{"id":2327,"date":"2026-04-12T03:35:09","date_gmt":"2026-04-12T03:35:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/2327\/"},"modified":"2026-04-12T03:35:09","modified_gmt":"2026-04-12T03:35:09","slug":"spains-most-underrated-city-is-medieval-spot-with-13-flights-from-uk-europe-travel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/2327\/","title":{"rendered":"Spain’s most underrated city is medieval spot with \u00a313 flights from UK | Europe | Travel"},"content":{"rendered":"

Spain is full of incredible destinations from Barcelona<\/a> to Seville, but one of the truly great things about the country is that there\u2019s so much to explore not far from the beaten track.<\/p>\n

While most Brits either head for the Costas or the cities, just a short train ride or drive will see you uncover hidden gems that very few tourists experience. A recent Which? article<\/a> sought to bring some of these underrated destinations to light, and one particular town is likely to interest Brits who want to see the country\u2019s historic side.<\/p>\n

Cuenca in the Castilla La Mancha region was named one of the top under-the-radar Spanish cities<\/a> by Which? thanks to its dramatic medieval architecture set on steep limestone cliffs. Its 12th-century Gothic cathedral, and narrow, cobbled streets were also highlighted as reasons to visit this atmospheric town.<\/p>\n

But one of its most iconic features are the Casas Colgadas, aka the ‘hanging houses’. Jutting out over the edge of a cliff, they look as though they might fall into the river below at any point. Walk across the San Pablo Bridge that crosses the Hu\u00e9car River and you\u2019ll get incredibly, and slightly scary, views of them.<\/p>\n

Cuenca\u2019s historic walled town is a UNESCO world heritage site, and its ornate cathedral was the first, of many, to be built in a gothic style in Spain. Another major attraction is the Museo de Arte Abstracto Espa\u00f1ol, and while it has a rustic stone-clad exterior, inside is an incredible selection of contemporary artworks that contrast beautifully with the historic building.<\/p>\n

For much older exhibits, head to Science Museum of Castilla La Mancha which is full of fossils, archeological finds, and other fascinating exhibits. Geology-enthusiasts should also visit nearby Ciudad Encantada, a set of distinctive vertical rock formations that rise dramatically from the ground. These rocks date back 90 million years and there are trails you can walk around to see them up close.<\/p>\n

You can even stay in part of the city\u2019s history. Parador de Cuencais a four-star hotel set in a former convent, and it offers incredible views across the hanging houses and the rooftops of Cuenca. Hotel Leonor de Aquitania has similarly historic vibes and is at the heart of the old town. Inside you\u2019ll find rustic, stone-walled rooms, a restaurant serving traditional cuisine of La Mancha, and a wellness space with a sauna and steam bath.<\/p>\n

Many tourists visit Cuenca on a day trip to Madrid<\/a>, as it\u2019s just an hour on the high-speed train from the capital. You can get to Madrid on a number of routes from the UK, and flights can be found on budget airlines for as little as \u00a313. Flight times usually come in at just over two hours, so it\u2019s ideal for a short city break.<\/p>\n

Have a story you want to share? Email us at webtravel@reachplc.com<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Spain is full of incredible destinations from Barcelona to Seville, but one of the truly great things about…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2328,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[1778,1777,1773,1775,1772,82,1776,17,1774],"class_list":{"0":"post-2327","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-spain","8":"tag-budget-travel-to-spain","9":"tag-casas-colgadas","10":"tag-city-breaks-section","11":"tag-cuenca","12":"tag-europe-section","13":"tag-madrid","14":"tag-medieval-architecture","15":"tag-spain","16":"tag-travel-section"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2327","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2327"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2327\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2328"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2327"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2327"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2327"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}