Authentic Spain (Cuenca). Cuenca - a city hanging over an abyss Holidays in Cuenca

View of picturesque Cuenca, Spain (Photo© joan aguilar / www.flickr.com / Licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0)

Why go to Cuenca?

Cuenca is one of the most interesting cities in Spain. Its new part is an unremarkable area with new buildings. However, behind its hills, where the ancient center is located, you can see various buildings erected in the Middle Ages. Of greatest interest are the hanging houses, which resemble swallow nests attached to the surface of the rocks. The city has prepared many other unique surprises for tourists that will definitely make them return to the sunny town again.

What to see in Cuenca?

Museum of Spanish Abstract Art (Museo español de arte abstracto). Walking through the center of Cuenca, you can see a huge number of ancient buildings that give the place a medieval atmosphere. However, it is here that the Museum of Modern Art is located, which contains works of abstractionists of the 50-60s of the 20th century. The museum building itself is also of interest - it is one of the hanging houses. Opening hours: 11:00-14:00 and 16:00-18:00 Tue-Fri, 11:00-14:00 and 16:00-20:00 Sat, 11:00-14:30 Sun .

HangingHouses(Las casas colgadas). They are one of the remarkable elements of the medieval part of the city. The hanging houses, precariously positioned at first glance, jut out over the gorge where the Huécar River flows. Built in the 16th century, they seem to look out from the rock, while being an organic continuation of it.

MuseumCuenca(El Museo De La Ciudad De Cuenca). All exhibits presented in its halls have documentary evidence in Spanish. The age of the finds ranges from the Bronze Age to the 18th century. Here you can also see sculptures made by Roman masters, among which is the statue of Emperor Augustus. Cuenca, st. Obispo Valero, 6. Opening hours: 10:00-14:00 and 16:00-19:00 Tue.-Sat., 11:00-14:00 Sun.

Historic Walled Town of Cuenca. A visit to the historical part of the city will allow you to enjoy amazing views of the city and its surroundings. During your walk, be sure to try the local cuisine and homemade wine.

Plaza Mayor de Cuenca. Small in size, but much larger than others in the city, the square where the cathedral is located. Most tourist routes begin from this place - to the hanging houses, the ruins of the fortress and the gorge. Those wishing to refresh themselves can visit the cafes or souvenir shops located here.

Sendero Hoz de Alarcon. There is a tourist route here, during which you can admire the walls of Alarcón. The amazing nature also deserves attention. For the convenience of tourists, there are two trails, one of which tourist groups travel in summer, and the other in winter. Cuenca, Alarcon.

Arte Urbano del Barrio de San Anton. Having visited the urban area of ​​San Anton, you can notice unusual murals of quite high quality, and some of them can rightfully be called works of art. In addition, they are made in different styles.

Plaza de la Merced. This is one of several squares in the city. Its size is quite modest, but it is made in a traditional style, which makes it very beautiful and stylish. It also allows you to get acquainted with the traditional design of Spanish towns.

What to do in Cuenca?

Admire the picturesqueParqueNaturaldelaSerraniade. In this natural park, the main attractions are the stones, which, under the influence of atmospheric phenomena, have taken on bizarre shapes. In some of them you can see an elephant, a crocodile or a sea of ​​stones.

Walk along the San Pablo Bridge. It is a place visited by newlyweds, who leave many padlocks. On one side you can see a small sculpture of a man with a lamb.

Experience the charm of Cuenca Cathedral. It began to be built back in the 12th century, but its main feature is that white stone was used during construction. Subsequently, a façade was added to it, upon inspection of which many notice the influence of Italian architecture.

Walk along the popular Hoz del Huecar route. There are many hiking trails in Cuenca, and you can always choose the most suitable route. In summer it is quite hot here, so you need to take a supply of water with you.

Look inVmuseumMuseo de las Ciencias de Castilla la Mancha en Cuenca (MuseumSciences). Its halls house several exhibitions dedicated to space exploration, geology and history.

