Thousands of Spaniards are finishing their summer holidays this week and with the arrival of September, it is the turn of the latecomers who had to work during the month of August. In recent years, the number of people fleeing the high season and high temperatures to go on a trip has increased considerably. So, you should know that a town in Teruel has been chosen as the most beautiful in Spain according to the World Tourism Organization.
THE World Tourism Organization has chosen Cantavieja, a town located in the heart of the Maestrazgo de Teruel, as the most beautiful town in Spain. This town located on a rock at 1,290 meters above sea level has 729 inhabitants that multiply at different times of the year with the arrival of tourists eager to discover one of the most historic towns in the Autonomous Community of Aragon.
Understanding the medieval structure of Cantavieja You have to consult the history books to discover that it is a city founded by Amílcar Barca. Later, it was a Muslim territory until the Reconquest during which it was ceded to the Order of the Holy RedeemerIt was then occupied by the Templars until 1317, when it became the possession of the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem.
With the advent of the modern and contemporary era, Cantavieja was a protagonist in Carlist Wars even becoming the capital of the general command of Maestrazgo. After years of resistance and with the civil war, this place also enjoyed special importance since it was an area of action of the maquis.
“The secrets and wealth of a rich and eventful past, where the Templars, the San Juanists and the Carlists, among others, left their mark and memories in the form of buildings, stories, gastronomy, roads and trails,” can be read on the official tourism website of Cantavieja.
The most beautiful city of Teruel in Spain
Cantavieja It is the most beautiful city in the World Tourism Organization thanks to an old town where a sea of cobbled streets mixes and in which the Mayor’s Squarethe 16th-century town hall and the Baroque Church of the Assumption, which is the city’s great work and one of the reasons why thousands of tourists visit it every year. “There is no other like it in Rome,” reads the entrance to this Baroque temple, enlarged between 1730 and 1745 on top of a medieval temple.
Another important church in Cantavieja is that of Saint Michaelwhich was built in the 15th century in the Levantine Gothic style. Some historians suggest that this church contains the tomb of the last knight of the order. In addition to these two, there are five other churches in this city of Teruel, San Antonio, San Cristóbal and San Blas.
As for its civil heritage, the medieval castle besieged by the Carlist Wars and the Casa Bayle, built in masonry and which is one of the main points of this city of Teruel, also stand out. Other points of interest are the Mirador de la Tarayuela, the Faldrija fountain or the banks of the river. Cantavieja. Regarding its cultural heritage, in this city of Teruel there is one of the most important Carlist museums in Spain, located in a 17th century house.
Gastronomy in Cantavieja
Cantavieja It also has a great gastronomic offer and a large number of restaurants where tourists can enjoy the best culinary offer in the area. Cheese and wine are the most consumed products in the area, while if you visit during these months the city classified as the most beautiful in Spain, you must order the ternasco de Aragón and the migas. The main places to pay a beautiful tribute to Cantavieja are the Balfagón Spa Hotel, the Posada, Tapavieja or the 4 Vientos restaurant. In each of them you can taste all the typical ingredients and dishes of the area.
