Ávila

Ávila is a city which was declared World Heritage City in 1985. It is a small place that offers you a wide range of possibilities: from a sightseeing tour to spending a romantic weekend. If you are interested in a sightseeing tour you can travel all over the city on a tourist train called //Murallito,// which is a very good option because parking is a problem in Avila. A guide will show you the most important buildings and landmarks of the city (you can listen to her in several languages): //Las Murallas//, built during the twelfth century; //The Cathedral//, a Gothic piece of art; some churches, chapels, convents and monasteries that belong to different styles as for example the Romanesque, the Gothic and the Baroque and so on. You can choose to know the city in the morning or evening and the train fare is four Euros. After a long trip around the city you will probably be hungry. In Ávila you can taste delicious dishes as for example the T-bone steak of Ávila, the beans of El Barco de Ávila, the //Pucherete Teresiano// and the //revolconas// potatoes. I recommend you the state-owned hotel //Piedras Albas// to take lunch. It has a dining-room with access from a garden where you find archaeological remains and enjoy a breathtaking view of //Las Murallas .// You can purchase all ingredients to elaborate these dishes on your own in the //Market// located next to the //Plaza Mayor//: top quality meat, fresh fruit and vegetables, etc. If you want to buy Yemas de Santa Teresa you should do it in La Flor del Castillo. But Ávila is a city of great charm at dusk. It is a really warm and quiet place (there are very few thefts) where you can go for a walk along narrow and cobbled streets surrounded by ancient buildings, where you can run into a performance based on medieval legends whose actors wear costume of the age, jazz music played between churches lighted by candles or an open-air theatre on //Las Murallas//. There is a //Jornada de Puertas Abiertas// (free of charge period) from 8th to 9th of May, take advantage of this and enjoy it.
 * //ÁVILA//, A CITY OF //CASTILLA Y LEÓN//**


 * (Marina Jiménez, I2)**

If you want know a quiet and beautiful city you should visit Avila, because it is one of the nicest cities in Spain. You can go to Avila any time, but for me the best time is at Christmas because in this time you could see beautiful scenes decorated with the snow. Also you could see fantastic Nativity scenes. But if you visit Avila in this month you have to wrap up because it is the coldest time of year. Another very good time is in September because you could walk through the fantastic Medieval Market as if you’re in the Middle Ages. Avila is a small but very beautiful medieval city located in the centre of Spain. The best of Avila are its magnificent walls, but also you can find other interesting things: the cathedral, some palaces, museums and many churches in the old town within the walls. There are other important churches as San Pedro, San Vicente or Monasterio of Santo Tomás outside the walls, too. If you are in Avila you should visit the Congress and Exhibitions Center, it is a spectacular modern building, placed opposite the walls. Another good thing is the food, so there are many good restaurants in the old town where you could eat great food in a firendly atmosphere. If you want to drink something you could go anywhere because there are a lot of bars and cafes where you can drink some beers o wines with delicious appetizers. Finally, you could spend a few days visiting the valley of “Las Cinco Villas”, and if possible you should go to Gredos because it is one of the most impressive mountains I know. Enjoy you journey!


 * (Conchi del Nogal)**