VisitmuseumMuseo Fundacion Antonio Perez. This contemporary art museum is located in an ancient monastery, which is also of interest to history buffs. Its halls display works by contemporary artists - Andy Warhol and O'Gallop. In the shop located here you can buy souvenirs or books in Spanish.

Visit the Museum of Religious Art. It is located relatively close to the main square of the city. Despite its small size, it houses quite interesting exhibits, including a painting by El Greco.

Visit the Museum of Paleontology. It will be interesting for both adults and children to visit it. Here you can see the remains of dinosaurs and other creatures that lived in prehistoric times.

What and where to eat and drink?

Restaurant Trivio. There are quite a few restaurants in Cuenca, but Trivio is one of the best. Here you can try a variety of local dishes. Local wine would be an excellent accompaniment to lamb or squid. Average check: 15 euros.

Restaurant Olea Comedor. After visiting various attractions, you can have a good dinner in this cafe. Visitors are also offered a wine list. Average check: 9 euros.

RestaurantRestaurante Convento de San Pablo. In this restaurant, visitors can try a variety of dishes, but the greatest interest is in its furnishings - a ceiling made of natural wood, original lamps and beautifully decorated tables. It is also possible to dine outside, where there are small tables. Average check: 12 euros.

There are special fishing spots in Cuenca that you can go to if you follow the river bed.

When planning a walk through the labyrinth of city streets, you need to set aside at least 2-3 hours to fully enjoy the charm of the area.

View of picturesque Cuenca, Spain (Photo at top© joan aguilar / www.flickr.com / Licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0)

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Cuenca is the capital of the province of the same name in the Spanish autonomy of Castile-La Mancha in the center of the country. This is a small medieval town located at an altitude of 956 meters above sea level. It is famous for its “hanging houses” built right into the rocks.

Originally a Celtic settlement, it was later visited by the Romans, Moors and Arabs, all of whom influenced the history and culture of the city. In the Middle Ages, Cuenca flourished, and at the end of the 16th century it almost died from the plague. The city managed to preserve almost all of its medieval architecture, and today it lives on tourism.

The old part of Cuenca is located on a cliff surrounded by deep gorges, and in the city itself you can see castles, cathedrals, medieval palaces and other historical heritage. Despite all this wealth, Cuenca is a very small city, and one day is enough to explore it entirely.

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How to get there

Cuenca does not have its own airport; the closest ones are located in Madrid and Valencia.

From Madrid Trains from Madrid to Cuenca run frequently, with intervals of 30 minutes - 1.5 hours; the first departs at 6:08, the last at 21:15. Travel time is from 55 minutes to 3 hours, depending on the train. The fare is from 11.70 EUR one way. Prices on the page are for December 2019.

Avanza buses to Cuenca from Madrid depart from Estacion Sur station every 2 hours from 8:00 to 22:00. The journey takes about 2 hours, a ticket costs from 16 EUR one way.

From Valencia From Valencia to Cuenca, most trains are in the morning (from 6:30 to 10:40), there is usually one train in the afternoon, and two in the evening. You can get there in an hour, but there are regional trains that take 4 hours along a long route and with many stops. The fare costs almost the same - from 14.50 EUR one way.

Monbus buses from Valencia to Cuenca run 6 times a week (except Saturdays), and only one departure per day - at 11:45. Travel time is about 3 hours, fare is 17.23 EUR one way.

Search for flights to Madrid (closest airport to Cuenca)

Cuenca Hotels

There are about 80 hotels in Cuenca, most of them are located in the historic city center. Old center It is attractive because any attraction can be reached on foot. It is very beautiful and colorful here, especially since many hotels are located in former monasteries and other ancient buildings. There are also disadvantages: the rooms in such hotels are usually small, the buildings do not have elevators, and most of the center is closed to cars, and only taxis and special vehicles can travel there.

