Places to see in ( Castile La Mancha - Spain ) Albacete
Places to see in ( Castile La Mancha - Spain ) Albacete
Albacete is a city and municipality in the Spanish autonomous community of Castilla-La Mancha, and capital of the province of Albacete. It is in the south-east of the Iberian Peninsula, in the region known as the Meseta Central within the historic region of La Mancha, in the smaller historic region of La Mancha de Montearagón; the area around the city is known as Los Llanos.
With a population of 172,487 (2014) in the municipality proper, and 219,121 in the larger metropolitan area, it is the largest city in both the province and the region of Castilla-La Mancha, and indeed one of the largest of inland Spain, being included in the 20 largest urban areas in Spain. The municipality of Albacete is also the seventh largest in Spain by area, being 1,125.91 km2 (434.72 sq mi).
Albacete is the economic and judicial capital of Castilla-La Mancha, being home to the regional High Court of Justice. The writer, novelist, essayist and literary critic Azorin described the city of Albacete in a poem as The New York of La Mancha.
The origins of the city are uncertain, with the earliest proof of settlement dating to the time of Al-Andalus, when the settlement was originally named (Al-Basīt), meaning The Flat in the Arabic referring to the flat land around. The city increased in prominence in the early 20th century during the Spanish Civil War due its strategic importance as national headquarters of the International Brigades.
At present, Albacete is a modern capital with large areas for pedestrians and green areas. Further its flat area and the elimination of architectural barriers have also led it to be one of the most accessible cities across the country, with better quality of life and one of the safest.
The entertainment is one of the hallmarks of the capital of Albacete, with large areas of party as La Zona, El Campus or Los Titis hosting thousands of albaceteños and visitors throughout the year, highlighting their hectic and very active day and night life by enjoying famous throughout Spain. Other of its attractions in this regard are the traditional Tascas de la Feria or the castizo outdoor market of Los Invasores.
Albacete is a commercial and industrial city par excellence, reflected in its extensive commercial area that includes more than 556 723 people from 154 municipalities. Its privileged location, halfway between Madrid and the Mediterranean coast, makes it the main logistical hub and communications for Southeast Spain, with great connections by motorways, rail (including AVE), and air (Albacete Airport), which connects points of the Spanish geography.
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Places to see in ( Castile La Mancha - Spain ) Cuenca
Places to see in ( Castile La Mancha - Spain ) Cuenca
Cuenca is a city set in the mountains of east-central Spain. Founded by Moors, it retains its Historic Walled Town with steep cobbled streets and medieval castle ruins. Perched on a limestone spur high above the Júcar and Huécar rivers, it's most famous for its well-preserved casas colgadas, or hanging houses. Cantilevered over the Huécar gorge, they seemingly cling to the cliffs’ edges.
In the Region of Castile-La Mancha, between the Júcar and Huécar river canyons, you will find this city with the UNESCO World Heritage designation for its wealth of monuments. Its historic centre looks out over rocky canyon walls in the heart of the Cuenca Mountains. The Cathedral, Casas Colgadas (Hanging Houses) and cobbled streets charm the most hardened traveller. A former Dominican convent houses the Cuenca Parador Hotel, where guests can rest and enjoy the region's most traditional recipes. One of the best times for visiting the city is during the Religious Music Week, a festival of International Tourist Interest. Art, history, adventure sports, spas and hunting are some of the opportunities offered by this province in Castilla-La Mancha.
Cuenca’s old town has the UNESCO World Heritage designation, and the city spreads out from atop a promontory overlooking the ruins of its Moorish castle, the ancient Kunka fortress. Meanwhile, below, the modern city grows on the Júcar plain. The “upper city” - the medieval streets that give the city its character - begins beside the parish church of Nuestra Señora de la Luz, next the San Antón bridge. Here begins a tour of the hills, steps and viewpoints which provide beautiful views.
The first stop might be the church of San Felipe Neri, a sober construction which becomes a focus at Easter, with the singing of the traditional Miserere on its steps. Inside it is decorated with Baroque and Rococo motifs. On the other side of the Plaza del Carmen you can climb to the Plaza de la Torre Mangana, a former watchtower for Cuenca and one of the symbols of the city, visible from any other point. Very nearby is the Science Museum.
Before reaching the Plaza Mayor, you walk through the Plaza de la Merced, where you can see good examples of Cuenca Baroque in the church and convent of La Merced, and in the great seminary of San Julián. In the Plaza Mayor stand the arches of the Town Hall and the Gothic Cathedral of Nuestra Señora de Gracia, built on the site of a former mosque. Its structure alternates Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque elements, the result of a long period of construction. Its unfinished monumental façade accompanies the wooden balconies and wrought iron grilles of the square's aristocratic houses, whose ground floors are occupied by inns.
Behind the church a street begins leading to the Casas Colgadas, symbolic monuments in the city, which date from the 15th century.
