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The
Principality of Asturias is constituted of a single province, the
capital is Oviedo. It is limited by high mountain ranges, Cordillera Cantabrica, where you find some outstanding natural preserves such as Picos
de Europa and the national parks of Covadonga and Somiedo. Asturias is well
known for its green landscapes, and just at a few kilometers from high
mountain peaks there is the Cantabric coast with great beaches and colorful
fishing villages.
Major attractions are the
Way of Santiago with its numberless monuments
and the
Ruta de la Plata, "silver route", which both lead through Asturias.
Asturias too is the home of ancient rites and beliefs, and this region's
popular customs are among the most interesting of Spain. Artisany and
gastronomy are of high reputation, you may try excellent sea-food along the
coast and, in the mountains, typical dishes such as Fabada, made of a
special sort of beans, blood sausage and various cheese specialties,
together with a glass of cider.
The Cities:
 Oviedo
Oviedo is the modern capital of the province of Asturias. It is
well-known for some of its churches. The most important one is probably the
cathedral with its fine Gothic structure. The church is located in the
middle of Old Oviedo. Once a year Oviedo draws international attentions when
a famous human right prize is given away.
Gijon
 To
visit the city of Gijón is a great way to begin an adventure into the rural
countryside of Northern Spain. Gijón is a mid-sized city, about 270,000
people, with all the comforts of being modern while displaying a historical
taste of the region of Asturias surrounding it.
Gijón began as a fishing village nearly 3,000 years ago, according to the
records of the Campa Torres Archaeological and Nature Reserve in Gijón.
Today the city is an important port on the Atlantic coast of Spain. The
historic fishing village, known as Cimadevilla, is located on a peninsula
that divides the port in half. The village is the main tourist attraction of
the city.
Most of the streets are cobble stone and barely two cars wide. Many of
the buildings have been renovated to display the colorful life of the
village. Those that have not are evidence of centuries of construction
designed to withstand the powerful forces of the Atlantic. A hike up the
hill and through Cimadevilla leads to Cerro de Santa Catalina. It is a park
on the tip of the peninsula that provides a view of the outstretched
coastline forming the port. On the very edge of the peninsula is a sculpture
the size of a house, Eligio del Horizonte, or Praise of the Horizon. It is
one of 16 large sculptures placed in public spaces throughout the city over
the last decade.
A brief look out to sea and the numerous cargo ships bring back the
present. The busy commercial port is to the left. The port authority
building not only houses plenty of information about the port, but also one
of the cleanest public restrooms in Europe, at least at this time of the
year.
To the right is
Playa del San Lorenzo, the main beach of the city, which
in summer becomes very busy, too. During spring, the Atlantic brings cold
nights, rainy mornings for the city and snow for the mountains nearby. By
afternoon though, the clouds break off from the sea and the sun shines,
urging everything on toward summer.
Turn around and a view of the city lays out beneath some of the greenest
hills in Spain. The region of Asturias is known in Spain for its greenness.
At first mention of traveling to the area, Spaniards all gasp and exclaim
for its beauty.
Aviles
Aviles, one of the oldest settlements of the Cantabric area, is of high
economical importance too, but conserves as well its traditional style.
It is the third major city in the Principality of Asturias. It is a
picturesque and old-fashioned town, containing several ancient palaces and
gothic churches. Its Historic quarter has been declared a Historic Artistic
site with splendid examples of civil and religious architecture. Avilès main
attractions are the pedestrian streets of Galiana and Rivier, as well as the
plaza de Espana with its City Hall, the Old church of Sabugo and the Modern
Santo Tòmas de Canterbury. Avilès boasts three palaces Valdecarzana,
Camposagrado and the Palico Valdès theatre.
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