This tour focuses on visiting the capital of Asturias, named Oviedo. I suggest you to visit the surrounding area too. You can combine the city with a trip that children will love, the mining museum.
Gijón , Oviedo, Avilés.
Oviedo was not always the capital of the Kingdom of Asturias, but has been always favoured by the King of Asturias, he even had his second home in Naranco, at Oviedo’s outskirts.
My first advice is to ask the driver of your bus to take you to visit Santa Maria del Naranco and San Miguel de Lillo, the best example of the architectural style known as " Asturian Pre-Romanesque " and belonging to Unesco World Heritage. They are ten minutes driving out of Oviedo.
Palace of the Asturian King Ramiro I. It was built in 842. The balcony is represented in tourism logo Asturias natural paradise.
A few meters from Santa Maria del Naranco. Also built by King Ramiro I in 842. From that time the original frescoes and carved capitals and lintels still remain.
The same person acts as a guide for the church and the palace, there is no box office. Visits on Monday morning are free of charge.
For groups over 20 people appointments can be arranged at +34 638260163 or via the email address: prerromanico@santamariadelnaranco.es.
At noon, after Naranco’s visit, ask your driver to go to the center of Oviedo, capital of Asturias.
The bus can drop us in the park of San Francisco, at the city center.
From here you can visit the Teatro Campoamor where Prince Prizes are awarded, Escandalera Square, the market of “Fontan”, the more than 100 statues scattered around the old town or dedicate to shopping along Calle de Uría (Uria’s street).
These sculptures are quite varied, Woody Allen, the man with the suitcase, a huge ass with two faces, a woman breastfeeding...
You cannot leave without visiting Oviedo’s Gothic Cathedral of San Salvador.
It is also a stop for the Camino de Santiago, as legend says: “Who goes to Santiago and not to the Salvador visits the servant and not his Lord".
Inside the Cathedral you can find the Holy Chamber, where the treasures of Asturias are kept, including the original “Victory Cross”. It is also protected as World Heritage Site by Unesco.
Oviedo offers a wide selection in the historical part of the city or in the Gascona Street, called the boulevard of cider, as it is full of “sidrerías” cider bars.
For the sweet toothed there are several specialties to try, Rock chocolates from Peñalba, the “Moscovitas” of Rialto patisserie ( http://www.moscovitas.com/) or Carbayones, a speciality that almost all bakeries in the city have.
Among the many options out there for the afternoon, we suggest museums.
For those who are not interested in this choice, I would advise Urías shopping area, there is a wide selection suitable for everyone.
Without leaving the old town there are two interesting alternatives. Pretty handy, Asturias is green and to maintain the lush we have plenty of rainy days, we can always take shelter on the museums.
This museum has exhibits from Paleolithic times to the arrival of the Romans in Asturias.
More than 8000 works of Asturian and Spanish important artists. Offers painting, sculpture, photography and graphic works.
El Entrego is a small village in the mining area, half an hour driving from Oviedo.
I have visited this museum with the school, as most of Asturias’ kids, and I was impressed and liked very much to get down the exact replica of a mine.
It was designed by former miners to be equal to what they saw every day and to access visitors need to take an elevator cage, just as miners do.
Mining was one of the main economic driver of the region. In the area known as “Cuencas” (basins) there are still many active mines.
This museum is built on a disused mine shaft and explains the history of coal and Asturian mines and the technological progress over time.
The visit to the mine is always done on guided tour.
This tour is written by Ana Covadonga Alvarez, tourism certified, expert in Asturias and tour guide.
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