Teruel
Teruel is a high-altitude (910 meter) town in the mountainous Aragon region of eastern Spain. It's known for classic Mudéjar architecture, a style combining Gothic and Islamic elements. Examples include the Santa María de Mediavilla Cathedral, dating to the 12th century, which features an elaborately painted ceiling. The Torre de El Salvador, a 14th-century Mudéjar tower, has an intricate facade and stairs to the top.
The Jewish Quarter of Teruel still preserves its name, and many archaeological sites have been found there. In the Middle Ages, Teruel possessed a prominent Jewish community, which was robust during the centuries Muslims were in power and enjoyed several privileges. Later on after the Christian reconquest of Spain, the Jewish community paid a yearly tax of 300 sueldos (in the 14th century). Its members were engaged in commerce and industry, especially in wool-weaving. During the persecutions of 1391 many of them were killed, while others accepted Christianity in order to save their lives.
Teruel was fought over in the Spanish Civil War, and much of the city was destroyed. The Battle of Teruel in December 1937-February 1938, was one of the bloodiest of the war. The town changed hands several times, first falling to the Republicans and eventually being re-taken by the Nationalists. In the course of the fighting, Teruel was subjected to heavy artillery and aerial bombardment. The two sides suffered up to 140,000 casualties between them in the three-month battle. The Nationalists won a decisive victory.
The beauty of the town's cultural inheritance, which has some Islamic influence, has been recognised by UNESCO, which includes four churches in the World Heritage Site Mudéjar Architecture of Aragon, notably the town's ornate cathedral in the Mudéjar style.
One of Teruel's best known monuments is very small statue of a bull on top of a tall column, known as El Torico ("the little bull"). It is located in the main square, known as the Plaza del Torico
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El Mudayyan Hotel
Built above a 14th-century arch from a Medieval church. Each room has Mudejar or modern décor and includes flat-screen TV and a small balcony. El Mudayyan houses an ancient tunnel to San Salvador Church and Tower.
The plus here is the position , and everything to see in Teruel is within an easy walk. Also there are masses of local restaurants within that arc. Arriving by car is a bit difficult. You have to drive up a narrow one way street with no stopping possible, turn right just after the hotel and leave your car on the equivalent of double yellow lines while you check in. You then park you car in a public paid car park, where the hotel have negotiated a 12€ a day price. Or, as we did, you drive further and park in the Station car park for free (it is popular and you may not get a space) The rooms are bright and cheery and are good value for money.
The included "free" breakfast is only one cup of bad coffee and a croissant (or tostada). The buffet did not inspire me to upgrade. The breakfast room is internal and not very inspiring. So the next morning we considered walking up to the main square and getting our breakfast there - but the weather was not good and we settled for the meagre fare at the hotel.
They offer tours each morning of the underground excavations found when constructing the hotel and dating from the middle ages. We walked along a narrow dark tunnel that was used as an escape route for priests in troubled times. The tunnel trip was worth while in spite of the difficult terrain.
As long as you do not book here with over elevated views of what to expect, then you will enjoy staying here.. It is central and offers value for money
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Portal de Guadalaviar
We had dinner one night here. They bill themselves as a Cafeteria/Restaurante - and that is what they are. This is not a fancy restaurant, nor does it serve fancy food. The the food is good, without being gourmet. The setting is more cafe than restaurant
The service is a bit offhand. We had difficulty attracting a waiter's attention when we needed it. They were not looking at customers, instead rushing to get back out of the customers' sight.
Basically you get what you pay for, no more and no less
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Flanigans Irish Pub
The atmosphere here is very good, and the U2 decoration looks like a labour of love.
The pub is vast, and well a lot like an Irish pub. I am Irish and travel a lot, and have found that most "Irish" pubs around the world a constructed from flat packs and have little going for them - certainly not this one. It really was "Irish"
Where it falls down is the surly barman - certainly not Irish. He spent all evening looking at his mobile phone and avoiding customers. He needs a training session - this place would fold quickly in Ireland with bar staff like that :-(
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Yain Restaurant
We enjoyed our lunch here. Their set lunch menu offers excellent value for money. It is a bit off the main tourist drag, so you need to do a bit of research to find it. The interior of Yain is nothing special, in fact the atmosphere is a bit downbeat.
The portions were more than generous - really too big for both of us. Our meal went very well until the dessert, when my goat's cheese cheesecake smelt and tasted off, and I could not eat it. To be fair, they did not charge for it. I thought that the service was very good from a cheerful waitress
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Albarracin
Albarracín is a small town in the hills about 30 minutes drive west of Teruel and above a curve of the Guadalaviar River. It is considered to be one of the prettiest villages in Spain. Albarracín is surrounded by stony hills and the town was declared a Monumento Nacional in 1961. Like most Spanish hill towns, the only way there is the hard way, on foot and uphill.
Towering medieval walls, the Murallas de Albarracín, dominate the adjacent hillside. At their crest is 10th-century Andador Tower. The ruins of an alcázar, or Moorish castle, stand on a clifftop in the old town. The 16th-century Catedral del Salvador features a bell tower built on the remains of a Romanesque temple.
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And from Teruel, it was, for us on to Valderrobles, which surprisingly took over 3 hours