HOW TO SPEND FEW HOURS IN TERUEL, THE CITY OF LOVERS.

HOW TO SPEND FEW HOURS IN TERUEL, THE CITY OF LOVERS.

On the way back from Zaragoza I stopped in a small city called Teruel, also known as the “city of lovers”. To be honest, I happened there by chance because I was starving and I wanted to eat something more than a very sad sandwich in the car, so I decided to stop in and discover the city. It’s located in the central – eastern area of Spain in the autonomic community of Aragon and it is the capital of Teruel Province. This place offers a vast mudéjar patrimony and a mediaeval architecture style and it is called the city of lovers because of its 13^th century tragedy, where Isabel Segura y Diego Marcilla died for love (similar to Romeo and Juliet’s tragedy).   

My first impression? Teruel is a relatively small town (35K habitants) but preserves a historical urban center, which is worth to be visited.

WHAT TO DO

Go to Plaza del Torico

This place is the heart of the city, is full of restaurants and bars and you can admire the square while eating a good tapa and drinking a glass of wine. The square takes its name from a small statue of a bull placed on the top of a column in the middle of the square. Legend says that Alfredo II during a war of conquest ordered his troops to stop while he continued to fight. The troops disobeyed him and decided to follow a bull guided by a star from the sky, that according to a premonitory dream, would lead them to a place where they could found a new population. On the column, there is precisely this bull and it is also present on the coat of arms of the city. In the square as well as throughout the historic center of the city there are balconies and characteristic architecture of the Spanish modernist style of the late 19th and early 20th century.

Visit the two lover’s museum

I highly recommend you visiting the museum and admire the mausoleum of the lovers and learning more about their story. With the general ticket (it cost 8,00 €) you can visit also San Pedro’s Church and Cloister. For security and capacity reasons, right now it is impossible to climb San Pedro’s tower.

Note: Masks are required, capacity is limited, and social distancing is enforced throughout the museum. 

Go up the famous staircase of Teruel

An impressive neomudéjar monument built in 1921 that connects the city center with the railway station.

WHERE TO EAT

• Have some delicious tapas and a good glass of wine in any bar at Plaza del Torico.
• If you are a stake lover, you have to go to Asador Brasería La Vaquilla and try their amazing grilled dishes.
• Enjoy a beautiful landscape while eating Spanish typical food at El Mirador. I highly recommend you the daily menu of 12 euros that includes three main courses accompanied with a whole bottle of wine.