cuenca

This is an enchanting medieval city, declared Patrimony of Humanity by UNESCO since 1996. It is a very well preserved medieval city with many examples of religious architecture that stem from the 12th to the 18th century. It is divided in the old town, famous because of its unique situation on the edge of a perpendicular precipice, and the modern part is at the foot of the rock.

Cuenca owns some of the most important monuments of the entire region. The city centre, remarkably beautiful, is presided over by a magnificent Gothic cathedral. Other attractions not to be missed include Archaeology Museum, the church of 'San Miguel', 'Conde de Toreno', 'Torre Mangana', City Hall building, ‘Seminario Conciliar' and the Abstract Art Museum.

However Cuenca is many times remembered its 14th /15th Century "hanging houses" (casas colgadas). The Old part of the city is hemmed in on three sides by a deep gorge carved out by two rivers. Along the cliffs of the gorge a number of houses hang precariously on the edge. It truly must been seen to be appreciated in full. One of these houses the Museum of Spanish Abstract Art, the museum being one of the finest of its kind.In the back end of the Cathedral (near the "Museo de Arte Abstracto") there is a pedestrian bridge that crosses the gorge. The bridge provides an excellent view of the hanging houses and gives one a real feeling of the depth of the gorge.

In its surroundings there are several fantastic natural preserves, among them Ciudad Encantada, the "enchanted city", where erosion has created most bizarre forms. about 30 km from Cuenca. Noty only are the rocks strangely deformed, but each comes with their own name, like the Elephant or the Human Head

Places Of Interest

Torre de Mangana - Here you will find the remained ruins of the one of the cities most notable monuments, ‘Torre de Mangana'. It lies on the site of an ancient Arabian fortress and dates back to the 16th century.

San Pablo´s Bridge - Said to be perhaps ‘the most outstanding bridge in the city'. It was used to cross from the old part of the city to the ancient Monastery of the Dominicans. It is 100 meters long and nearly 44 meters high. Its points of origin are from one part of the hills to the other part on the mountain in front. It has 5 pillars more than 40 meters in height, coming up from the deep river below.

Virgin of the Light Church - The style of this church is "rococo" a special type of baroque but as well as being a pleasing tourist attraction there is a legend that accompanies this enchanted building. The legend says that in this place Alphonso the 8th saw the Virgin. So he decided to build a church in the 16th Century. Today this Holy place is the church for the Saint protecting the city.

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