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Puente Viesgo Holidays
Puente Viesgo, ideal for rural and active tourism |
Puente Viesgo, ideal for rural and active tourism
Tourist information about Puente Viesgo in Spain. Travel to Puente Viesgo and let Spain-Holiday.com guide and accommodate you |
Are you staying at a nice holiday home in Puente Viesgo and are yo ineterested to read a little more about the history of this lovely town of 2500 inhabitants? Here it goes:
Puente Viesgo is located in the northern part of the Toranzo valley and crossed by the best-known river in Cantabria, the Pas, Puente Viesgo first appeared in the Early Middle Ages. The first documentary references allude to the bridge over the river that would eventually give its name to the municipality.
Puente Viesgo is home to one of the most important groups of prehistoric caverns in the region, in Mount Castillo (a regular conical peak), several of which harbour specimens of Palaeolithic art. These caves are known as El Castillo, Las Chimeneas, Las Monedas and La Pasiega.
La Pasiega cave is outstanding for its thick-lined, ochre-coloured paintings. Along the walls there are drawings of deer, bison and horses, as well as an abundance of engravings. This was declared an archaeological zone in 1924. Las Monedas dates from the Upper Magdalenian and has spectacular geological formations alongside paintings of animals in black. In the Castillo cave, discovered in 1903 by the Mayor of El Río, are displays of cave paintings from the Soultrean and Magdalenian periods, while in Las Chimeneas, these representations are from the Solutrean period and show paintings and clay engravings of deer and other animals in a simple, rigid style.
Since the eighteenth century there has been a health spa at Puente Viesgo for medicinal waters rising from the spring. The health spa has been renovated. The thermal waters were declared fit for public use in 1862 and are especially good for heart complaints, the nervous system, high blood pressure and visceral rheumatism. Unique in Spain, the quality of these waters has often been tested by the Spanish Football team, which has held its most recent pre-match preparations at the spa.
Aside from the river Pas, the capital of the municipality also offers the best salmon fishing preserves in Cantabria. From the lower part of this peculiar bridge, you can access the pool area down a small stairway and along a path carved out of the rock.
Puente Viesgo also has an interesting church built in the fifties. Alongside stands the lovely palace of Fuentespila (todays Town Council), in the regionalist style and the work of highland architect González Riancho.
The historical heritage of this municipality includes the outstanding monumental site of Aes, where beautiful emblazoned houses still survive in Las Cortes quarter. Cal, another quarter of Aes, is distinguished by more traditional houses, with rows of balconies between two firewalls.
There are some nice bars where you can eat and drink typical things of the area. This is especially appreciated after a long day of walking around the area following one of the many routes that exist.
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See a map over Puente Viesgo
