Cuenca, chief town of its province and the see of a bishop, is magnificently situated on the steep rocky slopes of the Serranía de Cuenca above the deep valleys of the Río Júcar and the Río Huécar. It is one of the most picturesque of Spain's old medieval towns, famous for its Casas Colgadas ("Hanging Houses").
History
This was the Roman Conca, which later fell into the hands of the Visigoths and then of the Moors, from whom it was liberated by Alfonso VIII in 1177. Thereafter it enjoyed special privileges as a frontier town and became the headquarters of the knightly Order of Santiago.
The Monasterio de Uclés was the nerve center of the knightly Order of Santiago. The refectory contains a beautiful paneled ceiling with portraits in carved medallions.
From Uña there is a more arduous excursion on a road which runs east and then north to Tragacete (35km/22mi), from which it is another 12km/ 7.5mi to the Nacimiento del Cuervo, the source of the Río Cuervo. The effort is rewarded, however, by the beauty of the spring, with the water emerging from moss-covered caves and tumbling over rocks into a pool.
The old town of Cuenca has preserved much of its medieval aspect, with handsome old mansions sporting the arms of the noble families to whom they once belonged.
From the "Enchanted City" a road goes north and then east to Uña, with a viewpoint (mirador) from which there are fine views of the Río Júcar and the artificial lake of La Toba.
Near the Hanging Houses is the Museo de Cuenca or Museo Arqueológico, which displays antiquities from the surrounding area. Among the most notable exhibits are a marble head of Lucius Caesar (A.D. first C.), a reconstruction of a Roman kitchen, Iberian dolls and other Roman and Visigothic items.
Address: Museum of Cuenca, Obispo Valero 6, E-16001 Cuenca, Spain
Hours:
10am-2pm, 4pm-7pm; Closed: Mon
Always closed on: New Year's Day (January 1), Castile and Leon Day - Spain (April 23), Christmas - Christian (December 25), Day after Christmas, St Stephen's Day, Boxing Day (December 26)
Northwest of the Plaza Mayor is the church of San Miguel, standing high above the gorge of the Río Júcar, which has a Mudéjar ceiling. Not far away is the octagonal church of San Pedro and further north the remains of the castle.
The museum offers displays on a variety of science related topics, including astronomy and evolution.
Address: Cuenca Science Museum, Plaza de la Merced 1, Cuenca , Spain
Hours:
10am-2pm, 4pm-7pm; Closed: Mon
Always closed on: New Year's Day (January 1), San Mateo Feast and Grape Harvest - Spain (September 20~25), Christmas - Christian (December 25), Good Friday - Christian
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Casas Colgadas
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Enchanted City, Cuenca
Casas Colgadas, Cuenca
Cuenca
