For me Asturias is getting surprised time after time by its beauty. My name is Lander Michelena and the past four months I’ve been the redactor of livingasturias. When I arrived, I had actually no clue what was to see in here. Contrary to what a journalist should do, I did no thorough research preceding…
Few climbs are so feared by professional and amateur cyclists as the Alto de l’Angliru. Often called the hardest climb in Europe. A monster of 12,5 km at an average gradient of 10,1 percent. But these numbers don’t tell the whole story, the reality is worse… In 1999, the organization of the Vuelta a España…
There are about 1 million people living in Asturias. A lot of them are just common people, but a few are really famous. You will discover which celebrities were born in Asturias. 1. Fernando Alonso Fernando Alonso Díaz (born in 29 July 1981) is a Spanish Formula One racing driver and a double World Champion…
Let me start by disappointing you, I won’t be talking about some native tribe that has been living somewhere far in the mountains and has been undiscovered until today. Unfortunately, no such group exist today in Asturias. The closest it gets to that description is the little town of Bulnes. If you want to know…
The Ciudadelas or Courts are groups of houses of 30 m², inside an enclosure. They were little societies, people shared toilets and lived with on average 80 to 100 people in a small area. These houses were shared by up to 11 people. When Gijón underwent an industrialization at the end of the 19th century,…
Deep in the Picos de Europa, a small town is hidden. Its name is Bulnes. And there’s no place like that anywhere else. On an altitude of 649 meter, the parish of Cabrales is left to be discovered for adventurers. With less than 50 inhabitants, Bulnes is an oasis of calmness. It exists out of…
The coastline of Asturias is very impressive. At times you find sights which leave you stunned. For example, the Bufones de Pría. There are also dozens of beaches, where people enjoy the sun (when it shines). Some of them are flooded by tourists, others are rather remote. Every playa has its own story. But some…
Sometimes the separated worlds of industry and art meet. One example is the remarkable marriage between the Asturian architect/painter Joaquín Vaquero Palacios and the energy company Hidroélectrica del Cantábrico, now part of Energias de Portugal (EDP). In the decades ’50-’60-’70-’80 Vaquero Palacios designed five hydropower stations, which fit in the concept of architectural Gesamtkunstwerk. A…
In the categorie expat stories, we’re trying to tell the stories of expats who moved to Asturias. Their reasons to move are all very diverse. So are their experiences. Guillermo is a Mexican boy that came to Gijón to study communications, he especially likes the neighborhood he lives in: Cimadevilla. There are many differences between Gijón…
With a length of more than 200 km, the Asturian Coastline is a very extended one. The salty water from the Atlantic Ocean has always played an important role in the lives of the Asturians. The fishermen defy the waves to come home with a shipment of fish. The industrial ports of Gijón and Avilés…