Colorful squares, historic churches and palaces, impressive Spanish art collection, local food and cider by the gallon. Oviedo is not called the most beautiful capital of Northern Spain for nothing.
Photo: Christian Grønne
Spain by Hanne’s travel and accommodation was paid for by the Spanish Government Tourist Office. The organization had no influence on the content of the article.
Despite being loved by many Spaniards, Oviedo is still relatively overlooked by tourists, which is a shame. Oviedo is the capital of the Asturias region and has held this status since the 9th century. The city has 215,000 inhabitants .
This year, however, the city has been given extra focus as it has been named the Gastronimic Capital of 2024. The gastronomy, the charming city’s many squares and cozy streets with pastel-colored houses and wooden balconies in the center are worth traveling for. Famous film director Woody Allen fell in love with the city so much that several of its streets and buildings featured in his film Vicky, Cristina Barcelona (2008). In it, the main character, Juan (Javier Bardem), invites Vicky (Rebecca Hall) and Cristina (Scarlett Johansson) to Asturias to show them his home region – and seduce them.
Friday
15: Climb Naranco Mountain
Start your weekend in Oviedo with a beautiful panoramic view of the city and the green surroundings of the Monte Naranco mountain, located on the outskirts of the city. Here you’ll also find the Temple of Santa Maria del Naranco, one of Asturias’ most breathtaking pre-Romanesque buildings and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The temple was built in the ninth century by Ramiro and has been used as a royal hunting lodge, palace, church and court. Close to the temple is the small church of San Miguel de Lilo, which was part of the temple until the 12th century. Santa Maria is on two floors, but there is only access to the first floor, which is reached via the external staircase. The floor consists of a large room with ornate vaults and balconies. Note the windows, which are part of the Oviedo logo.
You can book a guided tour inside, but there is free access outside the building.
Santa María del Naranco, Monte Naranco
16.30: Asturian sweet treats
The shop at Oviedo’s historic pastry shop, Rialto, is bustling from the moment the doors open. The shop sells a steady stream of classic cakes to local families who have been getting their sweet supplies here for generations. Rialto opened its doors in 1926 and is known and loved by the city’s citizens for its signature cakes, which have been made from the same recipe since it opened. In the café behind the store, you can sample the sweet treats and enjoy a cup of coffee at one of the classic café tables.
Try one of the store’s biggest hits, carbayones, which consists of a puff pastry base, covered in icing, with an almond cream filling. Casadiella is a sugar-dusted, deep-fried puff pastry filled with walnut cream, and moscovitas are chocolate-covered nut cookies that Spaniards travel far and wide to buy a bag of. While you indulge your sweet tooth, you can capture the cafe’s cozy local life.
Confitería Rialto, C/ San Francisco 12
20: Dinner in the cider alley
Apple cider is Asturias’ signature drink, and the region produces 45 million liters a year in all kinds of varieties. The cider menus at the region’s sidrerías (restaurants serving cider) are as sophisticated and diverse as the sidrerías they are served at. The cider is poured into glasses in a long stream to ensure that the bubbles are gentle on the palate and the apple flavor is fresh. You’ll only be served a small sip at a time, so the cider doesn’t sit in the glass and go flat. The art of cider pouring is so advanced that the region holds competitions where the waiter who masters cider pouring to perfection wins.
On Gascona Street in the center of Oviedo, you can zigzag between cider restaurants. You can recognize the street by the giant cider barrel that acts as a signpost at the end of the street. Several of the cider restaurants are worth a visit, but Sidrería Tierre Astur, located at the end of the street, is a must-visit.
Tierra Astur is pure Asturian ambience, spread over two floors. Here, green cider bottles hang from the ceiling above wooden tables and chairs.
Both the cider and menu are extensive, and it’s recommended to follow the knowledgeable guidance of the waiters. The menu includes tapas, grilled fish, Asturian beef (for which the region is famous), vegetable dishes and local cheeses (ordering a tasting plate is recommended).
Dinner is accompanied by Asturian music and a great atmosphere. In the shop by the exit you can shop for Asturian delicacies.
Sidrería Tierre Astur, C/Gascona 9
Saturday
9.30am: Church with cinematic Jesus figure
Start your Saturday by visiting the small, charming church of San Julián de los Prados, also known as Santullano. It was the largest Christian building in Spain until the 11th century and one of the best preserved today, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Built in pre-Romanesque style between 812-48, the church has three naves, three chapels and three arches. It was commissioned by Alfonso II for the capital of the new Asturian kingdom, who wanted to impress with the church’s Pompeian murals with lots of symbols and geometric figures in a multitude of colors.
In particular, the church’s 13th century wooden figure of Jesus on the cross has received a lot of attention since it played a role in Woody Allen’s movie, ‘Vicky Cristina Barcelona’, where the character and artist Juan was greatly inspired by it.
The church can only be visited on guided tours. Check website for times.
San Julián de los Prados – Santullao,C/Selgas 2
11am: Oviedo’s cinematic food market
On weekends at lunchtime, Oviedo’s bagpipe orchestra parades past the beautiful pastel green food market, Mercado El Fontán, while locals enjoy the music on the terraces of the surrounding cafés. Bagpipe music has Celtic roots and is a strong tradition in Asturias. The market was created by architect Javier Aguirre in 1882 and is built in iron and glass. You may recognize the beautiful facade from Woody Allen’s film Vicky Cristina Barcelona, where it appeared in one scene.
Inside, stalls abound with Asturian produce such as meat, fish, fruit, vegetables, cheeses, olive oil, almonds and nuts. Asturias is known for its many delicious cheese varieties, which you can sample at the stalls. On Sundays, there is also a market in front of the building.
