Oviedo: Art, History and Trails

The Museo de Bellas Artes de Asturias spans a broad period: it houses 15,000 works from the 14th to the 21st century. It is located in buildings dating from the 16th to the 21st century next to the cathedral in the historic centre of Oviedo. A visit to the Conjunto Catedralicio includes the cathedral interior, the Cámara Santa, the Museo de la Iglesia and the cloister; the complete visit takes approximately one hour.

Culture and History

The Museo Arqueológico de Asturias is located in the former 16th-century Benedictine monastery of San Vicente. It presents stages of cultural development from prehistory to the beginning of the Early Modern period. The museum also includes a room dedicated to interpreting Asturian World Heritage sites, including prehistoric caves with rock art and the monuments of the Kingdom of Asturias.

Those wishing to organise the cultural themes can distinguish between the collection, the cathedral complex, archaeology and individual buildings. La Foncalada is the only example of a pre-Romanesque secular building in an urban setting. Santa María del Naranco is considered the most significant building of European pre-Romanesque art, while San Miguel de Lillo is regarded as an outstanding example of the sculptural decoration of pre-Romanesque or Asturian art. Oviedo is also an important reference point on the Camino de Santiago Primitivo.

If you include a holiday apartment in Oviedo in your travel plans, you can compare travel dates, accommodation type and cancellation conditions on booking pages. Cultural and landscape highlights represent different themes for the trip.

The Día de América en Asturias has taken place every year on 19 September since it was first held in 1950. It is a folklore and parade of floats in which both Asturian culture and the cultures of Latin American countries to which Asturians have traditionally emigrated take centre stage.

Trails and Landscape

The old town of Oviedo is largely designed for pedestrian traffic, making it easier to walk between the historic sights. The Vía Verde de Fuso is an easy, accessible and fully paved route that can be used on foot, by bicycle or on inline skates. It begins in Parque de Invierno and ends at Balneario Real de Las Caldas.

Following a former railway line, the Vía Verde de Fuso passes through tunnels, by trees, old railway stations and mills, and through a river landscape. The surface and mode of transport, like the time indications mentioned, provide independent points of comparison for your personal planning. Monte Naranco rises to over 600 metres and can be climbed on foot in just over an hour.

Other Places

Santo Medero, Nava, Santianes, La Manjoya, Villapérez, Siones, Cortina, Faro

For the higher-level travel overview: Oviedo.