Five Reasons to Visit Cuenca

Cuenca was probably the place I waffled on visiting the most while planning my central Spain trip. Right up to the day of, I was unsure whether or not I would purchase a ticket. I did and I'm so glad - it ended up being one of my favorite spots in Spain! Here are five reasons you should include a Cuenca day trip on your Spain itinerary:

1. It's easier than ever to visit

While Cuenca is located about 100 miles southeast of Madrid, for years, the only train to get there was local and slow - taking about 3 hours. (Not ideal for a day trip.) High-speed AVE service is now offered on the line from Madrid to Valencia, thanks to the construction of a modern train station outside the city. And while the city buses still don't seem to be synced to train arrival times (as they are in most touristy cities in Spain), the bus that stops at the station will take you to the historic center, no transfer necessary. The bus takes about 30 minutes to go from the flat countryside to the touristic area, but even the modern city has its own charm as you drive through.

2. The dramatic Casas Colgadas

I first learned about Cuenca from Pinterest - photos of its medieval buildings hanging from a sheer cliff face immediately caught my eye. And while the famous Casas are made up of just a few buildings, they are pretty dramatic in person as well. The adjacent bridge offers a great place to snap pictures of them. (In some places, like Segovia, you have to hike far out of the way to get that iconic angle - not the case here!)

3. The quirky cathedral

Our Lady of Grace and Saint Julian is a Spanish cathedral, similar in many ways to the dozens of others you'll see on your trip. However, a few things set this one apart. It's one of the oldest examples of Gothic architecture in Spain, with construction starting in 1196. The Gothic style was due to Alonso VIII of Castile's marriage to Eleanor of England, who brought her Norman courtiers along. The facade was destroyed in a lightning strike in 1902, tragically killing several children. Some writers claim the Holy Grail was hidden here and that architecture and sculptures of the building reflect passages from the book of Revelations and ties to the Knights Templar. There are also some carvings of animals unknown to medieval Spain, thanks to the "discovery" of the New World in 1492.        

4. The incredible views

Muslim forces were the first to recognize the strategic value of Cuenca's rivers, hills, and gorges, and built a fortress atop of of its hills in the 700s. The city was ceded back to the Spanish by a treaty after Aragonese forces failed to take it in battle. For about 200 years, the city changed hands - typically by treaty rather than siege. If you climb up the hill from the center of town, you'll arrive at the ruins of the fortress - continue just beyond the city walls to get incredible views of the Casa Colgadas, Puente de San Pablo, and the old convent that now serves as a Parador, across the ravine.

5. The local color

Despite its small size, Cuenca is a great place for art. The Casas Colgadas host an abstract art museum and the cathedral's treasury has a surprising number of interesting pieces, including a couple of El Greco's. Around town, you'll find a few colorful bits of street art and local souvenir stores offer some pretty neat prints and paintings (just be sure to buy a favorite piece when you see it - many of the shops close midday).