10 essentials: what to see and do in Soria city in 1 or 2 days

From a tourist point of view, one of the most unknown provinces in Spain es Soria, in the Community of Castilla y Leon.

It has also become one of the emblematic places of what is now known as the Spain emptied.

La Soria province It really has places that are worth knowing, such as the historic towns of The Burgo de Osma o Berlanga de Duero, and natural areas such as Lobos River Canyon or the Black Lagoon.

Its great historical heritage It is a powerful argument to make a getaway to the province of Soria, which should also include a visit to the capital, where you will find some truly surprising heritage corners that deserve to be visited.

Where is the city of Soria and what is it like?

For you to situate yourself Soria, with barely 39.000 inhabitants, is the second provincial capital in Spain with the smallest population, after Teruel.

And the province of Soria, with 88.000 inhabitants, is the least populated in Spain.

Therefore, when you arrive at the city ​​of Soria You can have the feeling that you are in a big town.

Soria It is located at 1100 meters above sea level, so in winter it is a very cold and windy city, and it is built around the Douro river, which is the axis of it.

In its origins it was an inhospitable and cold place, located near the famous Numancia of the Celtiberians.

This area was repopulated by warrior peasants, reaching its greatest peak during the Middle Ages, when in the 36th century it had up to 2.000 churches at a time when it did not exceed XNUMX inhabitants.

Over time Soria it has become a city ​​of poets, thanks to the passage of key figures such as Antonio Machado y Gerardo diego, whose traces currently become a tourist attraction, like the institute where Ax He gave classes.

The best things to see when visiting the city of Soria

Facing your visit of the city of Soria, you should focus on two different areas, the Douro River Mall, place to walk, and the historical Center.

In the aforementioned Alameda del Duero You can take a one-kilometer walk along the banks of the river, surrounded by elms and poplars, in an environment that will remind you of the poems of Ax.

Hermitage of San Saturio in the Alameda del Duero in Soria

There is the Hermitage of San Saturio, a building from the late 17th century built on an original Romanesque hermitage that covers the cave where said 6th century hermit lived, who, having become a saint, is now the patron de la ciudad.

Here you can consult the schedules to visit the Hermitage of San Saturio, and admission is free.

San Juan de Duero Monastery

But in this area on the banks of the Douro river Without a doubt the most significant monument is the remains of the monastery of San Juan de Duero.

It is considered as the monastery in Europe that most reminds us of the eastern churches, and it is an example of how hospital crusaders were brought from Nibujon, from Jerusalem, its art and its liturgy.

Founded by the aforementioned hospital crusaders, during your visit you will see a surprising cloister with different architectural styles of the arches on its four sides

But above all it should be noted that in Saint John of Duero can you see a unique criss-cross arch in the world, in reality, a horseshoe arch copied by the Muslims from the Visigothic arch.

The interior of the building is totally austere, but incorporates two temples that frame a iconostasis typical of an eastern church.

Plaza Mayor and Collado street in Soria

Already in the historic center of Soria, the main axis is the pedestrian Collado street which has as its starting point the Plaza Mayor Where is he town hall.

Walking along this street you will reach some of the main monuments of the city.

In the Plaza Mayor you have Santa María la Mayor, church where he got married Antonio Machado with Leonor when she was barely 14 years old, and in front of whose cover there is a statue of Eleanor with a chair in front so that visitors can sit emulating the poet.

In the Plaza Mayor also highlights the Court Palace from the 16th century, and if you go east-west along the aforementioned pedestrian street, which will take you to the Alameda park, you will be able to see various interesting corners.

For example, the Numancia Friendship Circle, a cultural casino that on its third floor houses the Poets Museum dedicated to various Andalusian poets who arrived in Soria, such as those mentioned above Ax y Gerardo diego.

At the entrance you will see a sculpture of a poet sitting at a table.

Almost in front you have the Monreal Jewelry (Col 32), where they show a collection of small silver jewelry inspired by Celtiberian objects found in Numancia, as well as images of cave paintings, ideal objects for gifts.

Palace of the Counts of Gomara in Soria

If you wander towards the north, you can reach the Palace of the Counts of Gomara, who in the 16th century was the most important rancher in Soria and Carlos II gave him said county.

Now this great building, whose façade was never completed, is the headquarters of the Provincial courts.

Romanesque church of Santo Domingo in Soria

And further north you find the Church of Santo Domingo, built at the end of the 12th century.

