Ourense, Orense in Spanish, with about 105,000 inhabitants, is the capital of Galicia's only landlocked province, on the Miño river. It is known as the "city of water" for its thermal springs, among the most abundant in Europe. Thanks to high-speed rail, it is now Galicia's rail gateway from Madrid.
History
Founded by the Romans, drawn by the hot water and perhaps the river's gold, Auria was in the 5th and 6th centuries one of the capitals of the Suebi kingdom. In the Middle Ages it grew around the cathedral and the bridge over the Miño, a key crossing for pilgrims to Santiago on the Vía de la Plata.
The hot springs
- As Burgas, springs gushing at about 67°C in the city centre, with fountains and a thermal pool.
- The thermal pools along the Miño, such as Outariz, A Chavasqueira, Muíño da Veiga and O Tinteiro, many free and open-air, linked by the Tren de las Termas, a tourist train, and a riverside walk.
What to see
- The Roman Bridge, rebuilt in the Middle Ages, with a central arch over 30 metres high.
- The Romanesque and Gothic cathedral of San Martiño, with the Pórtico del Paraíso, inspired by Santiago's Portico of Glory and still painted, and the Santo Cristo.
- The old town, with Praza Maior, Praza do Ferro and streets full of tapas bars, especially the viños area.
- The cloister of San Francisco and the Provincial Archaeological Museum.
- The modern Ponte do Milenio, with its panoramic walkway.
Festivals and food
Entroido, the Galician carnival, is keenly celebrated in the province, with the traditional masks of Xinzo de Limia, Laza and Verín. Specialities: pulpo á feira, empanada, cocido, chestnuts, Cea bread and wines from Ribeiro, Ribeira Sacra, Valdeorras and Monterrei.
Around and getting there
The Ribeira Sacra, with the Sil canyons, heroic terraced vineyards, Romanesque monasteries such as Santo Estevo de Ribas de Sil and catamaran trips on the river. Ourense is linked by high-speed train to Madrid in just over two hours and to Santiago and Vigo in about thirty minutes to an hour.