Cuenca (Cuenca) - the capital of the Spanish province of the same name in the autonomous community of Castile-La Mancha. One of the most picturesque and hospitable towns in the area, it is located at an altitude of 956 m above sea level between the mountains, whose passes are in the south, west and east of the city. Nearby are the rivers Jucar and Huecar.
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How to get there
There is no airport in Cuenca itself, so the flight should be made in the nearest to it the international airport of Madrid. The flight from Moscow to Madrid is carried out by three airlines - Aeroflot, Transaero and Iberia. Tickets cost from € 350 round-trip.
Cuenca is located on the Madrid-Valencia railway line. To Valencia per day there are 5 trains (journey time 3, 5 hours), to Madrid - 4 (2, 5 hours on the road). The cost of one-way ticket is approximately € 12, 5.
Also from Madrid to Cuenca you can get by bus AVANZA from Autostation station Auto-Res. Travel time is the same as for the railway, ticket prices are around € 10-12.
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Climate
The climate here is typical Mediterranean-continental with cold winters (average temperature is +5 - 10 ° C) and in hot summer (+25 - 30 ° C). The water temperature in the holiday season rises to +29 ° C, and in winter it seldom falls below +13 ° C. "High season" falls on June-September
Entertainment, excursions and attractions Kouenki
The city is divided into two districts: "new" and "old". The old town is saturated with the spirit of the Middle Ages since the central square of the Plaza da Mayor and the Gothic cathedral of Catedral de Santa María y San Julián de Cuenca 12-15th centuries. the buildings. It is believed that this is the first cathedral built in Spain. In addition, before the Catholic church in this very place was an Arab mosque. Today in the cathedral there is the art museum of Tesoro-Catedralicio where you can admire the paintings of El Greco
Getting acquainted with the historical sights of Cuenca, the Gothic church of San Miguel. It is noteworthy for its Arabian motifs in architecture, which is quite untypical for Catholicism. You can walk to the church along Obispo-Valero Street, leading from Plaza de Mayor.
The watchtower of Manyana (Torre de Mangana) is also in the Old Town. This is the little thing that remains of the ruined fortress wall erected by the Moors. Once the tower was a sentinel fortification, now it is equipped with an observation deck, which offers a magnificent view of the city.
Museums of the city
Continuing to get acquainted with the history and culture of Cuenca, do not overlook the Diazano museum, most of the exposition devoted to religious themes, and the Museum of Science, now located in the ancient convent . The museum uses the latest technology, making it equally interesting for young tourists and their parents . Ossetians of all ages use models of "time machines" . In addition, lovers of history will be curious to visit the Museum of History, from the exposition of which you can find out everything about the controversial and strange fate of the city .
Hanging houses of Cuenca
Truly the symbol of Cuenca became famous Casas Colgadas - "hanging houses", located on the southern side of the Gothic cathedral . Like swallows' nests, they were built directly on a cliff above the breakwater of the river Oekar . This monument of architecture is only a small part of the buildings that used to be typical for Ku naki . Nowadays the Casa de la Sirena and the Casas de Rey are preserved . The exact date of occurrence of the buildings is for certain unknown - it is believed that the houses were caught by the 15th century . Since that time they were several times finished, and the latest changes are dated to the 20s of the last century . At that time the houses were still residential, but now they house a restaurant and an abstract art museum where the works of many famous abstract artists are presented: Eduardo Chilida, Anthony Tapes et al. .
- Go up to the monument of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and look around the city.
- Reflect on the eternal, strolling through St. Julian's park.
- Challenge yourself and overcome on foot (in extreme cases on bicycle) 14 km of the route Ruta-Turistka
- Get lost in the maze of narrow streets, whimsically winding and then leading uphill, then leading steeply downwards.
- From the numerous viewing platforms admire the views of the gorge and the surrounding area.
- Drink water from source at the Hermitage of Nuestra Senora de las Angustias at the foot of the mountain.
Friend sights
Among the new sights, you can highlight the monument to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which was built in the middle of the 20th century on the hill of Cerro del Socorro. This is one of the highest points of Cuenca, from where a beautiful view of the city opens.
In addition, Cuenca has picturesque ruins of an ancient Arab fortress, which in the late 16th century housed the Holy Inquisition, which was destroyed by French soldiers in the 19th century. Until now, only one tower, two blocks of stones and an arch that served as an entrance and exit from the Old City have survived.
For a leisurely walk, St. Julian's Park is the perfect - the oldest park of Cuenca, founded in the early 20th century on lands donated by Gregorio Fernandez de la Cuba. It is noteworthy that there are absolutely no grass here, only squares with trees, bushes and sand-strewn paths
Quenky Neighborhood
The limestone massif of Ciudad Encantada (20 sq. Km of picturesque rocks and karst caves ), waterfalls of the sources of the Cuervo and Tahoe rivers, falling from moss-covered rocks, as well as the picturesque slopes of the Serrania de Cuenca mountain range (838 m high). To these natural attractions is a fourteen-kilometer tourist trail Ruta-Tourist, which runs around the gorge of Cuenca. It is quite difficult to move on foot, therefore, usually bicycles or car trips are conducted here.
In the vicinity you can see Belmonte Castle (XIV-XV cc.) Near the village of the same name, Segobride - Roman ruins of the II century BC. e., and the town of El-Tobosso, the "motherland" of the heroine of Cervantes Dulcinea of Tobos. There is even a museum dedicated to the fictional, but from this no less famous "compatriot", as well as the museum of its creator.
Events
In addition to the typical for Spain holidays like "Holy Week" or "Parade of Figures", in Cuenca celebrate the day of St. Mateo (Fiestas de San-Mateo), the patron saint of the city. It is celebrated from 18 to 21 September - at this time noisy masquerades pass through the streets, everyone is treated with fruit wine for free, and the traditional run of bulls takes place on the main square. Photo of Cuenca (8)