one of the best restaurants of Cuenca

La bodeguilla de Basilio.

I would like to recommend you one of the best restaurants of Cuenca. You shoud not miss to visit it!

Located in the Water St next to the Spain Square and the Huecar river this small restaurant is well know for the wonderful tapas and the stunning decoration.

La bodeguilla de Basilio is always crowded due the popularity. Do not expect a big restaurant! the place is very tiny and narrow and unfortunately there are not to much space..(no recomendable for claustrophobics)

La bodeguilla is divided in 3 parts, the entrance (the bar) is very narrow and always crowded, you must drink and eat standing up. (the best time to visit it is from 1 to 2 pm and from 8 to 9 pm)
The second area (belongs to the bar area) is a link between the bar and the restaurant, you must be fast to get a site in this part because there are only 3 small tables where you can sit down to enjoy the tapas.
At down the hall is situated the restaurant.

You should know due the popularity of the restaurant you need book the table, sometimes is hard to get site at the moment. Many famous people visited the restaurant and you can see pictures of them hanging in the wall.
La bodeguilla is perfect for couples, the service is really nice because the owner Basilio always recived and accommodate you at the tables which are decorated with flowers and candles, the ambient is quite bohemian, romantic and charming. the walls are decorated with old traditional agricultural work tools.

R1. quail eggs with grilled ham

In the restaurant you can taste the tipical cuisine of Castile la-Mancha, such the cheese, “ajoarriero”(cold casserole with cod, garlic and olive oil, served as a starter), “morteruelo” (dense paste made with rabbit, hare, partridge, pig’s liver, ham and spices, served as a starter in winter), “pisto manchego” (made with vegetables and served hot), “mojete” (cold salad with peppers, cod and garlic), “zarajo” (strips of marinated baby lamb tripe wound around vine shoots), soused partridge salad and “caldereta” (lamb stew). Other vital dishes not to be missed are roast baby lamb or suckling pig, as well as game (venison, boar and partridge) in casseroles.

My recomendation is the “Poor Man's Potatoes” and “baby lamb chops on the grill”. A piece of heaven for your mouth ^^

R.2 grilled small squid with courgettes

In the other hand, the bar is full of old pictures of Cuenca and a huge variety of bottle of wine. The characteristic that distinguishes the bar from others is that the tapas are very large and elaborate... with a couple of tapas you may feel full!
the bar offer 4 types of tapas beautifully presented and delicious:

• round 1. quail eggs with grilled ham, chips and salade
• round 2. grilled small squid with chips, sauteed courgette and salade.
• round 3. stuffed peppers
• round 4. baby lamb chops on the grill

The waiter will offer you too a bowl of hot soup (in winter) and a bowl of  fresh gazpacho [tomato soup] (in summer)

The relation between quality and price is fair, You pay a little more for a beer compared to other bars in the area but the food that comes with it is excelent and abundant.

Location

Calle Agua 3
16001 Cuenca (Cuenca)
Tel.:+34 969235274

Modern Cuenca

I'm passionate with modern architecture, in the last years a bunch of new moderns buildings has been built in Cuenca.
Always changing, dynamic, innovative and modern city, always linked with the world of art and culture. Cuenca is full of historical buildings, the landscapes and the historical heritage is such incredible, however you can find amazing modern minimalist designs in the new area far away of the old town. 


I would like to recommend you some interesting buldings such the Fine Arts Faculty located on campus, the Justice Palace located in the Ronda Oeste, the Auditorium built in 1994 located in the ravine of Huecar river.

The Princes Park, one of the most interesting things of this beautiful spot, is the solar watch in the Taiyo square, desing by Keiko Mataki in a Japanese Style.

The Ars Natura Museum is a modern complex built in the top of a hill is facing the stone walls of old town.. A new natural history museum where you can meet the biodiversity of Castilla La Mancha. Outside the enclosure has differents levels with ponds which reflect the landscape of the upper town and you can walk around to taking amazing pictures.
You can not miss the aquarium,  it is awesome.

For more info: Ars Natura

The Forest of Steel is the new Cuenca's exhibition pavilion, built by Rafael Moneo. the shape is just awesome, the entirely building was made by crystal. Sadly the enclosure is usually closed to the public and the nearby area of the pavilion seems abandoned.

Old Town Cuenca

There are many places that you should visit in old town of Cuenca! 

Begings the tour to the old town by the Alfonso VIII street.
On your way up to Old Town, you can enjoy a fun view, the colorful dye on the walls of the houses is very typical in Cuenca.

If you wanna take nice pics of this colorful landscape i'll recommend you Tintes Street and Alfonso VIII Steet.

