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| Vineyards near Logroño |
La Rioja is a landlocked autonomous community in the north of Spain. It only consists of one province, by the same name. La Rioja covers an areal of 5,045km2 with a total population of about 315,000. Nearly 200,000 people live in the city of Logroño or in its metropolitan area. The second largest town, Calahorra, has less than 25,000 inhabitants. La Rioja is wine country, and wine grown in La Rioja, as well as Navarre, and the Basque province of Álava is labelled Rioja. The wine is the finest grown in Spain, and amongst the best products in the world.
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| Castillo de Clavijo |
The autonomous region is, not surprisingly, known for its many vineyards in the Ebro valley north of the capital. Many bodegas offer tours of their facilities with a chance to taste their products. Just south of the city of Logroño, the landscape changes and becomes mountainous. Tucked away in the mountains, there are some notable medieval villages well worth visiting. One of the most iconic is the village of San Millan de Cogollo, known for its twin monasteries. Even closer to Logroño is the hilltop castle, Castillo de Clavijo.
The city of Logroño is mainly known for its lively street, Calle Laurel, where all the good pinchos bars compete for customers at night. Many restaurants specialise in only one kind of pincho, and people crawl from bar to bar while a glass of the reasonably-priced local wine. The city is set on the banks of the Ebro, which meanders through the city.
