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//Bienvenidos a la ciudad de La Rioja!// A city located in the northern region of Spain, La Rioja is eminent for its historical monuments, natural, tasty meals, and of course, rich wines. There are a number of outdoor activities that tourists will enjoy, and also several diverse areas to visit such as valleys, rivers, mountains, and beaches. Once you get a taste of La Rioja, you’ll want to take a piece of it back home with you! **//A Little Info on the Mecca of Wines//** La Rioja, the smallest of Spain’s regions, is composed of two main areas- Rioja Baja and Rioja Alta. While Rioja Baja is an area of a very warm climate, Rioja Alta has an extreme amount of rainfall and a moderate climate. However, both exhibit the rich culture and history of Spain through its festivals and museums. La Rioja is composed of many cities, but the two most popular cities are Logroño and Haro. Logroño is the capital of La Rioja. The Ebo River, which is ideal for fishing, runs through the city. Logroño is home to ancient civil architecture like palaces (Marquis of Legarda, Los Chapiteles), churches (Santa María de Palacio, church of San Bartolomé), and Romanesque art. Haro is known as the “land of wines, vineyards, and vegetable gardens”. As the center of wine production, wine is essential to the economy of Haro. In fact, the Battle of Wine, a festival in which two teams of people pour thousands of liters of wine on their opponents in a friendly competition, is held in Haro every year on June 29th. **//Museums/ Historic Monuments Are you ready for a stroll in the past? Well visit some of these museums and eminent monuments of La Rioja://** Santo Domingo de la Calzada- most visited Cathedral by both tourist and natives. Take a few steps back into the culture of ancient Rome as well as the history of one of Spain’s greatest cities through beautiful Romanesque architecture and sculpture.

La Catedral de Santo Domingo de la Calzada es la catedral más vieja, pero muy bonita.

Haro Wine Museum- La Rioja would not be complete without the museum that exhibits the history of winemaking and gives the reasons why wine is so essential to Spanish culture. It also informs visitors of the wine producing process, and showcases a number of glasses, labels, corks etc. The museum also includes a tasting area with a variety of red and white wines.

Esto una parte de museo vino Haro. Es muy interesante y divertida!

La Rioja Museum- explore the culture and history of La Rioja through paintings and sculptures from different artists. Pieces date back all the way to the 12th century!



Aquí es el museo de La Rioja en el capital, Logroño. El museo es grande y cultural. Es muy interesante para todos que van.

**Festivals** ** What is Spanish culture without lights, cameras, and dancing? Festivals highlight the community and overall culture of Spain. Have a great time learning about the culture as the melodious sound of the guitar plays as you dance with your loved one- to the JOTA! **

Nájera Festivals- celebrated for over 40 years, the Nájera festival is held at one of the most antique monasteries in La Rioja dating back to the 16th century- Santa Maria de la Real. View the Romanesque art of the 12th Century and move to the sounds of the several band performances and concerts. Festival of Light and Sound-definitely time for LIGHTS, CAMERA, AND ACTION! What an exciting adventure to watch as dramatic actors retell the history of La Rioja. From the arrival of the Pilgrims on the route to Santiago, to their arrival in Rioja, audiences view the play with the illumination of beautiful lighting. This event takes place at the parish church of San Juan Bautista in Grañon, La Rioja.

Festival of Light and Sound-definitely time for LIGHTS, CAMERA, AND ACTION! What an exciting adventure to watch as dramatic actors retell the history of La Rioja. From the arrival of the Pilgrims on the route to Santiago, to their arrival in Rioja, audiences view the play with the illumination of beautiful lighting. This event takes place at the parish church of San Juan Bautista in Grañon, La Rioja.

 La Rioja Wine Festival- what a great way to bring in the fall season! La Rioja Wine Festival celebrates a time of harvest, with lots of food, dancing, music, and, of course, wine. Rioja is central in celebrating the culture of wine. On September 21st, the day of the Wine Festival, a number of tours are given throughout the vast vineyards in La Rioja’s wine capital, Haro.



Los hijos caminan con uvas a las Fiestas de la Vendimia Riojana. La fiesta es siempre el 21 de septiembre.

**La Riojan Cuisine/Restaurants Not only is La Rioja characterized by its wine culture, but also by the rich food and 5-star restaurants it has to offer.** The majority of La Riojan cuisine consists of vegetables popular to the region such as peppers, garlic, artichokes, lettuce, borage and a host of other healthy, tasty ingredients. Fish, the pig, and lamb are the most common main dishes for the region. Acquiring fish is not a difficult task considering the plentiful rivers that are located in Rioja. Other seafood included in the cuisine are trout and crab. The pig is a symbol of their Christian faith, while the lamb represents the influence that the Muslims have left in Spain. Stews, also very popular dishes in the region, are prepared with either fava beans or caparrón beans and asparagus and other vegetables. Restaurants- a majority of the restaurants in La Rioja are regional. A few serve foods outside of the Riojan cuisine such as steaks and pizza.



La comida en La Rioja es riquísima! Hay algo que comer para todas las personas. Pescado o carne con muchas verduras es el plato principal en muchos restaurantes. Los restaurantes tienen camareros simpáticos y comidas muy deliciosas!



La playa muy popular es Costa de la Luz. Cuando van a la playa, a las familias les encanta nadar en el océano atlántico.