It is a Romanesque jewel, with a truly spectacular façade, with two levels of arches with historic capitals, and in which it is the first time that a rose window was used to let in light.

Also near the Collado street, on its northern slope, you can see the Antonio Machado Institute, where the famous poet taught French language classes in 1907, and where you can currently visit his classroom, which is a museum.

It's close Palace of Los Ríos and Salcedo, from the 16th century, current headquarters of the Municipal file, and a building that will catch your attention with its façade of plateresque style.

Church of San Juan de Rabanera in Soria

If, however, from the Collado street streets towards the south, you will find the church of San Juan de Rabanera, also from the 12th century.

The building has a Latin cross plan with a single nave, with a Plateresque altarpiece and another Baroque one.

As a curiosity, when in 1908 the Romanesque church of San Nicolás, its façade was dismantled and it has become the main entrance to this church, leaving the original façade bricked up on the south side.

Already arriving at Alameda park, you will pass through the Ramón Benito Acuña Square, Which is the popular tapas area of ​​the city.

Cloister of the Co-Cathedral of Saint Peter

Outside this area of ​​the historic center, walking from the Plaza Mayor towards the east, you will reach another outstanding monument of Soria.

This is the Co-Cathedral of San Pedro, whose main attraction is its splendid Romanesque cloister.

In the 12th century, a church with a cloister was built on top of a previous building, which became the jewel of Soria's Romanesque style.

But in the 16th century the tower and the Romanesque dome fell, which led to the construction of a new large building, leaving three sides of the original. Romanesque cloister.

Tradition says that the original Romanesque church fell in 1531 because the Council He asked an architect to remove a pillar that was in the way of a good view. statue of the Virgin, which caused the roof of the building to collapse.

The new building is Gothic style and in 1959 he was elevated to co-cathedral, allowing your fleet to ecclesial capital of the diocese of Soria in El Burgo de Osma.

Externally on the south side you can see a cover of plateresque style and the interior has three naves with star vaults and a main altarpiece from the 16th century.

This cloister has a clear inspiration in that of Saint Dominic of Silos, and in the three medieval galleries that are preserved you will be able to see historic capitals with plant shapes, animals, beasts, allegories and scenes from the Bible.

El entrance price to visit the cloister of the Co-Cathedral of Soria it is 2 euros.

Tomb of Leonor, wife of Antonio Machado

A unique visit that you can make in your Soria city break, common among those passionate about the figure of Ax, is to see the his wife's grave Leonor Left, who died in 1912 from tuberculosis three years after getting married.

If you go up the street behind the town hall, you will reach the Municipal cemetery which is located next to the church of Our Lady of Espino of the fourteenth century.

Upon entering the cemetery, turn left and you will find a couple of small signs that guide you to the Eleanor's tomb, in front of which you will see a plaque with a dedication of Antonio Machado.

Always covered in fresh flowers, in front of the tomb you find an old chapel whose walls detail different moments in the life of whoever was the young wife of Antonio Machado.

Paseo del Mirón, panoramic views of Soria

You can complete the visit of the city by going up the Paseo del Mirón to the elevated area where the baroque hermitage of Our Lady of Mirón.

I used to walk through this place Ax when Leonor I was already sick, and from there you have the best views of the city of Soria and the Alameda.

It should be noted that since National Parador of Soria You have similar views, but in the opposite direction.

What to eat and where in Soria

You should know that the gastronomy It is also an important argument for visiting the city.

There you can try the most typical gastronomic specialties, such as torreznos, butter, kid and pig, and regarding sweets, the sorian scab.

And, without a doubt, the great haute cuisine specialty in Soria is black truffle, to the point that in the month of March a International Truffle Cooking Competition, with the assistance of famous international chefs.

As a curiosity, you should know that near the capital you can visit a truffle oak plantation and see how the black truffle is harvested with the help of dogs.

In relation to restaurants, you should know that the haute cuisine It also has a representative in Soria, Bulwark, from the cook Óscar García, who also offers another more affordable alternative and popular cuisine in its gastrobar Mena.

Map: how to get to Soria city

La city ​​of Soria It is located 240 kilometers north of Madrid (2 hours and 20 minutes), already just under two hours southeast of Burgos already two hours west of Zaragoza.

Photos of the city of Soria

Here you have more photos of the city of Soria, his monuments and best corners of the historic center.