Parral has been a silver mining town since the days of the Spanish Empire. I only stayed for one night so my impression is very superficial, but let’s just say that I was glad my stay was brief.
If you look at the Wikipedia page there are a few suggestions of things to do, but for me the best experience was the long drive across the rugged local terrain, virtually flat except for the odd rocky outcrop.
Here’s a map of the town with the very few places I know on it.
It seems to be quite a traditional place with men in cowboy hats and Indian women in long dresses walking around.
Some vestiges of the original mining industry remain. Visitors will notice a hill in the centre of the town which was the location of the first mine, La Prieta. The winding gear and mine buildings can still be seen, alongside a statue of the town’s patron saint, San José. I didn’t have time to walk up there but the view must be panoramic.
The centre of town is Plaza Guillermo Baca which is overlooked by the rather unnatractive Catedral de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe.
I stayed at the Best Western on Ricardo Flores Magón, which is within walking distance of all the places above. It was okay (B-), and most likely the most modern hotel in town. It has a small outdoor pool on one of the higher floors.
I also ate in the hotel as there are only four restaurants listed on TripAdvisor, none of which I particularly fancied. The food (steak, rice, tortilla) was basic but fine (B-).
A couple of Dos Equis (two Xs) lagers went down well (B).
I did have one interesting experience going for lunch with the headmaster and Head of English from the local Mennonite school that I was working at. Unfortunately I have no record of what we ate or where (the restaurant was opposite the front of the bus station) as I was too busy chatting, but I did learn a little about the Mennonite contribution to Mexican cuisine. In particular they are famous for a semi-soft cheese called Queso Menonita. It’s also known as Queso Chihuahua because so many Mennonites live in the state. It’s similar in flavour to a mild cheddar or Monterey Jack.