The stunning city of Cuenca - day trip from Madrid (Cuenca)

Member Name: ms_memory

Product:	Cuenca
Date:	07/11/08 (83 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Rich in culture and tradition, impressive architecture and idyllic scenery

Disadvantages: Can get very hot in summer and very crowded in the run-up to Easter; no beach!

Situated not far from Don Quixote country, more or less halfway between Valencia (approx. 206 km) and Madrid (180 km), Cuenca (Spanish for 'basin') is perched high up on a striking plateau between the rivers Júcar and Huécar. While the modern part of the town is mainly made up of your average 20th century Spanish urban sprawl, the walled old town, with its incredibly steep and winding lanes, stunning views over the nearby countryside and one of-a-kind casas colgadas ('hanging houses') is a UNESCO world heritage site and a candidate for European Capital of Culture
2016.

A typical day trip would include a climb up to the old town to marvel at the casas colgadas. They appear to be clinging on for dear life to a cliff face and look as though they might plunge into the valley below at any moment but are, believe it or not, still inhabited. This could be followed by a peek at (and a drink at) the local parador, a lovingly preserved inn where the Spanish crown prince and his bride spent their wedding night a couple of years ago. (Rumour has it that a bomb scare was staged to get rid of the 'civilian' wedding party that was already in there so that Their Highnesses could enjoy their evening in peace). The old town also houses a museum of abstract art and the Fundación Antonio Peréz, which hosts a collection of modern art and 'found objects' arranged in such a way that their creator's quirky humour shines through. Tasty cuisine, particularly seafood, can be found on the main square near the cathedral, while tapas bars are dotted around both the new and old parts of the city. The manchego cheese is not to be missed!

Cuenca can be absolutely baking hot in the summer, and since there's no coastal breeze to take the edge off the heat, the best times for visiting are spring and autumn. Semana santa (the week leading up to Easter) is fiesta time here, with crowds lining the streets day and night to watch the conquenses (residents of Cuenca) enact traditional hooded penitents' processions. The idea is that people can repent for their sins without being recognised and subsequently gossiped about by nosy neighbours. Nowadays it's a social as well as a religious event, with what seems like most of the city's families turning out on their allocated evenings, carrying candles and dressed somewhat eerily in robes with only their eyes visible through their head coverings. This can seem pretty disconcerting to the uninitiated, but the presence of small children and even babies sporting mini robes or other religious outfits lends the whole scene more of a cutesy element than was originally intended. Good Friday sees a deafening drum procession at dawn, which attracts a less religious crowd already tanked up on red wine and resolí, the region's coffee liqueur, by the time the sun rises. On Easter Sunday huge statues of Mary and Jesus 'dance' in the street as a flock of white doves is released to celebrate the Resurrection. If you're there during semana santa be sure to try seasonal torrijas - a kind of sweet French toast marinated in either wine and honey or milk and cinnamon. The city is usually flooded with visitors from near and far during the festivities and seems to be getting more popular year by year, so accommodation needs to be booked well in advance.

September/October is another part of the year worth making the trip, if only to witness the foliage in and around Cuenca burst into autumnal colour and to eat juicy figs plucked straight from the tree. This is the perfect season for walking the many trails around the outskirts of the city. About 35km away is the Ciudad Encantada, or Enchanted City - a series of bizarre, almost gravity-defying rock formations sculpted by water, wind and ice.

Summary: Well worth a day trip or longer visit, especially before Easter or in early autumn