The first stop might be the church of San Felipe Neri, a sober construction which becomes a focus at Easter week, with the singing of the traditional Miserere. Inside it is decorated with Baroque and Rococo motifs. On the other side of the Plaza del Carmen you can climb to the square of Mangana Tower, a former watchtower for Cuenca and one of the symbols of the city, visible from any other point. Very nearby is the Science Museum, with it's neo-Mudejar style was part of the Cuenca's walls defensive, so we can identify a defensive style in it's square design. I'll recommend you visit the Mangana pointview.

Before reaching the Plaza Mayor, you walk through the Plaza de la Merced, where you can see good examples of Cuenca Baroque in the church and convent of La Merced, and in the great seminary of San Julián. In the Plaza Mayor stand the arches of the Town Hall and the Gothic Cathedral of Nuestra Señora de Gracia, built on the site of a former mosque. Its structure alternates Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque elements, the result of a long period of construction. Its unfinished monumental façade accompanies the wooden balconies and wrought iron grilles of the square's aristocratic houses, whose ground floors are occupied by inns.
Next to the Cathedral is the Diocesan museum.The Museum is located in the Episcopal Palace. A large part of its collection of art belongs to the Cathedral. Visitors will find paintings and altarpieces, through to items of precious metalwork, liturgical objects, tapestries and rugs with centuries of history, taken from churches around the region.

TIPS. In the Plaza Mayor, Take a rest and enjoy a fresh drink or a tasty meal in the inns and restaurants in Plaza Mayor. If you wanna buy some memories, there are also many craft shops, tipical food.

Behind the church a street begins leading to the Hangings Houses, symbolic monuments in the city, which date from the 15th century. The hanging houses, this is also the location of the Museum of Spanish Abstract Art. This is the most popular construction, but you can find other similar houses and balconies hanging in the Jucar and Huecar Canyons.

In front of the hanging houses you can find the St. Paul Bridge, the best and most representative of all bridges in the city of Cuenca. The St. Paul bridge connects the old town with the St. Paul Convent, this is also the location of a luxury hotel and the Torner Museum.

Returning to the Cuenca urban layout, here you will find corners full of charm where there are fountains, little arches and narrow streets. Between the Cathedral and the Casas Colgadas we can also visit the Provincial Museum, the Casa del Curato, The Fundation Atonio Perez Museum and the Bishop's Palace.

The Castle quarter is the top of the City, where you can enjoy a stunning views of Cuenca landscape in the Huecar Canyon. The Castle is located in the upper part of the City. It was a Moorish fortress won by Alfonso VIII for Christians, the ruins of the gateway still remain as the Arco de Bezudo.
On the way to the highest point in the city, will be visit interesting religious buildings such the churches of San Miguel, San Nicolás and San Pedro, and the hermitage of Nuestra Señora de las Angustias. It is worth doing this tour when it is already dark and the whole city is lit up.

Cuenca world Heritage

쿠엥카 (스페인)

쿠엥카. 는 스페인 카스티야라만차 지방 쿠엥카 주의 주도이다. 면적은 911.06km²이며, 평균 고도는 946m 이다. 인구는 54,600명(2008년)이고, 인구밀도는 59.93명/km²이다.

:.:｡✿*ﾟ‘ﾟ･✿.｡.:.:｡✿*ﾟ‘ﾟ･✿.｡.:.:｡✿*ﾟ‘ﾟ･✿.｡.:.:｡✿*ﾟ‘ﾟ･✿.｡.:

Let's begin our tour in Castile-La Mancha, Cuenca.
I treasure this beautiful city in my heart because I spent the best years of my life living there.
As a student of Art I been looking around the narrow streets of the upper town the best spots to get inspired. Day by day discovering the secrets of this charming city declared World Heritage by UNESCO in 1996.
You should not miss Cuenca in your tour.

Located 165 km from Madrid (2 hours driving by car) (50 min by high speed train)
Establish in the top of the mountain and surrounded by the Huécar and Júcar river canyons by Moors. This medieval city is clearly divided into two parts; the old and the modern.
The modern half offers very little history, started to develop after 1960's and 1970's mainly consisting of modern residences, tower blocks and apartments. The old part is one of the most wonderful places in Spain and is worthy of several days exploration.

Check out the video.. is an awesome artwork

 
The Old Town of Cuenca is an exceptional example of the medieval fortress town that has preserved its original townscape intact, along with many examples of religious and secular architecture from the 12th to 18th centuries.
The walled town blends into and enhances the fine rural and natural landscape within which it is situated.

How to get to Cuenca? 

The city is well connected with Madrid by
high speed train:
Madrid (Atocha) - Cuenca (Fernando Zóbel)
Regional train:
Madrid (Atocha) Aranjuez - Cuenca (downtown)
highway. A-40