An unforgettable round trip weekend in Oviedo
FRIDAY
7:00 p.m. In the Principality, the **cider culture** rules and the best way to adapt to Asturian life as soon as you arrive is to go to the gascon street, cider boulevard . The pouring ritual does not leave indifferent first-timers. Unique in the world, pouring consists of serving the cider by pouring it with the right arm raised, pointing to the glass held by the left hand. This is how it is achieved "spalmar" the cider –that is, that it breaks in the form of foam when it reaches the glass- and guarantee perfect oxygenation. The moment in which foreigners usually fail is when the culín of cider reaches their hands.
The pouring is designed so that cider is drunk in one gulp , the culín is a small amount of cider that remains in the bottom of the wide-mouthed and super-thin glass in which it is served. For this reason, if you take a small drink and put the glass on the table without finishing, you will have given yourself away. Tradition says that the culín is drunk at once, leaving only a little that will serve to clean where it has been drunk (Usually when drinking natural cider, members of the same group or table usually share glasses). Among the great classics of Asturian cider houses are the fried pixin (monkfish in Spanish), the pâtés and more recently, the very popular cachopos . At Tierra Astur Gascona – a group of Asturian cider houses that does a great job defending local products – in addition to good cider, they also have a grill and menus to share.
cider boulevard
SATURDAY
9:00 a.m. We start the day in Rialto , one of the confectioneries that more than a confectionery is an Oviedo institution. Its flagship product is Muscovite s, some delicious chocolate, sugar, cream and Marcona almond pastes that are sold by weight to take away – and that you cannot miss out on trying. Founded in Luarca in 1926 , this tea room is a family run business that seems straight out of another time. In a showcase at the entrance you can see their delicious proposals, from pastries like croissants to pastries like mille-feuille, there are dozens of options. Their pancakes and hot chocolate are delicious. Rialto is also a snack classic.
The famous Rialto Muscovites
10:30 a.m. The Asturian Pre-Romanesque It is one of the great treasures of the region and most of its representative examples are concentrated in Oviedo. On Mount Naranco there are two of the most impressive buildings of this unique architectural style in the world: Santa Maria del Naranco and San Miguel de Lillo . Built in the 9th century under the reign of Ramiro I, Asturian Pre-Romanesque architecture is considered by UNESCO to be a unique artistic achievement. The vaulted buildings use columns instead of pillars and this architectural style has had a decisive influence on the development of religious architecture in the rest of the Iberian Peninsula. Likewise, they are a testimony of the civilization that existed in the Christian Kingdom of Asturias in the days of splendor of the Emirate of Córdoba.
It is believed that both buildings were part of a larger complex. While Santa Maria del Naranco worked like Royal Classroom of the palatial complex and later became a church, Saint Michael of Lillo it was designed as a church from the very beginning. The Pre-Romanesque monuments of Monte Naranco can be climbed on foot – it is about three kilometers from the center – or by road (by car or on the A2 bus line). Both buildings are just two hundred meters from each other and it is best to join the guided tours.
Other examples of Asturian Pre-Romanesque art in Oviedo are the church of Saint Julian of the Meadows , also known as santullano , and the La Foncalada fountain, a remarkable hydraulic engineering structure and until now the only civil construction of that time that was intended for public use discovered in all of Europe.
Saint Michael of Lillo
1:00 p.m. Back in the city center we headed to the cheerful and colorful El Fontan Square , but first we stopped in the Plaza de la Constitución to contemplate the church of Saint Isidore the Royal – before Saint Matthias -, which began to be built in 1578 and shares the leading role of the square with the Town Hall. As happened with the city's cathedral, the church has only one tower, but in the initial design two were projected.
In the Fontán is the homonymous market, housed in a building completed in 1885 and designed by the architect Javier Aguirre. According to the Ordinances of the Oviedo Council, fruit, vegetables and meat have been sold in the El Fontán area since the 13th century. Today this market is still the Oviedo pantry , with stalls selling fish, meat, sausages, cheeses and vegetables and fresh fruit. After the ride we stopped at Ramon House to drink a bottle of cider before going to eat.
El Fontan Square
14. 30 p.m. mixture I t is one of the best options for a sophisticated lunch in Oviedo. The Asturian restaurateur Javier Loya is in charge of this elegant restaurant whose gastronomic proposal includes a letter and two menus -in addition to an executive menu from Tuesday to Friday-. The Asturian cuisine promotion menu is a good option to see the regional product shine from the privileged mastery of the technique that the Loya team has. In his extensive wine list we find Asturian references, such as the excellent 7 Vidas Bodega Vidas Oak . Reservations recommended.
mixture
4:00 p.m. The old town, pedestrianized and with numerous buildings with character, is the best place to lose yourself and let yourself be carried away by that imaginary Vetusta that Clarín so masterfully describes in The Regent . And it is that many of the streets of the old They maintain the same layout as in medieval times, very narrow and parallel streets that led to different gates along the wall.
The victory cross it is one of the most recognizable symbols of the Principality of Asturias – it is even present on the flag – and to admire it you have to go to the Oviedo cathedral, which is three minutes from the Mestura restaurant. The Victoria Cross was commissioned by King Alfonso III the Great (who stated in his will that it was the most precious jewel of all those he owned) to donate to the old San Salvador Cathedral in Oviedo. Currently this wonderful piece of gold work is in the Holy Chamber , which has been a World Heritage Site since 1998 and which also houses other jewels such as the Cruz de los Ángeles or the Caja de las Ágatas.
Do not leave the cathedral without admiring the Chapter House, there the sovereignty of the Supreme Board of the Principality of Asturias was declared and the war against Napoleon's armies in 1808.
