tours are available. They currently only offer tablas of meat and cheese as well as tastings (as of April 2024).)
The guide gave us a short history of the vineyard, why the owner chose to produce wine in Puntalarga, and information about the wines they produce. We then walked into the tasting room for a sample of their Riesling. It was actually decent but not out of this world. It’s not nearly as good as what’s produced near Villa de Leyva but it has potential.
After the tour, we visited the beautiful terrace which has spectacular views of the surrounding landscape. Under the terrace is a cellar and small banquet room.
