The Principality of Asturias is a small autonomous community in northern Spain surrounded by mountains, such as Los Picos de Europa, Parque Nacional de Covadonga and Parque Natural de Somiedo, wonderful places where admire the landscape. The region borders west with Galicia, to the north with the Cantabrian Sea, to the east with Cantabria and to the south with Castilla y León. Its capital is Oviedo, while Gijón is the most populated city.
In the Principality of Asturias officially people speak Spanish (Castilian), but also two other unofficial languages: the Asturian and the eonaviego.
The term Asturias comes from its ancient inhabitants, the astures, which lived on the banks of the Astura River (Esla).
Art and Architecture
The community has a great artistic heritage, predominantly Romanesque style. Of the prehistoric times you can visit the cave of Buxu and that of La Peña or de Candamo.
As a result of pilgrimages to Santiago de Compostela, religious monuments were built such as the Monastery of San Pedro de Villanueva and Santa María del Junco in Ribadesella. The Cathedral of Oviedo is a magnificent example and an important symbol of Gothic art in the Region.
Over the centuries a multitude of palaces, Renaissance cloisters, neoclassical facades and modernist buildings emerged, highlighting a constantly evolving historical process.
It distinguishes a pre-Romanesque architecture, painting and goldsmiths with monuments such as:
- Santa Maria del Naranco (Oviedo)
- San Miguel de Lillo (Oviedo)
- Santa Cristina de Lena (Pola de Lena)
- San Julian de los Prados (Oviedo)
- Monastery of San Pedro di VIllanueva (Cangas de Onís)
- Church of San Esteban de Aramil (Siero)
- Church of San Juan de Amandi (Villaviciosa)
- Church of Santa Maria de Junco (Ribadesella)
- Cathedral of San Salvador (Oviedo)
Of Roman domination you can see the walls and the Gijon spas, and the exploitation of gold in Allande, Tineo and Tapia.
UNESCO World Heritage Sites:
- Holy Room of the Cathedral of Oviedo
- Basilica of Santullano (San Julián de los Prados, Oviedo)
- San Miguel de Lillo
- Santa Maria del Naranco
- Santa Cristina de Lena
Museums and cultural centers
- Museum of Fine Arts in Asturias
- LABoral Center of Art and Industrial Creation: a space inaugurated in recent years to promote artistic exchange, dedicated to technology culture, exhibition and diffusion of art and creative industries.
- Tito Bustillo rock art center
- Jurassic Museum of Asturias MUJA
- Reception and interpretation center of the Asturian preroman
- Ecomuseum Minero “Valle de Samuño”
Modern architecture
- Oscar Niemeyer International Cultural Center
- Oviedo Congress Palace of Spanish Architect Santiago Calatrava.
The Principality of Asturias is a mountainous and coastal community that has many natural enclaves, some protected. Some of these are recognized by UNESCO as biosphere reserves:
- The Muniellos Integral Nature Reserve
- Somiedo Natural Park
- The Redes Natural Park
- The Picos de Europa National Park
- The Las Ubiñas-La Mesa Natural Park
- Las Fuentes del Narcea natural park, Degaña and Ibias
Sport and outdoor activities that can be practiced in Asturias
The climbing of Naranco de Bulmes, trekking (the Cares mountain route is one of the most famous in Europe, between Poncebos and Cain), speleology or fishing in the river are other activities that the visitor can do in this beautiful region.
Beaches
The Principality of Asturias has more than two hundred beaches of different types, where you can also practice nautical sports such as surfing and fishing.
Some of the most beautiful beaches in the community are:
- Arnielles
- Beciella
- Bañugues
- Carranques
- El Arbeyal
- La Estaca
- El Sablón
Festivals of International Tourist Interest
- Descenso internacional del Sella, the famous canoe festival that Asturias celebrates the first Saturday of August after the day 2. Initially, in the 1930s, it was a river tour for a few friends and acquaintances in the area who wished to enjoy the Sella River. But the idea was so successful that today, thousands of people celebrate the International Descent of the Sella, a great event in which canoeists cover 20 km per hour, the part of Rio Sella between Puente de Arriondas and Puente de Ribadesella.
- Cider Festival in Nava
- Day of Asturias in Gijón
- Descenso a nado de la ría del Navia
- Nuestra Señora del Rosario in Luarca
- Fiesta de la Virgen de la Guía in Llanes
Gastronomy
The Principality of Asturias has a rich variety of products such as Asturian potes, cow and oxen meat, trouts, salmon, seafood, “besugo a la espalda”, baked bass. These are just some of the dishes that countless asturian restaurants offer to visitors.
The community is also a major producer of milk and cheese at European level, which includes Cabrales, the most famous cheese of the country.
The most famous dish of Asturias is fadaba, a bean stew, accompanied by sausage, black pudding, ham and bacon.
Among the sweets there is rice with milk; Casadielles (a type of stuffed crepes); The Charlotte Gijón cake, the “tocinillo de cielo” of Grado.
The most known drink is cider, apple flavour, linked to life, culture and leisure in Asturias. The city of Nava is one of the cider capitals and it celebrates an annual holiday where professionals promote and sell this drink with exhibitions that highlight the technological innovations of the industry. Bagpipers play the characteristic instrument of the region during festivals between experts who serves cider and popular dance such as saltón, muñeira and jota.
How to get to Asturias:
- By plane: Aeropuerto de Asturias
- By train: renfe.com
- By car
