| - ASTURIAS -
In the eighth century Asturians
under the leadership of legendary Don Pelayo and spurred on by visions
of the Virgin of Covadonga, were the first in Spain to claim victory over
the Moors. Asturias became a bastion of Christian culture in the period
of splendor that ensued, characterized by a pre-Romanesque architectural
style that featured elaborate decorative elements and can still be seen
in the churches of Santa Maria del Naranco, San Salvador de Valdedios,
and San Julian de los Prados, all declared Heritage of Mankind by UNESCO.
Traveling to Asturias is
also an opportunity to journey through the art and culture that its inhabitants
inherited from people who lived there across the centuries. From prehistoric
times we find the caves of Tito Bustillo, El Pindal, Candamoand El Buxu
- all fine examples of paleolithic art - and ancient celtic settlements (castros).
The Romans came to Asturias for gold, silver, iron and the prized native
Asturcon horses.
Gastronomy
Asturias is fortunate to
have top quality products from the valleys and from the sea, and the region
has long been known for its culinary arts. Local blue cheeses like Cabrales
and Gamoneu are exceptionally good, and the freshness and variety of fish
and shellfish is outstanding. No visitor to Asturias should miss eating
fabada, the region's renowned white bean stew, and the quintessential Asturian
drink, sidra -hard, dry apple cider, ceremoniously poured from a bottle
held overhead into wide-mouthed glasses.
Attractions
The Principality of Asturias
is part of "Green Spain" because of its intensely green-covered land. The
region appears to be a geological explosion towards the sky, a vertical
land in which the imposing Picos de Europa mountains soar and where rivers
-celebrated for their salmon and trout fishing- flowing towards the sea
have chiseled deep ravines, and beautiful river valleys. Then there is
the seacoast -more than one hundred and ninety miles of waterfront along
the Cantabrian Sea, offering some one hundred beaches of fine sand, protected
fishing ports, and navigable estuaries. The climate of Asturias is that
of the Spanish Atlantic, characterized by moderate temperatures (except
in the high mountains) and by plentiful rainfall throughout the year. The
combination of this climate and the region's topography give Asturias its
special characteristics.
- CANTABRIA -
Once a province of Castilla
y Leon and as such that region's only exit to the sea, handling most of
the trade flowing from Spain's heartland, Cantabria is today its own region,
although its people still retain something of the austere Castilian character.
Cantabria's capital, Santander, has also retained its charm. Calm, genteel,
cultivated - an international university town - Santander stands high on
a hill overlooking its magnificent bay. The coastal town of Comillas, also
known for its university, is a centuries-old seignorial town of palaces
and noble homes and an elegant summer resort as well.
Gastronomy
Luxuriantly green Cantabria
provides ideal grazing land for cattle and is known for its fine milk products,
primarily its butterand fresh cheeses. Cuisine along the coast centers
on seafood -especially exceptional sardines and anchovies- and in the interior
on meat, most notably the region's hearty meat and chickpea stew, cocido
montañés, and milk and cheese-based desserts.
Attractions
As the Spanish Noble Prize
winner Camilo Jose Cela wrote, "If Cantabria, green and civilized Cantabria,
has too much of anything, it has too many possibilities." Indeed, although
Cantabria is Spain's smallest region, the sights and contrasts it affords
are quite remarkable, from its magnificent coastline, splendid beaches
and small Old World ports along the Bay of Biscay, to its four major mountain
ranges, its world famous prehistoric caves, its gentle, lushly green valleys,
and its lovely seaside capital of Santander.
Here are the Picos de Europa,
among Spain's highest peaks, rising abruptly from the sea, and dotted with
quaint mountain villages, churches dating as far back as the eighth century,
awesome gorges and broad green valleys. Remarkable are the Caves of Altamira,
sometimes called the Sistine Chapel of prehistoric art because of their
wondrous ceiling paintings that date back some 15,000 to 20,000 years and
attract visitors from all over the world. The nearby historic-artistic
gem, Santillana del Mar, wrought in stone and declared a National Monument
in its entirety, has survived in all its medieval glory and is another
focal point of travel in Cantabria.
- PAIS BASCO -
The Basque Country is historically
unique; its traditions, customs, culture and its language, Euskera, unrelated
to any Indo-European language, are all unlike any other region of Spain.
Euskadi, as the region is called in Basque, is a friendly land of hardy
and independent but hospitable people.
The region is composed of
three provinces. The capital of the Bizkaia province is Bilbao (Bilbo),
a great seaport and an industrial and financial center. Since 1997 it is
the home of the spectacular Guggenheim Bilbao Museum, "the building of
the century." San Sebastian, called Donostia in Basque, is the principal
city of Gipuzkoa province, and it extends like a string of pearls around
the Bay of Biscay. It is a sophisticated city of great beauty and elegance
with a cultural, social and gastronomic importance far in excess of its
size. And Vitoria-Gasteiz in Alava is the inland apex of the Basque triangle,
the region's political and administrative capital and seat of the Basque
government.
Gastronomy
Great eating is another
important reason to visit the Basque Country. Basque chefs are held in
the highest esteem and the cooking of the Basque region has ardent admirers.
It was here in the Basque Country that nueva cocina vasca -new Basque cuisine
- was born, based on the creative use of the finest local ingredients.
It exists alongside traditional Basque cooking that revolves around exquisite
seafood -especially hake, salt cod, spider crab and baby eels (angulas)
- all accompanied by the wonderful local white wine called txakoli. Basques
share their good humor and kitchen wisdom in the region's famous men-only
gastronomic societies.
Attractions
But the essence of all that
is Basque can be better appreciated outside the cities, in the countless
farmhouses, villages and small towns scattered over the rolling emerald
hills of the countryside, and in the picturesque villages along the rugged
coast, where the Basques' prodigious fishing skills against formidable
climatic odds have historically taken them as far away as Newfoundland.
In rural areas native Basque culture has remained intact: in the sports
and games like jai alai that highlight the energy and competitive spirit
of the Basques, and in traditional fiestas in which Basque singers and
dancers display great strength and dexterity.
Text courtesy of the Tourist
Office of Spain |
