Off the Beaten Track

Las Hurdes

Nowhere in Spain has been untouched by tourism, but beautiful Las Hurdes in mountainous northern Extremadura comes close. Time has not quite stood still, but it has certainly slowed right down, and many people still live in the traditional stone houses that are unique to this corner of Spain.

It's an area of picturesque hamlets, waterfalls and fine walks, but you'll need a car to explore it properly. It's remote and untrammelled, but not so remote that Luis Bunuel couldn't find it when he came to film Las Hurdes: Tierra Sin Pan . The fact that a surrealist film was made here - mixing Spanish peasantry, death adders, a moribund rural life, and more death - tells you all you need to know. It's Spain stripped to her bare essence, but hauntingly beautiful nonetheless.

Teruel

Located in the deep south of Aragón, Teruel has maintained an atmosphere all of its own. It is best known for its Mudéjar architecture, overwhelming Moorish flavour, magnificent cathedrals, and medieval belfries. Its kaleidoscope of inlaid stones and colourful tiles speaks of an Islamic tradition inflected with European Gothic.

Teruel has four magnificent Mudéjar towers: the cathedral of Santa María and the Terre de San Salvador (13th century), Torre de San Martín and Iglesia de San Pedro (14th century). The Museo Provincial de Teruel has a fascinating archaeological collection going back to the days of Homo erectus .

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Zaragoza

The appeal of Aragón's capital is that it has been relatively untouched by tourism – even its name has something a little Prisoner of Zenda-rish about it. Most travellers know it only as a train station between Barcelona and Madrid but it hides a wealth of authentic Spanish cuisine and Moorish history behind its coy facade. Attractions include the Aljafería, the greatest Moorish edifice outside Andalucía, the Roman Forum of ancient Caesaraugusta, and the Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Pilar.

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