| The remote and rural province
of Teruel in north-east Spain formas part of the Region of Aragon. It borders
with the provinces of Cuenca, Valencia,
Castellón, Tarragona,
Zaragoza and Guadalajara, and thanks to the vast improvements made to its road
infrastructure in recent years, more and more people driving between northern
and southern Spain pass through Teruel so as to avoid travelling via Madrid. The
main national roads to and from Catalonia, Castilla La Mancha and Valencia (N420,
N33O and the N234) all cross in Teruel capital city. The province measures
14,808 km² and with a population of just 140,771, Teruel has the second lowest
density of population in the whole of Spain (Soria has the lowest). A quarter
of all inhabitants live in the capital city of Teruel, the rest in the 236 small
towns and villages scattered around the province some of which seem to belong
to the last century (see Albarracin).
The scenery throughout the Province of Teruel is rural Spain at its most impressive
- high, majestic mountains and green lush valleys and dry plains in the North. The climate in Teruel is one of extremes.
Temperatures can reach 40ºC in the dry Summer months, and drop to as low
as -19ºC in Winter. The main industries are grain farming, tourism, mining
and pig farming to produce the famous serran ham, Jamón de Teruel.
The province has two ski resorts which are very popular with skiers in the Winter
months, and cheaper than many of the resorts in Northern Spain.
Teruel
capital city
Teruel is Spain's smallest provincial capital, with just
35,000 inhabitants. Occupied by Arabs during the Moor occupation of Spain, its
streets still retain much of the architectural styles of that period. Liberated
by Alfonso II in the 12th century, Teruel became a center of Mudejar art (a style
influenced by Islamic tradition and more contemporary European arquitectural styles,
notable Gothic). In 1986 the UNESCO declared the remarkable Mudejar architecture
in Teruel and other parts of Aragon a World Heritage Site. The confluence
of the rivers Guadalaviar y Alfambra is found in Teruel. Fiestas in Teruel.
The Patron Saint of Teruel is St. Christopher and the local fiestas are celebrated
on the Sunday nearest to St. Christopher's Day (10th July). Fiestas are also organized
to commemorate the famous Lovers of Teruel (see below), and the Easter Week processions
in Teruel are also worth seeing. The Legend of Teruel's Lovers This
famous legend goes as follows. At the beginning of the 13th century two young
children, Juan Diego de Marcilla and Isabel de Segura who had always been best
friends realised they were deeply in love. Juan Diego asked Isabel's father for
her hand in marriage, but he refused because he claimed that Juan would not be
able to properly support his daughter. He gave the young man 5 years to go and
make his fortune with The Crusades, and meanwhile tried to pursuade Isabel to
marry a more powerful and richer suitor. She resisted until the final year when,
convinced that Juan would not return, she agreed and her father arrange for the
wedding to take place on last day of the five years. Afterwards Juan Diego returned
and managed to see Isabel. He asked her for a kiss, but she refused saying that
she was now a married woman at which he dropped dead. The next day during his
funeral, a woman in black approached Juan Diego's coffin to give him the kiss
she had denied him when he was alive. Isabel kissed her love and fell dead at
the feet of the coffin. Visitors can visit the the Mausoleum of Teruel’s Lovers
next to the Church of San Pedro.
What to visit in Teruel - Cathedral:
Wonderful 12th century Mudejar construction and probably the most emblematic
feature of Teruel
- San Francisco Convent: Build in 1391 with tapestries
from the seventeeth century
- Mausoleo de los Amantes: Built last
century by Juan de Avalos next to San Pedro, the mausoleum where supposedly the
remains of the lovers were laid to rest
- Torre del Salvador: The
best conserved mudejar tower in the city. Other towers worth seeing are the Torre
San Martín, which is the oldest, and the Torre San Pedro next
to the church of the same name
- Dinopolis: a new dinosaur/cultural
theme park with an interesting "Jurassic Route" explaining the history
of dinosaurs, museum with fossils, 3D cinema and a meteorite. Ideal for families
with small children
Restaurants in Teruel City: La Menta, traditional
classical Teruel cuisine; La Tierreta, traditional and innovative cuisine,
good value for money; El Milagro, popular with locals, traditional dishes. Tapas
bars in Teruel: Los Juncos, Ramón y Cajal, modest bar serving excellent
Basque-style tapas; Taberna de Rokelin, Joaquin Costa, 33, serrano ham and local
embutidos. Restaurants in the province of Teruel: El Batán
in Tramacastilla, traditional and creative cuisine, recognised as one of
the best restaurants in the province; Buj in Cantavieja, another
excellent restaurant only open from July to October, food served from some of
Spain's best up-and-coming chefs who are still being taught during termtime at
some of the best Catalan chef schools. Only open at lunchtime, traditional and
creative cuisin; Meseguer in Alcañiz, traditional cuisine
served in very generous portions; Portal del Carmen in Rubielos de Mora
- if you are looking for traditional rural Spanish cooking, this is the place
for you. Small restaurant, traditional with some modern touches in the Summer
months tables are set outside in the terrace of the former monastary. Hotels
in Teruel City : Parador
Hotel***, click for full review; Reina Cristina***, in the old
quarter, recently reformed, good restaurant; Suite Camarena Plaza*** new
hotel on the outskirts, ideally located for families visiting Dinopolis. Hotels
in Teruel Province: Husa Hospedería La Iglesuela del Cid**** in La Iglesuela
del Cid, lovely 13th-century small palace converted into an excellent hotel
with 35 rooms and 1 suite; Caserón de la Fuente** in Albarracín,
a modest hotel set in a 200-year old former flour mill on the bank of the River
Guadalaviar, 14 comfortable rooms tastefully decorated; Parador of Alcañiz***
in Alcañiz, beautiful 13th-century castle and convent with all the
usual parador
trimmings; El Cresol de Calaceite in Calaceite, a 13th-century oil mill
beautifully rennovated with just 2 double rooms and 3 suites; .jpg) Other
places of interest in the Province of Teruel.
Albarracín:
Unique village of breathtaking beauty hidden in the Sierra de Albarracín.
For more information see this brief Guide
to Albarracin and also these photos
of Albarracin. Alcañiz: Beautiful town declared an
Art and Historical Monument. The Easter Week celebrations and processions held
here are famous all over Spain and attract thousands of visitors each year. In
the old quarter of the town there is a network of underground tunnels which used
to link all the main buildings in the Medieval city and have been recently opened
to visitors. They can be accessed via the Tourist Information Office. The Plaza
de España is a wonderful square flanked by the Town Hall and the Church
Santa María both with impressive façades. .jpg) Cantavieja:
Wonderful village with just 760 inhabitants with some beautiful buildings: The
Town Hall is a 13-century Palace, Iglesia San Miguel, a gothic church; Iglesia
Parroquial, 17th-century barroque style. The square, Plaza de Cristo Rey, is one
of the most stunning in the whole province of Teruel.
Manzanera:
Village set in a beautiful area of rural Teruel, surrounded by hills, rivers,
springs and rich vegetation. Perfect for relaxing. Mirambel: Small
pretty town with several renaissance and barroque-style buildings Mora
de Rubielos: Popular with skiers Rubielos de Mora: Incredibly
beautiful village with wonderful monuments, small palaces, a convent and a impressive
tower belonging to the wall which used to surround the town. .jpg) Mosqueruela:
Just a 20km drive from Cantavieja, a magical walled village. The gates of the
wall and the main church, Iglesia de Nuestra Sra. de la Asunción, date
from Medieval times, between 12th and 14th centuries, and the church
Puertomingalvo:
Pretty medieval village very near the border of the Region of Valencia. | 
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