The streets of the old
Likewise, it is essential to visit the ** Museum of Fine Arts of Asturias **, whose recent expansion, the work of the studio Mangado & Associates , took home the Chicago Athenaeum Award. In addition to works by great masters, such as Picasso, Goya, Dalí, Miró, Zurbarán or El Grec or, this museum houses the work of renowned native artists, such as the exciting Asturian stamp immortalized in the work of Nicanor Piñole, from Gijón, picking the apple .
Other areas of interest in the historic center are the charming Plaza de Trascorrales and the Archaeological Museum of Asturias , as well as the Chapel of the Balesquida, the Casa de los Llanes or the Palace of the Marquis of Santa Cruz , which dates back to the 15th century and is the oldest civil building in the entire city, a survivor of the fire that devastated Oviedo in 1521. On the other hand, to delve deeper into the history of Oviedo, the small Antiquarian bookstore, located next to the Gardens del Campillín, is a good place to go to find old books, especially on Asturian themes and authors.
Museum of Fine Arts of Asturias
6:45 p.m. It's worth going through Camilo de Blas , another of the great pastry shops in Oviedo. Its interiors ooze history and if you think you've already been there maybe it's because you've seen it in the movie Vicky Cristina Barcelona . In Camilo de Blas you have to try their carbayones. This almond and yolk sweet, with a puff pastry base and bathed in sugar, was commissioned by José de Blas to the master builder, José Gutiérrez, to represent Oviedo at the 1st Gijón International Trade Fair in 1924. For that reason this cake bears the popular demonym of the people of Oviedo, carbayones.
El Carbayón was an immense oak (carbayu in Asturian) located on Uría street and demolished at the end of the 19th century. Since 1949 a commemorative plaque can be seen in the same place on Uría Street where the roots of that majestic carbayu.
7:00 p.m. We headed towards the Uria street , one of the best-known streets in Asturias, going through the Paseo de los Álamos del Campo San Francisco. As we walk, we must look at the ground so as not to miss the wonderful marble mosaic by Antonio Suárez. On Calle Uría there are numerous shops –mostly clothing and footwear-, both multinationals and some small businesses.
Camilo de Blas
8:30 p.m. Campoamor and Manuel Pedregal streets welcome the call “wine route”, a meeting place with a lot of atmosphere, especially in the late afternoon, so it's a good last stop before going out for dinner.
10:00 p.m. Nacho Manzano He is the most successful chef in Asturias – the only one to hold two Michelin stars in the region for his restaurant martial house -and it's worth trying his good work at his most casual restaurant, **Gloria**. Named in honor of the Manzano's grandmother, Gloria is a restaurant with a modern and sober decoration and a menu that reflects simple, local market cuisine. There are tapas, half portions and portions. The menu is divided into traditional dishes, including Manzano classics, such as their exquisite ham croquettes, which are among the best in the country, or their famous rice with pitu de caleya, adapted from the menu at martial house and in seasonal options, such as the milanesa pork cut, mashed red beans, cabbage and capers. Desserts include rice pudding and the essential plate of Asturian cheeses. To drink, mostly Spanish wines -the selection includes two Asturian options: La Fanfarria and Pésico-, as well as Natural, ice and brut ciders. There are also cocktails and Asturian beers. Reservation is essential.
12:00 p.m. The area par excellence to go out at night in Oviedo is in the Mon street and its surroundings, also known as "The Ancient". There are numerous bars, pubs and clubs with different types of music and atmosphere. Likewise, before traveling to the city, it is worth taking a look at the schedule of Mangrove swamp , a new space calling itself a cultural ecosystem in which concerts and alternative cultural activities are organized.
Gloria's famous croquettes
SUNDAY
10:00 a.m. When you think of all the statues and sculptures that are scattered throughout Oviedo, it can be said that the city is practically an open-air museum and it is worth taking a tour of the most legendary. Botero's work is one of the best known in the city, it is located in the Plaza de la Escandalera and its name is La Maternidad , although it is more popularly known as The fat girl . Úrculo signed one of the most controversial, Culis Monumentalibus, -popularly known as the ass- and located next to the Campoamor theater. It's his too The return of Williams B. Arrensberg –known as The traveler - In Porlier square, the statue of Woody Allen, by Vicente Menéndez Santarúa, can be seen from Uría street, while La Regenta by Mauro Álvarez Fernández is in front of the cathedral. The Monument to the Concord of Esperanza d'Ors It is in Plaza Carbayón, while La Lechera, by Manuel García Linares, is in the beautiful Plaza de Trascorrales. the of Mafalda , one of the most recent statues, the work of Pablo Irrgang, is in San Francisco Park and has already become a tourist attraction.
12:30 p.m. You have to go and drink the vermouth Dove , a family restaurant where they serve this drink straight from the barrel. Its solera 1900 vermouth has an intense and recognizable flavor, perhaps because it ages in oak barrels. In La Paloma, vermouth is always served at 4C, without ice, with lemon and olives. To accompany this classic you should not miss their famous gabardine prawns.
2:30 p.m. On way to Ca' Suso , the restaurant where we are going to say goodbye to Oviedo in style, we enter the field of st francis and we escape among its lush vegetation, its fountains, its sculptures and its statues.
At the head of Ca' Suso, a restaurant with interiors in a rustic, traditional and careful style, are the brothers Iván and Vicente Fernández Feito, who represent that cuisine of flavor that lets the product speak. In Ca' Suso They have several menus and also a letter and in all of them the seasonality of the products rules. Whichever option you choose, you should try their La Peral liquid cheese croquettes. Their wine list does not force you to leave this land as they have several Asturian wines from Cangas.
36 hours in Oviedo