by Asturias is a place of mossy silence and the sea light, where mountains suddenly rise from the sea. The culture and landscape of the region are deeply connected – their old rivers are still used to cool bottles of the famous local cider on warm summer days.
Asturias remains a mystery to a large part of the world, but it is very lively in Spanish imagination. Traces of the region’s Celtic heritage reflects its traditions, music and mythology and give it an unmistakable identity. The northern kingdom of Asturia was the only part of today’s Spain to successfully resist Muslim conquering of the 8th century. In 1934, the miners organized an uprising that was destroyed in a brutal approach that predicted Franco’s dictatorship. Today, the region is estimated as a milder refuge on a peninsula that is sunk through the climate crisis: a recently carried out survey showed that Spaniard Asturias regarded the most popular part of its country.
But the rest of the world catches up. Last spring, a high -speed railway line opened and connected the big cities of Oviedo and Gijón to Madrid in about three hours. His small airport, which had no international flight routes in 2018, has now threatened the ghost of upourism. Airbnb is not as important as in other parts of Spain and quickly colonizes houses here. From 2023 to 2024, Gijón and Oviedo recorded the sharpest increase in vacation rentals in Spain – an increase of 85.5% or 56.4%, according to the Tourism Association Exceltur.
All apple wine producers in Asturias are family -owned, some pursue their descent for eight generations
Another long-awaited development of the recent inscription of the Asturian apple wine culture in the intangible cultural heritage list of the UNESCO-indicates visitors to combine with the region, which includes sustainability, gastronomy, landscape and culture. Asturian Cider (Sidra) is far from cider that were manufactured elsewhere. The experience of drinking Sidra is as intense as its sharp taste. It is poured from a bottle over your head and cascaded into a glass in a inclined glass in a waist. The golden electricity must be used up immediately – chug in a quick movement before the ventilated molecules lose their phrase. The tradition dictated that a splash was thrown on the floor on the ground – a rustic form of disinfection before they share the glass.
“Although we have records about cider that go back 1,000 years, the culture is very alive, so
García Álvarez, who led the drive to bring Asturian cider to the UNESCO list, explains that, like many of the great culinary traditions in the world, it bloomed out of necessity. While other Spain regions of Spain also have the tiple, isolated geography of Asturias from the vineyards of Rioja or Ribera del Duero and the levels with which grain had grown for beer. Beer and wine were expensive and cider gave rise to their place.
“It is a luxury product at prices of the working class,” says García Álvarez. All apple wine producers in Asturias are family -owned, some pursue their descent for eight generations. The Asturian apple wine label contains strict requirements: only local apples and specific, mostly traditional methods are acceptable. The product is extremely sustainable and even the glass bottles are reused – some are still used in today Sidrerías (Traditional cider restaurants) have been in circulation for more than 50 years. The entire process is manual and yet a bottle in a restaurant only costs about € 3 or 4 €.
Perhaps there is no better place to learn about Asturian cider than the area that receives the English name of the apple wine, less than an hour’s drive from Oviedo or Gijón, when the name Tolkiensque images conjures up happily hobbits that is simple life in the middle of bucolian landscapes, not far from the truth. The six districts of Cider Shire develop over mountain peaks, lush valleys and untouched beaches.
It has only 28,000 inhabitants, but every street and every way seems to lead to a discovery, such as: In spring you can roll down your car window to drink flowers in the scent of flowers. You can research more slowly with a huge network of hiking trails.
Asturias’ fishing villages are the stuff of fairy tales. As a resident of Oviedo, I consider Tazones as my happy place. Not a day comparable to one that has spent to walk along the quiet mouth of Villaviciosa, flanked by eucalyptus trees and the wild Atlantic before driving to the fishing village for a long lunch with seafood. Its main street is lined with exquisite route SidreríasAnd if I can, I choose those with a sea view.
Exquisite fits the cider with fresh seafood, including seasonal specialties such as sea urchins and perception (Gänse -Scheunen). It is also divine with sausages, including Jamón Ibéricoits beef alternative Cecina de LeónAnd one of the 40 types of cheese from Asturias, the explosive blue Cabales. Earthy stews – Fabada or Pete Asturiano – – Or that fails Cachopo Schnitzel also adds cider. But be warned: If you consume the immense parts that are operated, you will feel as helled as the cider itself. In a welcome development, alcohol and alcohol and cider has also launched. It can be found in the strange Chigre (The Asturian name for A Sidrería).
Asturias’ fishing villages are the stuff of fairy tales. No day is compared to one that she spent along the river mouth before going to Tazones for a long lunch for seafood
Lastres, another coastal stone east, is a place with steep hills and amazing views. Every round of the medieval roads offers a fresh insight into the cozy bay. With restaurants such as Casa Eutimio, La Botica and La Rula, which serve the freshest fish, you may also want to try a glass of Albariño – a light white wine from neighboring Galicia. Nearby you also have some of the best beaches of Cider Shire, Playa La Griega and Playa de la Isla.
The mountain peaks of the Cider Shire offer extensive panoramas, while its land cities have calm authenticity. Torazu stands out below them. This beautiful village is a place of Hórreos – Elegant, increased wooden -grade values - and traditional houses in bright colors. But Torazu also offers a touch of luxury: a four-star hotel with a spa and near two remarkable restaurants. Los Llaureles serves tasting menus that reinterpret local flavors, while Amada Carlota, a Japanese restaurant with a view of the mountain, feels somehow at home.
The two largest cities of Nava and Villaviciosa are of the fascinating history, infused by cider and have some of the best traditional restaurants in the region. In Nava’s historical neighborhood, barrels and signs that announce its connection to cider are not to be missed. It is the home of the Cider Museum and Plaza Chigris. It serves the smooth Prau Monga, which was produced by Viuda de Angelón, one of many cider manufacturers who offer tours and tastings (on request on request).
The cider is a social drink that should ideally be consumed within one year so that it is never obtained and is often shared at EspichasRauberliche meetings in which the food is plentiful and barrels are broken down to celebrate everything from a wedding to the cider itself.
“In Asturias, people are known for their hospitality and inclusiveness, and cider is associated with this,” says García Álvarez. “Maybe strangers do not offer them a glass of wine, but they quickly offer one Culín [a glass of cider]. “”
Since he was a child who played in Villaviciosa in his family’s apple plantations, apple wine has been his heart. “I was interested in cider from my family. My father was a miner, but always passionate for rural life,” he says. “We had a lot of apple trees and his dream was always to produce cider on an industrial scale. But he died in an accident when he was 36 years old.”
The professor interwoven his love for cider in his academic life, wrote a thesis about his cultural history and spent 20 years to ensure that his father’s drink has gained the recognition he deserves.
Thanks to the UNESCO, the researchers will now have more funds to deeper, to explore the probiotic potential of the drink (Attention, Kombucha), to follow and examine its history, such as those who drink it, with Asturian culture and the landscape that supports it – hopefully for many other generations.
