Discover Tirgo: Romanesque Art, Wine Routes and Local History

Tirgo invites you to discover a place shaped by Romanesque art, medieval traces and wine-growing landscapes. The Iglesia de El Salvador represents the town’s historical focal point: it is a late Romanesque building dating from the end of the 12th or the beginning of the 13th century. A close look at the architecture and landscape combines different ways of experiencing the town.

Culture and History

The church has a nave divided into three bays, pointed barrel vaults, a semicircular apse and three round-arched windows richly decorated with carved work.

The historic ensemble of the town includes stone manor houses with coats of arms dating from the 17th and 18th centuries.

Two Romanesque portals complete the church’s appearance: the main portal is on the south side, while another is on the west side. Its current location may not be the original one.

A monastery dedicated to Santa María de Tirgo is documented at the church’s present location or in its immediate vicinity since 978; it was probably a religious building from the period of repopulation. Beneath Tirgo’s square lies an early medieval necropolis with graves below the Romanesque church building.

Local celebrations dedicated to El Salvador, including performances of old Austrigonian dances, are scheduled in Tirgo for 6 August.

Routes and Landscape

The Riberas del Oja-Tirón wine trail between Casalarreina and Tirgo is 8.40 kilometres long and is suitable for hiking or mountain biking. The route passes through river landscapes and cultivated areas where cereal crops and vineyards stand out.

The Bajo Oja-Tirón circular route through Cuzcurrita de Río Tirón, Sajazarra and Tirgo can be started in Tirgo, is 18.14 kilometres long and is suitable for hiking or mountain biking.

The two routes can be compared in terms of length, course and type of activity. The shorter route and the longer circular route represent two different time scales while retaining their shared focus on hiking and mountain biking. Those who wish to view the landscape over a more compact distance will find a different route length compared with the circular route through the three named towns.

Wine

Bodegas Tarón offers a guided winery tour with a commented tasting of three wines and an aperitif. The winery also has a wine bar where its own wines are served with a selection of tapas and gourmet products. The wine experience therefore ranges from an accompanied tasting to pairing the winery’s own wines with selected dishes.

If you are looking for a holiday apartment in Tirgo, compare travel dates, room categories and cancellation policies on the offer pages. Culture, routes, landscape and wine offer different focal points; you can tailor their weighting to your own travel dates and interests.

Other places: Albelda De Iregua, El Cortijo, Berceo, Las Ruedas De Ocón, Zarratón, Arnedillo, Panzares, Villarejo

Tirgo took over a three-kilometre section of the N-232A road after more than one million euros had been invested in adapting the road for pedestrian traffic.

For the higher-level travel overview: La Rioja.