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| Picos de Europa |
The Principality of Asturias is an autonomous region in the northwest of Spain between Galicia to the west and Cantabria to the east. It only consists of one province also called Asturias, with its capital city being Oviedo. Altogether a little over one million people live in the region of Asturias encompassing 10,604km2. The inland capital of Oviedo is only the second largest city with about 220,000 people. The largest city is the seaport city Gijón where about 275,000 people reside.
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| Bay of Biscay |
It is known for its rugged coastline along the Bay of Biscay, its extensive white sandy beaches, coves, and natural sea caves. Inland Asturias is famed for its Cantabrian Mountains forming the natural border to the landlocked region of Castile and Leon. It is also known for having a scenic lush landscape dotted with some of the oldest medieval churches in Europe.
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| Covadonga |
The greatest sight is arguably the scenic Picos de Europe National Park located in the eastern part of the Cantabrian Mountains, near the regional border with Cantabria. Picos de Europe is Spain's most popular national park. It is also Spain's only inhabited natural reserve. There are eleven villages inside this natural reserve that spans across the three autonomous regions of Castile and Leon, Cantabria and Asturias. One of the villages, Covadonga, contains the pilgrimage site of Real Sitio de Covadonga, overlooking one of the two Covadonga glacial lakes. Another village, Ribadesello, holds the annual canoe racing event "Descenso del Sello" down rapids of the Sello river in the first weekend of August.
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| Somiedo Natural Park |
As a whole, lush, green mountainous landscapes characterise Asturias, and there is ample opportunity for trekking in the Cantabrian Mountains. In addition to Picos de Europe, there is also the Somiedo Natural Park in the western part of the Cantabrian Mountains. This park became a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 2000 and is a sanctuary for the Cantabrian Brown Bear, listed by the Spanish government as endangered.
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| Santa María de Naranjo |
The city of Oviedo is the administrative and commercial centre of Asturias. It is Asturias' second largest city and located only 24 kilometres inland from the larger seaport city Gijón. Oviedo is known for its exceptional architectural legacy with many buildings dating back to the early medieval period. Amongst these are the Santa María de Naranco Church, located on the Mount Naranco, about three kilometres outside Oviedo. It was initially built as a palace in 842 AD before being reformed into a church in 848 AD. The nearby San Miguel de Lillo is a small church from the same period, erected in 842 AD and consecrated in 848 AD. In the city centre, the historical San Salvador Cathedral was built in 1388, but built on top of a previous cathedral from the 8th century. The Cámara Santa de Oviedo is a chamber located inside the cathedral, which is a remaining structure from the original cathedral. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and dates back to 802 AD.
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| Universidad Laboral |
Gijón is the cultural capital of Asturias with a host of fairs, events, and exhibitions taking place every year. There are also an array of museums, celebrating Asturian artists, an aquarium, as well as a botanical garden and the archaeological park Campa Torres. Other notable sights are the Universidad Laboral de Gijón. Originally built as a university in the wake of world war II, it hosts an array of cultural institutions. With its 270,000 m2, it is Spain's largest building. Near the centre is the scenic Cerro de Santa Catalina Park, overlooking the Cantabrian Sea. From there the marina Puerto Deportivo with its many restaurants is within easy strolling distance to the west as is the San Lorenzo beach to the east.
