Tourist information - Gijon
Found on the shoreline of the Cantabrian Sea, Gijón gives an captivating combination of seafaring flavour, heritage structures as well as modern urban development behind the beach. Its marina bears witness to a history strongly connected to the sea.
Key buildings have their roots in the city's past as a Roman settlement, in its development as of the 16th century when the Catholic Monarchs decided to establish a port here and in the boost given to these lands within the Enlightenment, mainly thanks to Gaspar Melchor de Jovellanos.
The historic quarter of Gijón is formed by the hill of Santa Catalina and the fishing neighbourhood of Cimadevilla. The first settlers established communities on top of this hill and it has been selected as the site for the “Elogio Del Horizonte” (Eulogy of the Horizon), a monumental work by the Basque sculptor Eduardo Chillida. This point provides among the best landscapes of the Cantabrian Sea, the Costa Verde and Cimadevilla. The streets within the beach of San Lorenzo and also the marina gather together Roman remains large mansions and the old houses of the fishermen.
In Plaza Mayor we can see the City Hall building (19th century), while in Jovellanos square you will find the Museum of Gijón and the birthplace of Jovellanos, an enlightened politician and writer who was born in this city. This building, from the 16th century, contains mementos and paintings and sculpture by a few artists. Attached to the building is the chapel of Los Remedios, where you will find his tomb.
In Plaza del Marqués, looking out on to the marina, include the Palace of Revillagigedo and the Collegiate Church of San Juan Bautista, presently devoted to staging modern art shows. The Barloja Museum specializes in contemporary painting and sculpture and it is situated in Calle de La Trinidad.
In the area referred to as Campo Valdés are the Valdés palace, a 16th-century building which was once the Tobacco Factory, the church of San Pedro as well as the Roman baths. The presence of Rome's IV Legion Macedonica in the city could be clearly found in this hypocaust, rooms where hot air was made for the baths, which date from the earliest centuries of our era, and in the remains found of the old walls. All of this with views of the Gijón inlet and also the beach of San Lorenzo.
Awaiting us in the modern city is a rationalist structure with a great many squares and green areas such as the Gardens of Náutico, Begoña or even Reina. It really is worthy of taking a look at the shops in Calle Corrida, the old cafés and cider bars of Paseo Begoña or taking Calle Uría y Menéndez Valdés to the Jovellanos Theatre.
At the other end of the San Lorenzo beach is the mouth of the river Piles, its course marking the boundaries of Parque Inglés and Parque de Isabel la Católica. In this excellent spot, housed in a centuries-old mill, is Gijón's Parador de Turismo hotel. Enclosed by gardens and ponds, its restaurant gives the opportunity to try the local cuisine. Together with fabada (pork and bean stew), the star dish; seafood stew, Asturian stew or hake with cocochas are among the chef's suggestions. And also to go with it, a bit cider (a low-alcohol drink made with apple juice which in Asturias is not fizzy). Rice pudding, frixuelos (a delicate stuffed cake with medieval roots) and casadielles (traditional Carnival pastries) certainly are a testimony to the region's deep-rooted tradition of sweets and pastries.
On the other side of the Piles is the fair and also exhibition ground, the place you must visit the Ethnographic Museum of the People of Asturias, the Museum of the Hórreo (Asturian raised granary) and the International Bagpipe Museum, where we're able to learn about this traditional Asturian instrument.
Beyond is the residential area of Somió, the first “garden-cities” to be built in Spain. One of these houses covered with gardens is the Evaristo Valle Foundation, which is devoted to the painter with the exceptional work. Moving a little further away from the centre of the city, you can visit the Universidad Laboral, numerous granite and marble buildings which are the work of Moya Blanco.
An interesting destination to find out about the industrial history of Asturias is the Railway Museum near the marina, from where we are able to also go on to visit the archaeological park of Campa de Torres. Here you'll discover Gijón's industrial port, Musel.
Gijon's location on the Costa Verde halfway between western and eastern Asturias makes it an ideal starting point for both a tour of the coast along with a trip inland. The eastern coast presents us a tour of extensive beaches taking in historical towns just like Ribadesella and Llanes, and fishing villages just like Lastres or Tazones. There are also prehistoric sites including the caves of Tito Bustillo or examples of houses made by returning Asturians who had made good in America, like those we're able to see in Colombres.
Travelling inland reveals the other side of its natural wealth, the mountains. The Picos de Europa National Park is located in this region, where lakes, woods, forests and peaks (some over 2,000 metres high) provide the setting for a large number of villages. Cangas de Onís, the first capital of the Kingdom of Asturias, and the Redes Nature Reserve a few of the attractions within the east.
The capital of Asturias, Oviedo, signifies the boundary with the western area. This city delivers a great deal of historical structures, exceptional among which are the Cathedral, the University and several pre-Romanesque churches, which have been proclaimed to be World Heritage Sites by UNESCO. The western coast takes us all towards Galicia, passing through fishing villages such as Cudillero, beach destinations which includes Luarca and prehistoric settlements such as hill-forts of Coaña. Expecting us inland are historical towns like Pravia, Salas or Cangas de Narcea; as well as the landscapes of the Somiedo Nature Reserve and virtually unspoilt areas like Los Oscos.
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