The most famous hotel in Cuenca is Parador de Cuenca 4*. It is located in a former monastery, the windows offer beautiful views of the old city, and the rooms have preserved medieval interior decoration as much as possible: wooden floors and beams, arched vaults, antique furniture, tapestries and knight's armor. On the territory there is a two-tiered courtyard with a round well, and in the arcades (side passages) there are soft armchairs and cabinets with old books. The cost of accommodation is from 120 EUR per day for a double room.

IN modern (lower) part In the city, hotels are concentrated along the Avenue of the Catholic Kings (Avenida de Los Reyes Catolicos) and near San Julian Park. It's not so colorful, but there are no problems with parking, the hotels are more modern, there are many shops and cafes. One of the inconveniences is that rooms with windows facing the avenue can be noisy.

Cuenca is not yet very popular among tourists, so hotel prices here are below the average for Spain. A room for two in a 4-star hotel will cost from 50 EUR per day, and a good “three ruble” in the center can be rented for 25-35 EUR per day for two.

Shopping in Cuenca

Cuenca has always been known for its artisans - weavers and jewelers, potters, woodcarvers and shoemakers. But the most important souvenir from this city is the straw hat “Sombrero de Paja Toquilla”, to which, by the way, there is a whole museum dedicated here.

You can buy this hat at the largest hat market in the country in Cuenca or directly at the Homero Ortega factory, where you can also see how these hats are made. It is best to choose one that easily folds in your hand and unfolds back. Prices start from 8 EUR, but there are entire works of art for several hundred.

Cuisine and restaurants

Cuenca is the homeland of hunters and shepherds, so the food in local restaurants and cafes is mostly hearty and high-calorie. They serve partridge (perdiz), gazpacho soup with croutons (las migas), as well as thick soups with cod and spinach, ajoariero (a dish made from cod and garlic) and trout, which is found in local rivers. The most famous local dessert is alajú - a sweet made from almonds, bread crumbs and honey, and as an aperitif they serve the local liqueur "El resoli" based on grape vodka with the addition of coffee beans, orange zest and cinnamon.

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Entertainment and attractions of Cuenca

The city is divided into two districts: “new” and “old”. The old town has remained virtually unchanged in appearance since the Middle Ages and is completely imbued with the spirit of this era. You should start your walk with central square Plaza Mayor. It is decorated with multi-colored facades with openwork forged balconies (on which, as we remember, residents watched executions in comfort), the San Pedro Monastery (Convento de San Pedro), and the center of this entire composition is the Gothic Cathedral Catedral de Santa Maria y San Julian de Cuenca, built between the 12th and 15th centuries on the site of an Arab mosque. It is believed to be the first cathedral in Spain. Today it houses the Tesoro Catedralisio Art Museum, where you can admire paintings by El Greco.

Cuenca is home to the first cathedral in Spain.

From Plaza Mayor you can stroll along Calle Obispo Valero to see another example of Gothic architecture - Church of San Miguel. The building is Catholic, but the Arabic patterns on the facades make it atypical.

Magnana Watchtower(Torre de Mangana) is also located in the Old Town. This is the little that remains of the destroyed fortress wall, erected by the Moors. The tower was once a watch fortification; now it has an observation deck, which offers a panoramic view of the city.

Saint Julian's Park(San Julian) is the oldest park in Cuenca (early 20th century). It is notable for the fact that there is no grass at all, only squares with trees, bushes and paths sprinkled with sand.

Hanging Houses of Cuenca

The "hanging" houses of Casas Colgadas are the architectural symbol of Cuenca. They are located on the south side of the Gothic cathedral and, like swallows' nests, are built right on the rock, above the cliff of the Huécar River. Previously, there were many more such houses, but in our time the Mermaid House (Casa de la Sirena) and the Royal Houses (Casas de Rey) have survived. The exact date of the construction of the buildings is unknown - it is believed that the houses date back to the 15th century. Since then, they have been completed several times, and were last restored in the 1920s. Then the houses were still residential, but now they house a restaurant and the Museum of Abstract Art, where the works of many famous abstract artists are presented: Eduardo Chillida, Antoni Tapies, etc.