Fontán Market, Plaza 19 de Octubre
12pm: Market and drinks in iconic square
If you walk under the arched vaults directly opposite the food market, an iconic and beautiful square reveals itself on the other side. Plaza del Fontán is packed with restaurants and bars where you can sip a glass of cider while enjoying the sight of the colorful houses with flower-filled balconies that surround the square. The square’s most famous building is the yellow one with a porch with blue-painted window frames and doors. It houses the Casa Ramón restaurant, which also has a reputation for serving good food.
The square was built in the 12th century on the site of a former lagoon. It became the city’s first marketplace and also a recreational area for nobles. Around the square every Thursday, Saturday and Sunday is a market with second-hand finds, clothes, crafts, food and delicacies.
Plaza del Fontán
13.30: Shop Asturian confectionery
The intricately decorated windows with chocolates, cakes and sweets beckon you inside as you stand on the sidewalk outside the beautiful confectionery shop Camilo de Blas. Inside, the shop is filled with floor-to-ceiling white carved wooden shelves packed with chocolates, caramels, wine, cider and other local delicacies, and it’s a great place to shop for edible gifts to take home.
Camilo de Blas opened in 1914 and since then locals have been shopping for confectionery and delicacies here, where time seems to have stood still. Today, it’s run by the fifth generation, and the shop assistants are dressed in white coats that match the interior. At the counter you’ll also find a selection of homemade cakes and ham.
Woody Allen also fell in love with the atmospheric, historic shop, which also plays a role in the movie Vicky Cristina Barcelona.
Camilo de Blas, C/Jovellanos 7
14:30: Lunch at Instagram-friendly space
Plaza Trascorrales is a favorite weekend lunch spot among locals, and understandably so. It has a great atmosphere and overlooks beautiful pastel-colored houses with restaurants and one of the city’s most famous bronze sculptures, La Lechera (the milkmaid). La Lechera depicts a milkmaid with her donkey, packed with milk chicks, referring to the time when women came to the city to sell milk.
Find a table on the terrace of Casa Laure restaurant. Casa Laure serves great seafood and tapas, and from here you can see children playing on the bronze statue and other people. The large round building at the end of the square once housed Oviedo’s first fish market. Today it is a cultural center.
Casa Laure, Plaza Trascorrales 10
17: Tour of Spanish art
The Museo de Bellas Artes is a large art museum housed in three buildings in the center of Oviedo: two historic palaces from the 16-17oo century and a modern extension from the 1980s. The museum houses one of Spain’s most important art collections, consisting of over 15,000 works from the 14th to the 21st century, including painting, sculpture, drawings, photography, as well as applied and industrial arts (especially glass and clay).
The focus is predominantly on Spanish artists, and you can experience works by El Greco, Goya, Sorolla, Dalí, Miró and Tápies, Asturian artists such as Evaristo Valle and Bernardo Sanjurjo, as well as foreign artists. There is one free entry.
Museo Bellas Artes de Asturias, C/ de Santa Ana 1
Sunday
10am: Cathedral
Oviedo was the starting point for the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela for centuries before other routes were established, including the Camino Francés, which is the most popular. Therefore, the city’s cathedral also has an important historical and symbolic significance for the city.
San Salvador’s distinctive Gothic tower towers over Oviedo’s historic center. The cathedral only has a single tower, unlike other cathedrals of the time. This is because the architects ran into financial difficulties during the 300 years it took to build it (13th to 15th century)
The Cathedral of San Salvador is built on top of a former basilica in honor of San Salvador, and although mainly Gothic in style, it also has some Baroque and Renaissance elements. The highlight is the Sacred Chamber (Camara Santa), a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The building dates from the 8th century and is integrated into the cathedral. It contains the sacred relics of the Los Ángeles Cross, the La Victoria Cross, the Agate Box and the Holy Ark, among others.
Catedral de Oviedo, Plaza Alfonso II El Casto, s/n.
11am: Oviedo’s green lung
Just off Oviedo’s main shopping street, Calle Uria, is the 90,000 square meter San Francisco Park, a green haven for locals. The park was built in the early 19th century on an area that used to be the kitchen garden of the San Francisco convent.
In the park, you can stroll along wide avenues and winding paths lined with shady trees such as chestnut, elm, oak and sycamore. There are also fountains, a lake, a fragrant rose garden and a fine arched facade from the old San Isidro church. In summer, there are concerts in the park by the pavilion.
The park is also inhabited by several sculptures, including the cartoon character Mafalda, known and loved by all Spanish children.
San Francisco Park, El Palomar
12.30: Tapas and drinks at Paraplypladsen
A great place to say goodbye to Oviedo is in Plaza del Paraguas (Umbrella Square), which is cozy and quiet despite being in the city center.
A giant umbrella sculpture sits in the middle of the square, named after its inverted umbrella shape. Previously, the square was the garden of the Romanesque San Isidoro monastery, which was demolished in 1922. Later, the square became the center of the milk trade, and today it hosts concerts in the summer.
In the square is the café Meraki, which has a terrace where you can enjoy a beer or a glass of wine with café food such as salads, tacos, classic Spanish tapas, burgers, coffee and cake.
Café Meraki, Plaza del Paraguas, C/ San Isidro
Journey to Oviedo
You can fly from Denmark to the airport in Asturias with a stopover in Madrid. The tour lasts 5.5 hours. Oviedo is 46 km from the airport and there are trains and buses to the city center. Alternatively, you can take the high-speed train from Madrid to Oviedo (AVE). The tour lasts approximately 3.5 hours.
Flere rejsetips til Asturien
Find tips til boutique-hoteller i Oviedo, læs guiden til asturiske kystbyer, og hvad du skal opleve i Picos de Europa.
