Have you ever visited a city nestled between rocky walls and with houses that seem to be suspended in mid-air?

The Casas Colgadas (hanging houses) that literally tower over the Huécar river gorge in this part of Castile-La Mancha will certainly catch your eye. However, this World Heritage City with its cobbled streets and centuries-old buildings also offers a modern side and is committed to abstract art. Pure contrast less than two hours from Madrid.

A walk through the historic center

It’s worth climbing the slopes and alleys that lead into this city – situated between the gorges of the Júcar and Huécar rivers – to be amazed by its viewpoints. Among the essential stops is the Plaza Mayor, where you’ll see the arches of the Town Hall and the beautiful Cathedral, which began to be built at the end of the 12th century.

Leaving behind the temple, a street leads to the Casas Colgadas, the hanging houses that are the great symbol of Cuenca. You can visit three of them: the Casa de La Sirena (where there is a restaurant) and the Casas del Rey, where you can visit the Museum of Spanish Abstract Art, with works by famous artists such as Tápies, Chillida and Saura.

To get spectacular photos of the Houses, you have to lose your fear of heights and cross the iron footbridge of the San Pablo Bridge. At the opposite end is the Convento de San Pablo, now a Parador and therefore one of the best places to spend the night in the city, which is even more charming when it’s lit up.

Cuenca will also surprise you with curiosities such as the “skyscrapers” in the San Martín district or the visitable tunnel in Calle Alfonso VIII. Museum fans have other options: the Antonio Saura Foundation, the Antonio Pérez Foundation, the Science Museum… And if you want to delve deeper into traditions, you can also visit the Holy Week Museum, dedicated to the city’s most famous festival.

Castilian cuisine and bathing areas

Cuenca is photogenic, there’s no denying that. But it also has delicious cuisine. When it comes to eating, the city doesn’t disappoint and offers the best of its strong gastronomy in its Castilian restaurants: morteruelo (a kind of hot pâté), ajoarriero (cod stew), the typical liquor resolí, alajú for dessert…

In and around the Plaza Mayor, you’ll find plenty of bars, although there are also other recommended areas for finding a good restaurant, such as the Castillo neighborhood, in the upper part of the city, which is very lively thanks to its outdoor tables and viewpoints overlooking the gorge. And if you want, you can also opt for more modern restaurants with signature cuisine, flamenco taverns or bars built, for example, in the cellars of a palace.

The more natural side of the city can be enjoyed especially in summer, when you can take a dip in the Júcar Gorge bathing area and eat delicious rice with lobster at a nearby restaurant. Another option is to take a stroll along the Cerro del Socorro route or, if you want to see a really curious place, travel 30 kilometers to see the rocks of Ciudad Encantada, with animal shapes, human figures…

source : www.spain.info/pt_BR/destino/cuenca/

Cultural heritage of humanity

Castilla-La Mancha – Registration year: 1996

Cuenca has been inscribed on the World Heritage List for being an exceptional example of a fortified medieval city that has preserved its original environment intact, along with excellent examples of civil and religious architecture from the 12th to the 18th century. The magnificent union between the historic city and the natural landscape in which it is situated has also been highlighted.

The city, of medieval origin, is located in a rugged and unique location, overlooking the gorges of the Júcar and Huécar rivers. Historically, Cuenca was a strategic place on the border, built in Islamic times as a defensive focus in the center of the Caliphate of Córdoba. Written sources from the 12th century highlight its walls and its important textile industry.

In 1177, a new era began for the city when it was conquered by Alfonso VIII of Castile. The consequent increase in population, with the settlement of Christian and Jewish populations, was reflected in urban planning and the construction of new buildings, such as the Cathedral, the first Gothic-style cathedral built in Spain.

The progressive expansion of the city overflowed the original upper area and the lower areas were populated and began to be organized into neighbourhoods. The 16th century was the period of greatest prosperity for Cuenca, which became an important economic and administrative center and an important economic activity, which diminished considerably during the following century, when the power of the religious orders became the city’s main support.

There are currently three different urban areas: the upper quarter, the historic working-class neighborhoods and the transition zone between the two. Cuenca has a large number of first-rate religious and civil buildings, such as the Cathedral, convents, the San Pablo bridge or its famous Casas Colgadas, now a symbol of the city.

Source: www.cultura.gob.es/cultura/areas/patrimonio/mc/patrimoniomundial/bienes-declarados/por-ano-de-inscripcion/1996/cuenca.html