6 things to do in Cuenca:

1. Go up to the Monument of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and look around the whole city.
2. Reflect on the eternal while strolling through St. Julian's Park.
3. Challenge yourself and cover 14 km of the Ruta-Turistika route on foot (or, in extreme cases, by bicycle).
4. Get lost in the labyrinth of narrow winding streets, sometimes leading uphill, sometimes leading steeply down.
5. From numerous observation platforms you can admire the views of the gorge and the surrounding area.
6. Drink water from the spring at the Ermita de Nuestra Senora de las Angustias monastery at the foot of the mountain.

Museums

In Cuenca, the Diaseano Museum is interesting, most of the exhibition of which is devoted to religion, and the Science Museum, located in a convent. Despite the ancient interiors, the museum uses the latest technologies, so it will be equally interesting to both young tourists and their parents. Models of “time machines” are especially popular among visitors of all ages. Also interesting is the History Museum, which tells about the strange and contradictory fate of the city.

Castles and other attractions

In Cuenca there are the ruins of an ancient Arab fortress. At the end of the 16th century, the Holy Inquisition was located here; in the 19th century, the citadel was destroyed by French soldiers. Only one tower, two blocks of stones and an arch that served as the entrance and exit from the Old Town have survived to this day.

In the vicinity of the city there is the 15th century Belmonte Castle near the village of the same name. It was built by order of King Enrique IV, who hid his illegitimate daughter here, and has survived to this day almost in its original form. Today the castle houses a museum where you can look at the furniture and decoration of the 19th century castle, which was preserved by Empress Eugenia de Guzman.

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Also not far from the city are the Roman ruins of Segobride from the 2nd century BC. e., the town of El Tobosso, the “homeland” of Dulcinea of ​​Tobosso, the heroine of Cervantes’s novel. There is even a museum dedicated to the fictional, but no less famous “compatriot,” as well as a museum of her creator.

Today we present you an article on the topic: “attractions of Cuenca” with a full description of where to go and what to see. We also offer interesting comments from travelers.

The medieval city of Cuenca in Spain is a place considered by many to be the most beautiful in the country. Built on rocks, Cuenca enchants and offers visitors many discoveries.

If you come to Valencia or Madrid, try to find time to visit the picturesque city hanging over the abyss.

Cuenca is not just a medieval museum. It is the capital of the province of the same name, part of the autonomous community of Castile la Mancha.

The town is unique in its location: located on a hill in the middle of a deep gorge. On both sides, bizarre rocks are washed by the rivers Jucar and Huecar.

According to historians, Cuenca was founded at the beginning of our era. Then the ancient Celts lived in this place, choosing it because of its favorable location. From the height of the rocks there was an excellent overview of the surroundings, and the enemy could not go unnoticed.

Over time, the city was captured by the Arabs, who gave it its name, and in 1177 Christians, led by Alfonso VIII, entered Cuenca. Therefore, like many Spanish cities, it represents a combination of different architectural styles.

Over its long history, the town has experienced both ups and downs.

In the 16th century, it was hit by a plague epidemic. Then natural disasters, religious strife, economic crisis.

But in the 20th century, tourists began to come to Cuenca, which marked the beginning of development.

Since 1996, this is a unique place under UNESCO protection.

Despite the modest size of the town, it surprises with the abundance of attractions.

The hallmark of the building is the hanging houses, which in Spanish are called Casas Colgadas. Located in the old town behind the cathedral, they seem to grow out of the mountains and look very colorful.

Nowadays, the houses that hang over the city like swallows' nests house local historical monuments, as well as a restaurant.

