Oviedo, the capital of Asturias in northern Spain, offers a rare mix of medieval heritage and everyday life that feels rooted rather than staged. The city’s historic center is home to some of the oldest pre-Romanesque buildings in Europe, including the UNESCO-listed Santa María del Naranco and San Miguel de Lillo. These 9th-century structures, set on a green hillside just outside the city, were once part of a royal retreat and are still visited today for their stone carvings, slender columns, and mountain views stretching to the Picos de Europa.

Walking through Oviedo’s old quarter, travelers encounter quiet plazas, bronze statues, and baroque facades that hint at the city’s past as a religious and political center. The Gothic-style Catedral de San Salvador has drawn pilgrims for centuries, as it’s an important stop on the Camino de Santiago. Inside, a small chamber called the Cámara Santa houses relics once carried into battle by Asturian kings, including the Sudarium of Oviedo.

Cider, not wine, defines the local table. Oviedo is surrounded by apple orchards, and the traditional drink, sidra natural, is poured from a height by skilled escanciadores to aerate the liquid. It’s common to order a bottle in a sidrería and watch as each glass is poured dramatically and consumed immediately. Alongside the cider, diners enjoy hearty Asturian dishes such as fabada (a slow-cooked bean stew with chorizo and morcilla) and cachopo, a breaded veal cutlet layered with ham and cheese that fills an entire plate.