Cuenca, a World Heritage Site

Cuenca panorama

Basin It is one of the cities that most surprises all tourists traveling by Spain. And it is not by chance. In 1996 it was named by Unesco as a World Heritage Site. Located in the autonomous community of Castilla-La Mancha, it is one of the best preserved medieval cities in Spain. Its exact location could be said to be between the gorges of the Júcar river and its tributary, the Huécar.

Saint Paul Bridge

The weather It is continental Mediterranean, with mild temperatures in summer and cold in winter. The rains are usually abundant in the environment due to the mountainous terrain of the Serranía de Cuenca. They exceed 500 mm. In the summer months it rains very little.

Cuenca Cathedral

With a population quite modest of 53,000 inhabitants, its old town has some of the most original architectural samples in the country. Without a doubt, the star buildings are the Hanging houses. Built in the late Middle Ages, they defy gravity with their wooden balconies literally suspended in the air. The best way to see them is by crossing the San Pablo bridge, not suitable for people suffering from vertigo. This wooden and iron bridge crosses the sickle of the Huécar from the convent of San Pablo to the base of the houses. From there, it is recommended to go up the calle de las Casas Colgadas until finally reaching the Plaza Mayor.

Hoz del Huécar

There we will meet the Cathedral, built after the Reconquest. Its front part, with two large windows in the open air, is the starting point of an itinerary that takes us from Calle San Pedro to the castle, surrounded by medieval buildings painted in very cheerful tones that make us comfortable.

Plaza Mayor of Cuenca

After having seen the most visited of Cuenca, the best thing is to go for the Ronda de Júcar, a quiet path through cobbled alleys and terraces that allow us to follow the course of the river and see corners that are very pleasing to the eye. When we reached the bottom of the round, we continued on Alfonso VIII and we can enjoy another of the classic constructions of the city: the skyscrapers. These are buildings overturned in the sickle of the Júcar that, in addition to growing upwards, extend downwards.

Night basin

If we want to enjoy more incredible corners, we can go through the Museum of Abstract Art or by him Castilla-La Mancha Science Museum. It should be noted that Cuenca aspires to be European Capital of Culture in 2016.

Hanging houses

Places and events that you cannot miss

- Cuenca Holy Week
- Festivities of San Mateo (from September 18 to 21)
- Fair and festivals of San Julian (at the end of August)
- Cathedral Treasury
- Antonio Saura-Casa Zavala Foundation
- Museum of Holy Week in Cuenca
- Torner Space
- Church of San Nicolás
- San Pantaleón Church, ruins
- St. Peter's Church
- Church of Santa Cruz
- Church of El Salvador
- Seminar
- Castle Ruins with the Arch of Bezudo
- National Parador (Old Convent of San Pablo)
- San Pablo Bridge

Visit Cuenca, a UNESCO World Heritage site (December 2024)