One of the houses contains the Museum of Spanish Abstract Art, one of the best in Spain. The wooden balconies of the Casas Colgadas hang over the course of the Huécar, but you have to cross the river to get one of the best panoramic views. On this bank, you can visit the city's Parador de Turismo the former convent of San Pablo. The chance to stay here can only be compared with the chance to taste the mouth-watering Conca recipes offered by its restaurant. Zarajos (roast lamb tripe), morteruelo (a kind of pâté served hot) or ajoarriero (cod stew) are some of the local dishes, to which can be added vegetable stews, roasts and river fish. Almonds, honey and figs are included in all kinds of imaginative cookery and make up the dessert known as alajú (a cake made of honey, figs and almonds).
As for drinks, wines with the La Mancha Denomination of Origin and resolí, a liqueur made with coffee, sugar and orange peel, are outstanding.
Returning to the Cuenca urban layout, here you will find corners full of charm where there are fountains, little arches and narrow streets. Between the Cathedral and the Casas Colgadas we can also visit the Provincial Museum, the Casa del Curato, the Diocesan Museum and the Bishop's Palace.
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Regions of Spain: Castile-Leon
Heritage, nature, wine, gourmet local products and much more! Come visit Spain and discover why Castile-Leon is a leader of inland tourism. #visitspain / Spain.info: / Castile-Leon Tourist Office:
Top 10 Best Things to do in Albacete, Spain
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List of Best Things to do in Albacete , Spain
Pasaje de Lodares
Museo Municipal de la Cuchilleria
Catedral de San Juan Bautista
Museo de Albacete
Parque de Abelardo Sanchez
La Bodega de Serapio
Plaza de Toros de Albacete
Laguna del Arquillo
Parque de la Pulgosa
Estadio Carlos Belmonte
Places to see in ( Castile La Mancha - Spain ) Alarcon
Places to see in ( Castile La Mancha - Spain ) Alarcon
Alarcón is a municipality in the province of Cuenca, in the autonomous community of Castilla-La Mancha, Spain. Located 87 kilometers (54 miles) south of the city of Cuenca, Alarcón spans an area of 120 km² (50 sq mi) at an elevation of 831 meters (2,726 feet).
Alarcon is situated on a promontory within a closed bend of the Júcar River. Not far downstream from the Alarcón Dam, an important reservoir, the town also has the smaller Dam of Henchidero at its doorstep.
Of Iberian and Roman origins, Alarcón first appears in recorded history at its occupation by the Arabs, to whom it owes the construction of the primitive castle on which the existing one is based. The history of Alarcón is governed by its role as a stronghold; however, the castle is not the town’s only precious heritage: it also claims a rich architectural variety, both religious (the Churches of Santo Domingo de Silos, San Juan Bautista, the Santa Trinidad, and Santa María del Campo, as well as the Hermitage of Santa María de la Orden), and civil (the town hall, the House of Villena, and the Castañeda Palace).
The town of Alarcón was declared the site of a Historic-Artistic Grouping (Conjunto Histórico-Artistico) on July 3, 1981. In 1994, artist Jesús Mateo began a project to paint the interior of the old Church of San Juan Bautista, creating the Mural Paintings of Alarcón (1994-2002), which were recognized by UNESCO in 1997 for their global artistic interest.
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Places to see in ( Castile La Mancha - Spain ) Consuegra Castle
Places to see in ( Castile La Mancha - Spain ) Consuegra Castle
Consuegra Castle, locally known as Castillo de Consuegra, lies in the village by the same name in the province of Toledo in Spain.
There already was a great castle at this site during Moorish rule, which played an important role in the civil wars between the califates of Toledo and Cordoba. Somewhere between 1085 and 1090 the castle came into the hands of the Christian king Alfonso VI. Whether he gained it as result of a siege or as part of a dowry isn't known. Later on it was taken back by the Moors only to be conquered again by Alfonso VII in 1147.
In 1183 the castle was ceded to the military order of Knights Hospitaller, by King Alfonso VIII. He considered the castle to be of great importance which is why he granted Consuegra Castle the revenue of a tax on the nearby city of Toledo, for ten years, in order to maintain and improve its defenses. The Moorish castle was so much altered by the Hospital Knights that almost nothing is left of its Moorish origin. The Knights made alterations which improved its military, as well as its residential character. This is why the castle has become a peculiar strength, quite different from other castles in the surrounding area. It served as a headquarters for this military order.
The castle consists of three large, irregular shaped enclosures protected by strong walls and several (semi-)circular towers. The inside is a maze of gates, walkways, stairs and rooms. All built to make entry as difficult as possible for any attackers. Some of the towers have names like the Shieldtower and the Belltower. There are several raintanks in the enclosures of which some were used as prisons in the 16th/17th century. There also was a chapel.
The castle fell to ruin in the 18th/19th century. It is now partially restored and can be visited. This is one of the few castles which wasn't freely accessible when I visited Spain; you have to pay a small entrance fee. But the cost is certainly worth it.
