Places to visit - Asturias and Cantabria
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Posted On :
Oct-01-2010
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Article Word Count :
513
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Asturias and Cantabria are the Spanish regions located in the North of Spain. More than half of the territory of these regions is mountains, so they are often called - 'Green Spain'.
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Overview
Asturias and Cantabria are the Spanish regions located in the North of Spain. More than half of the territory of these regions is mountains, so they are often called - 'Green Spain'. Apart from mountains, this area has coastal towns and fishing villages with breathtaking sandy beaches and important historical heritage. One of the greatest tourist attractions of the region is the Picos de Europa. This mountain range, which is covered with lovely green forests and located between Asturias and Cantabria, has the remains of prehistoric settlements.
History
Asturias became the Kingdom in the 8th century. The Kingdom was well known for its resistance to the Roman, Visigoth and Muslim invasions. Today, it is the best place in the world to see the buildings from the medieval period. The capital city of this province is Oviedo.
Cantabria has important artistic legacy as well. The main sights in this region are: the caves of Altamira, Romanesque cathedrals and beautiful towns like Santillana del Mar. The capital of Cantabria is Santander.
Places to visit
Places to visit in Asturias and Cantabria are countless. One of the most popular tourist attractions are the Alatamira Caves situated in Cantabria. These caves have a hidden treasure - the paintings of our prehistoric ancestors. It was at the end of the 19th century when these paintings were discovered for the first time. Some doubted if they were originals, but after confirmation of their authenticity, tourists started to visit the site. The paintings display the images of bisons and rarely of other animals (horses and deers) and they are painted mostly in red and black color. The original caves were closed to visitors in 1977 in order to preserve the paintings. A replica of the caves has been made and today only few visitors have the opportunity to visit the real caves.
Near Santander is a small town called Comillas. This town is another lovely place to visit in the region. Situated at the coast, the town has narrow streets, sandy beaches and several wide squares. Many Spanish citizens who went to America came back and settled here, bringing Modernism to Spain. The most famous building in the town is the El Capricho, originally designed by Gaudi. Today, this building is a restaurant with a lovely garden. Also worth a visit is the Pontifical University, a large building, a mix of different styles. Another interesting port town in this area is Gijon. Once a village, this town is a big industrial center today. But it still holds its authenticity from the 17th and 18th centuries. In Gijon, visit Revillagigedo - magnificent palace from the 18th century. Also, visit the cathedral of San Juan Bautista and the University in Gijon.
One of the most beautiful villages is Mogrovejo, situated on the Picos de Europa. This lovely village has historical remains from the 16th century.
There are many other places that should be seen in Asturias and Cantabria. Some of the sites are under the protection of the UNESCO World Heritage.
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Article Source :
http://www.articleseen.com/Article_Places to visit - Asturias and Cantabria_33961.aspx
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Author Resource :
Read about ferienhäuser spanien and also read about ferienhaus in pineda de mar and ferienhaus in playa d’aro.
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Keywords :
caves of Altamira, University in Gijon, Asturias historical, Asturias beautiful villages,
Category :
Travel and Leisure
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Travel and Leisure
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