Regions of Spain : Asturias

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.

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.

Gastronomy Asturias