This is a great castle. It is situated on a ridge and can be reached over a dead-end road. But there are spectacular views of the surrounding countryside. The image of this castle is well known as it serves as a beautiful background for the white mills which show up in a lot of travel publications.
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Toledo, Spain: Highlights of Castile
More info about travel to Toledo: Toledo is so well-preserved and packed with cultural wonder that the entire city has been declared a national monument. It's an ideal place to savor the delights of Spain: cultural, historic and tasty.
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Places to see in ( Castile La Mancha - Spain ) Belmonte
Places to see in ( Castile La Mancha - Spain ) Belmonte
Belmonte is a Spanish municipality of the province of Cuenca , in the autonomous community of Castilla-La Mancha . It is located at kilometer 342 of the N-420 road , which runs from Cuenca to Alcázar de San Juan , which is the same as that of Córdoba to Tarragona .
The excavations carried out in the Collegiate Church in 1976 due to the collapse of part of the apse, exposed the ruins of an earlier Visigothic church, perhaps of the fifth century, which proves that the population is older than imagined.
Erroneously in some documents it appears with the name of The Huts, when it turns out that from always it was called Bellomonte . In the Bull of Pope Innocent III a Garcia Bishop of Cuenca called Bellomonte, because of the mountain that surrounded the town.
King Enrique II of Castile , on 20-2-1367, in the courts of Burgos , granted him the privilege of villazgo, exempting him from the jurisdiction of Alarcón and granting them the same privilege as that enjoyed by the residents of Castillo de Garcimuñoz . A similar privilege had previously been granted to him by King Pedro I of Castile in 1361.
All this was very important to turn Belmonte into one of the most important towns in the province and was named Head of the Party of the whole region, because there were all the main administrations as well as in the provincial capital that was and is Basin. Some are the courts, the prison that today is the theater of Belmonte.
The castle of Belmonte is a fortress that rises in the hill of San Cristóbal, to the outskirts of the town of Belmonte , to the southwest of the province of Cuenca . It was declared a historical-artistic Monument belonging to the National Artistic Treasury by decree of June 3, 1931. Currently, it is considered as an Asset of Cultural Interest (BIC).
Belmonte Castle is a unique building that, due to its state of preservation, its special structure, and its external appearance, practically the same as it had at the time of its construction, constitutes a valuable heritage treasure. It was built in the second half of the fifteenth century , by order of Don Juan Pacheco , first Marquis of Villena . It was a moment of convulsions and internal struggles in the Kingdom of Castile .
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Places to see in ( Castile La Mancha - Spain ) Ruidera
Places to see in ( Castile La Mancha - Spain ) Ruidera
Ruidera is a municipality located in the province of Ciudad Real, Castile-La Mancha, Spain. It has a population of 596. It is located close to the Lagunas de Ruidera natural lakes.
The Natural Park of the Lagunas de Ruidera is, together with Plividje in Croatia, the best representation of lakes formed by the accumulation of calcium carbonate (tufa). The waters over the field of Montiel infiltrate the aquifer 24 that has its natural overflow in this area, giving rise to the birth of Guadiana Alto or Pinilla River. These waters, extraordinarily rich in carbonates, over thousands of years of precipitation, have formed impressive barriers (natural dams) that give rise to spectacular waterfalls between one lagoon and another.
This protected natural space is located between the provinces of Albacete and Ciudad Real and is made up of the following lagoons: Laguna Blanca, Laguna Conceja, Laguna Tomilla, Laguna Tinaja, Laguna de San Pedro, Laguna Redondilla, Laguna Lengua, Laguna Salvadora, Laguna Santos Morcillo, Laguna Batana, Laguna Colgada, Laguna del Rey, Laguna Morenilla, Laguna Coladilla and Laguna Cenagosa.
The Lagunas de Ruidera Natural Park is located in the Upper Guadiana River Valley (or Pinilla River) and serves as the provincial boundary to Ciudad Real and Albacete. From Ciudad Real or Madrid you get to Manzanares on the N-IV, and from here on the N-430 road, passing through La Solana, Alambra and Ruidera. From Albacete on the N-430.
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Places to see in ( Castile La Mancha - Spain ) Historic Walled Town of Cuenca
Places to see in ( Castile La Mancha - Spain ) Historic Walled Town of Cuenca
Historic Walled Town of Cuenca , built by the Moors in a defensive position at the heart of the Caliphate of Cordoba, Cuenca is an unusually well-preserved medieval fortified city.
Conquered by the Castilians in the 12th century, Historic Walled Town of Cuenca became a royal town and bishopric endowed with important buildings, such as Spain's first Gothic cathedral, and the famous casas colgadas (hanging houses)
Historic Walled Town of Cuenca suspended from sheer cliffs overlooking the Huécar river. Taking full advantage of its location, the city towers above the magnificent countryside.
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