But besides them, there is something to see in Cuenca.

There is freedom here for photographers and artists, and while walking along the narrow streets it is worth seeing famous tourist sites:

The most popular exhibit in the city of stones is Tormo Alto, a natural monument in the form of a giant mushroom.

The museums of Cuenca are also worth visiting. Here are three recommended for visiting:

• Museo de Cuenca with archaeological finds;
• painting museum, located in the Mermaid House floating above the abyss;
• museum dedicated to the animal world of the autonomy .

The tourist is left with a difficult choice of how to see so many interesting things in one day.

Cuenca (Spain) – the most detailed information about the city with photos. The main attractions of Cuenca with descriptions, guides and maps.

Cuenca is a city in Spain in the autonomy of Castile-La Mancha. Located between the gorges of the Jucar and Huecar rivers, slightly east of the geographical center of the country. Cuenca is one of the most beautiful medieval cities in Spain, the historical center of which is located on a picturesque rocky plateau and is included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Thanks to its old cobbled streets and ancient architecture, Cuenca has perfectly preserved its historical atmosphere, and the famous houses hanging above the cliffs and seeming to grow out of them create a simply magical sight. This place is ideal for wandering the ancient streets, with picturesque alleys, fascinating historical monuments and fabulous views at almost every turn.

The city of Cuenca is located slightly north of the geographical center of the autonomy, halfway between Madrid and Valencia. It is divided into two parts: the Old and New Town. The historical center is located on a rocky cliff bordering the gorge of the Jucar River in the north and its tributary the Huécar River in the south. The city center is located at an altitude of 997 meters above sea level. The climate is Mediterranean continental. Summers are hot and dry, winters are cool with rare negative temperatures.

Best time to visit: April-June and September-October.

1. Population – 54.9 thousand people.
2. Area – 911.06 square kilometers.
3. Language – Spanish.
4. Currency – euro.
5. Visa – Schengen.
6. Time: Central European UTC +1, summer +2.

A Celtic settlement arose on a high rocky cliff at the beginning of our era. Later the Romans came here and founded a small fortress with a garrison here. In 711, Cuenca was captured by the Arabs. During the Moorish period the city was called Kuvenka. By the middle of the 12th century, there was a fairly large settlement with well-fortified walls.

The roosters began to crow before five o'clock in the morning.
“I’ll drown in the pool, I’ll pluck my tail alive, I’ll stretch my neck like a swan’s...” - apparently, the stay in the homeland of the Inquisition and other auto-da-fé was taking its toll, since there was enough time for a gloating enumeration of the supposed painful executions for the non-shut-up bastards almost until the supposed rise at eight in the morning . More specifically, we were eight kilometers from Cuenca - the city above the abyss, one of the most picturesque and memorable Spanish cities.

