Cangas de Onis • Oviedo • Mirador del Fito • Valdedios

From its humble origins as an impoverished agricultural area in the eighth century, Asturias rose to become one of the most prosperous regions in Southern Europe during the 1970's and 1980's.  Even today with the demise of its steel and mining industries, it remains a relatively prosperous region with unemployment  below the Spanish and European average.

Given its coal mining history, I was expecting an industrial region, somewhat akin to the Central Belt of Scotland; beautiful countryside, despoiled by slag heaps and industrial wastelands.  I was pleasantly surprised to find the former, untainted by the latter.

So, beautiful scenery, mountains, coast and generally pleasant rural idylls, together with picturesque old towns and the historic city of Oviedo.  Whether its other cities live up to the same standard remains to be seen.  Most encouraging of all, the site of the Battle of Covadonga in AD 722, marked the beginning of the reconquista when a handful of Asturians routed an army of as many as 180,000 Moors (depending on who you believe).  Great news indeed that such a tiny, but dedicated force could stem the pernicious tide of Islam in Europe.

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© Jeremy Harrison 2005-2020