TRAVEL/VOYAGE/LA RIOJA (SPAIN)

Hi again my friends,  today my travel recommendation is about my country, Spain.  There are plenty of villages, cities, towns, nature sites which I can tell you  to go and enjoy here in Spain, but I want  to start with a place  which I have recently visited, LA RIOJA.  Surely, you,  foreigners or Spanish people,  have heard about this famous Spanish region because of its "wines".  You are right, RIOJA WINES are famous all around the world but the region is also  a wonderful zone to be visited. Nature, ancient villages, monuments are waiting for you!

It is a small Spanish region whose first economical activity is to produce wine.  Almost everybody is dedicated to it.  La Rioja is a rich region with its countryside full of vines and caves.

You can enjoy not only the typical Spanish wines, but the gastronomy, art, culture and adventure sport and don't forget to look around the Caves.  You have to book before but then an hour and a half visit is an excellent experience to know everything about La Rioja wines, their originins, a sightseeing through the facilities and for finishing a wine tasting. Don't miss it!

**HARO is an interesting place to stay.  There you can visit MUGA Cave, one of the most important Rioja wines in Spain.
http://www.bodegasmuga.es/
But in Haro  you can also  see the following caves:  Viña Tondonia, Bodegas Bilbaínas, CVNE, etc.  All these are family caves with an important tradition!

In La Rioja more than 500 caves can be visited with tourist guided tours!

Next to Haro you can stay at LA HOSPEDERÍA SEÑORÍO DE BRIÑAS, in a little village called Briñas. It's a rural hotel, not expensive and with an excellent breakfast. You can have lunch or dinner if you tell them.

**Next to Haro, go and visit a village called LA GUARDIA.  A medieval place, absolutely wonderful!

**THE WINE CULTURE "DINASTÍA VIVANCO" MUSEUM is a "must" if you go to La Rioja. It is situted in a village called BRIONES.  Near this place go and visit another village called SAN VICENTE DE LA SONSIERRA extremely beautiful! 

**THE CENTRE OF INTERPRETATION OF WINE in Haro is a smaller museum but interesting too.

**In Alfaro, an interesting exhibition about the Baroque Style can be seen until 12th October.

**SAN MILLÁN DE LA COGOLLA  and SANTO DOMINGO DE LA CALZADA are two villages highly  recommended because of their monasteries. 

**Gastronomy is a perfect mix with La Rioja wines.  Any restaurant or bar is going to offer you a variety of typical dishes with an enormous quality, for example, "Riojana Potatoes",  eggs with "chistorra", all kind of vegetables like asparagus, red and green peppers, artichokes, etc, all produced in the region too.

For more information : http://www.lariojaturismo.com/