“The 174th kilometer of the highway to Madrid, check with the hotel administration for directions,” I admit, the presence of coordinates for the navigator made me take very lightly both this remark from booking.com when booking, and the letter sent the day before from the hotel, where in Spanish it was described where and how to turn to them (it would be better if they drew a diagram). We had two cases when in villages (one outside Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, the other in Austrian Hittisau) the navigator led us to an open field, but we figured it out on the spot within a few minutes.
It would be better if I translated that letter.
And saved it.
But - in order.
We booked Hotel Boutique Pinar due to high reviews and a desire for variety. During the trip, we booked different hotels: both modern ones and those in buildings from the 15th to 18th centuries (which, in principle, is not something extraordinary for Spanish cities). This family-run hotel in the countryside was intended to provide an immersive experience of the local hinterland. I was especially struck by the ratio of price and reviews: for a bungalow for two with breakfast and parking - 68 euros, review score - 9.2 points.
When booking, we were asked to call half an hour before arrival due to no call and the need to light the fireplace (and, as it turned out, the titanium water heater). I called when there were 25 kilometers left to the hotel, my English was enough for me to say that it was us, we booked the room, we’ll be there in 30 minutes. The receiver responded in confusion in a female voice: “Momento” - and switched off. A few minutes later a younger female voice called, to which I again muttered my thoughtful monologue (I am an absolute linguistic mediocrity, for which I suffer).
We leave the Madrid highway and drive up to a manor surrounded by foliage. The gates are openwork and wide open. Andrey left, waving his Bookingcom booking sheet. He returned dissatisfied: everything looked neglected, abandoned, not a single living soul. We waited a few minutes. Then they decided that the coordinates are always not entirely accurate, and this time they showed approximately - here. Let's go further and deeper to look for our Pinar. The surrounding area was very reminiscent of our summer cottages, only the dogs there did not rush at the fences with a growl, but joyfully waved their tails and stood on their hind legs in impatience: to play, to play!!! In one of the areas, the first living souls were discovered - elderly seniors. The seniors chewed their lips for a long time while reading our reservation. As a result of discussing the issue, it turned out that we are about five kilometers from the goal, we need to go back.
When we returned to the junction to the highway, the phone rang again: it was a worried girl from the hotel. As I understood, her level of English was approximately the same as mine. We tried for a long time to figure out where to go, and she, apparently, showed the direction of travel on her fingers. In the end, Andrei got angry and, using a vague diagram on the reservation sheet, took us to the right place within a few minutes. In which two Spanish women were waiting for us - a mother and daughter. They were so sincerely happy to see us and began waving their hands, explaining how to add wood to the fireplace and how to turn on the air conditioner for heating, that we understood everything in Spanish. Their attitude was so warm and benevolent that we decided to consider the incident with the coordinates an annoying misunderstanding and consign it to oblivion. Moreover, everything else was just wonderful:

After a crowded festival in Valencia, we found ourselves in absolute silence. In addition, the rain that overtook us along the way intensified. He kept getting ready...

And finally he caught up with us on the road:

The fireplace was a good alternative to walking in the rain without an umbrella, so we decided not to crawl out anywhere in the evening, but to get up early in the morning and go to Cuenca.
Early, early, but not at five in the morning! Damn roosters!
At the agreed upon eight in the morning, the housewives brought breakfast in a huge basket:

Thus, the evil roosters were also forgiven...
So, Cuenca.
Cuenca, as I already mentioned, can easily be called one of the most memorable and unusual Spanish cities. Its historical center is located on a hill (height - about 950 m above sea level) and is surrounded by rivers - Jukar And Uekar(in Spanish it is written almost indecently - Júcar and Huècar). Here, below, one of them curls like a ribbon, the smaller one is Uekar:

The strategically advantageous location made the city attractive first to the Romans, then to the Arabs. After coming under the rule of the Castilian crown, Cuenca became a developed and wealthy city. In the Middle Ages, the main occupation of its residents was cattle breeding, carpet weaving and weaving in general; many architects of that time found use for their talent and craft in the city. But in the 16th century, the city experienced a series of troubles: plague, drought, locust invasion, and the death of livestock had fatal consequences for the city - not a trace remained of its medieval prosperity. Attempts to revive the crafts by a local bishop two centuries later were also unsuccessful.
In 1996, the city of Cuenca was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site as one of the few well-preserved medieval cities. The calling card of Cuenca is the houses hanging over the mountain abyss and the unique karst landscape in the area.

This is the necessary introduction.

Unfortunately (how often, unfortunately, this word form appears in travel stories - “unfortunately”), we only got acquainted with the historical part of the city. Do you see on the map, in the upper right corner, the “elephant’s trunk”? this is exactly the “elevated” part of Cuenca:

The car was left in a covered parking lot - the one shown below. It is carved out of a whole rock: you drive, and next to it are the walls of a tunnel, real ones, of rock. We leave the parking lot and immediately fall under the amazing charm of this place:

By that time, we had already seen enough cathedrals in Catholic Spain, so it seemed that it would be difficult to surprise with another cathedral.
Difficult does not mean impossible.
We were convinced of this when we got into Cathedral of Saint Mary and Saint Julian in Cuenca - Catedral de Santa María y San Julian de Cuenca.
I couldn’t fully enjoy the unusual façade “in the Norman Gothic style” (I’m not that literate - guidebook) - work was in full swing. So we had to focus on the details of the main portal:

From the Plaza Mayor the cathedral appears exactly like this – compact:

Now let’s look at the diagram: see where the arrow is – the entrance? This smallest side is the main facade of the building:

So the actual size of the cathedral, and the bizarre layout of the building, is something unique.
In Cuenca, we rediscovered the Spanish axiom: whatever the city, the cathedral must be magnificent! You will not find Protestant restraint here:

Moving from one interior space to another was very exciting: behind each door a small discovery awaited.
This could be a surprisingly vivid and tragic image of the suffering Christ:

Or the unexpected baroque interior of one of the chapels:

Or elaborately decorated vaults:

But behind this door...

... the sight of the most magnificent carved ceiling of complex geometry that I have ever seen opened up:

It seemed that the sharp peaks could almost be reached with your hands:

And the stucco decorations! Here you have angels, and quite the opposite - a skeleton, symbolizing the triumph of death and the transience of human life:

Suddenly:

But the main discovery was the unusual “Last Supper” - this sculptural image of the apostles and Christ sitting at a meal could be viewed from all sides and more and more new details and details could be found:

But without a flash, I see it didn’t work out very well, so thank you for at least being able to take pictures this way!
We go out to Plaza Mayor again.

The building with the arcades is the Consistory of Cuenca, the local city hall.

The military vehicles on the square held back our continuous photographing, out of sin, they would be recorded as spies...
So we leave behind the cathedral, where we come across a unique image of St. Joseph with the Christ Child:

And also to the ruins of the old church:

Mysterious and incomprehensible...
Another unusual church in Cuenca is the Church of St. Peter.

Its main feature is that it has an octagonal shape on the outside and a circle on the inside:

Here we came across another sculptural composition, in my opinion, it was a scene of the capture of Christ by Roman guards:

Today the monastery building houses a parador hotel; the cost of rooms overlooking the hanging houses and the gorge is absolutely inhumane.
The further you move to the outskirts of the historical part of the city, the more breathtaking views of the city and nearby karst landscapes open up:

Yes, this view first makes you jump with delight, and then makes you think about something sad and bright...

But at our pace you can’t stay too long, we go back, only now we take it higher than the hiking trail:

On the side of the Hukar River, in the courtyards of residential buildings there are continuous gardens:

Near the dilapidated walls of the castello -

... an information stand listing possible walking routes. The reflex “Next time you should definitely…” immediately kicks in.

You want to move slowly along such streets, moving from one visual “clue” to another:

The passionate voice of a guitar can be heard from afar. Someone with a low, hoarse voice, no, does not sing, does not play, but suffers, lives by song. The sound beats among nearby houses and spreads across a bizarre amplitude. We go out: these are two local alconauts, sipping on a bottle, getting ready for the next one. Honestly, record them and put them on the radio - it will be a hit! I still regret that I only took a photo.

Finally we approach Casas Colgadas.
The famous “hanging houses” are a symbol of the kind that are depicted on souvenir plates and stamped on magnets. What can you do, this really is the calling card of Cuenca:

Although the view from the San Pablo Bridge is equally good in all directions - no matter where you look:

Already returning to the parking lot, we saw the Mangana Tower towering above it - this structure combined the functions of a bell tower and a city clock. The tower was rebuilt several times, and during our visit to the city several people were crawling around it, which apparently indicated certain repair work:

Cuenca has become another city with its own unique “facial expression” that cannot be confused with anything else.

On this last day on Spanish soil we were to see