And it is that in Asturias coal and mining have had a great presence and importance, being one of the engines of the region’s economy, along with steel and metallurgy, for decades. Today, industrial reconversion has made all this history and tradition be reflected in various tourist resources that allow us to get to know the world of mining, the work of miners and what this meant for Asturias and for a Very important part of its population.

Most of these resources are concentrated in the Nalón and Caudal mining basins. Let’s talk about some of them:

Museum of Mining and Industry of Asturias (MUMI).
It is located in El Entrego (San Martín del Rey Aurelio) and is surely the best known, since it opened its doors in the 90s. It collects part of the history of mining in Asturias, the old technologies used, examples of materials, explosives or lamps, reproduction of the infirmary … But without a doubt the most remarkable thing is the image mine, whose galleries can be accessed through the cage, the elevator used by the miners to start their workday. We will not tell you much more because we have already spoken to you here about this spectacular museum.

http://www.mumi.es/

Well Sotón.

Without moving from the council, although this time in the town of Sotrondio, there is the Pozo Sotón, one of the most emblematic of Asturias and declared a Site of Cultural Interest in 2014. As a tourist resource it is divided into 3: the visit to the inside the well, the Mining Experiences and Memory Center (CEMM) and the impressive mining memorial, created in homage to the thousands of victims of mining accidents in Asturias.

The CEMM is installed in the Lampistería and Casa de Aseos building and is an interactive center where you will discover more about this sector, the work of the miners, the dreaded Grisú that caused so many accidents or the history of HUNOSA, the company owner of the Well Sotón. Various activities and workshops are held at the CEMM, including theatrical guided tours or an escape room. You can check the dossier of visits here.

But without a doubt, the highlight is the visit inside the well. Attention because here the thing gets serious. You will enter a real mine, so before starting the visit there will be a safety training talk and you will be given appropriate clothing, a light lamp and a self-rescue equipment. There are two routes, one short of about 2 hours, entering and leaving on the 10th floor and one long, about 4 hours, on the 8th, 9th and 10th floors. On the website www.visitapozosoton.es you will be able to see detailed information of the route and you will see that the conditions of the visit and the level of requirement required are greatly affected, so it is important that you inform yourself well since they can decide not to allow you to do Visit for security reasons.

Also the visit abroad requires certain conditions, since it is not adapted to people with reduced mobility. This external visit is free and it is not possible to do it the same day as the internal one (for a fee).

The general website, http://pozosoton.es/, will give you access to the 3 parts of which we have spoken to you and will detail much more all the information.

Samuño Valley Mining Ecomuseum.

We go to the neighboring council of Langreo, where the Samuño Valley Mining Ecomuseum is located. There are several protagonists here: the mining train, El Cadavíu Station -place of departure-, the San Luis Well -place of arrival-, which was declared a Site of Cultural Interest in 2013, and the Samuño Valley itself, which is part of the Protected Landscape of the Mining Basins, with the town of La Nueva.

You will start the visit at El Cadavíu Station, visitor reception center. From there a mining train will take you, in a 2 km journey that crosses the valley and enters for a few meters in the Socavón Emilia, to the Pozo San Luis, where you can visit the museum after a 32-meter ascent by the well cane.

The return trip can be done again on the train or on foot, through a paved path, perfectly indicated and without complications that will take you back to the El Cadavíu Station. This is the option that we recommend, so you can enjoy the landscape and have another perspective of the visit.

As always, we leave your website so you can complete the information and book your visit http://www.ecomuseominero.es/

All these resources are in the Nalón basin, but in the neighboring Caudal basin, in the Mieres council, you can also visit the Interpretation Center of the Bustiello Mining Village, the Pozo Espinos Didactic Classroom and the Pozo Fortuna or the Mining Landscape of the Valley of Turón, with wells as emblematic as Santa Bárbara, Espinos or Figaredo.

And if you want more, you can go to Castrillón, to visit the Arnao Mine Museum, the only underwater mine in Europe (closed in 1915). As in the previous examples, the wooden castor of the Arnao mine was named Cultural Interest Asset. In this case you can visit the Interpretation Center (free or guided tour), take a guided tour of the mine, the oldest vertical well in Asturias, and get to know the Worker Village of Arnao. Undoubtedly this change of landscape from the interior to the coast will surprise you.

http://museominadearnao.es/

La entrada TOURISME ET MINES se publicó primero en Aparthotel Campus.

Asturias and nature are almost synonymous. In our particular Natural Paradise we are very fortunate in that regard, so much so that around one third of the region’s surface has some kind of protection. In the case of Natural Parks, there are 5 that we find in the Principality: Natural Park of Fuentes del Narcea, Degaña e Ibias, P.N. from Somiedo, P.N. from Las Ubiñas-La Mesa, P.N. of Ponga and P.N. of Networks.

Today we want to get a little closer to this last one: the Natural Park of Redes.

Located in the councils of Caso and Sobrescobio and bathed by the Nalón River, it is just an hour from our aparthotel. Its wealth has also allowed it to be declared a Biosphere Reserve in 2001 and be included in the Natura 2000 Network, considered as a Site of Community Importance (SCI) as a Special Protection Area for Birds (ZEPA) and Special Zone Conservation (ZEC).

As if all this were not enough, within its more than 350 km2 of extension, there are 3 points declared Natural Monuments:

– The Route of the Dawn, of which we had already spoken to you on another occasion in our blog.

– Deboyu Cave, which is not a visitable cave in this case (we are talking about those that are here), but it is very important as it is the place where most of the bats of the reserve nest.

– Cascada del Tabayón del Mongayu, which is accessed by the route of the same name, which starts from the town of Tarna. The waterfall is spectacular because of the height of the fall (60 meters).

Another of the highlights is Lake Ubales, impressive for its size and the views it offers and which can be accessed by the route of the Desfiladero de los Arrudos.

As you may have already imagined, the network of hiking trails in the Parque de Redeses one of its main attractions. In Campo de Caso, capital of the council, there is the Reception and Interpretation Center, where they can inform you in detail of everything. We recommend that you stop by before starting any activity in the park, as they will also give you the guidelines to follow to be as respectful as possible with the environment.

In addition to this center, there are other equipment that you may find interesting, such as the House of Water, in Rioseco, the Wood Museum, in Veneros, the Museum of Beekeeping, in Tanes, or the Workshop of the Madreña, in Pendones .

Within the territory of Redes there are also two reservoirs (Rioseco and Tanes), and three recreational areas: El Valláu, Collá del Pandu and Los Arrudos.

WILDLIFE

Of course, wildlife in Networks has a fundamental role. In its forests, mainly of beech trees, although also of oaks, birches or chestnut trees among others, inhabit species such as the brown bear, the wolf, the chamois, the roe deer and the deer or deer. The latter offers a show during the females’ mating season (late September – early October), known as the bellowing. The sound of the clash of the antlers and the bellows of the male deer in their struggle to impose themselves on their rivals and conquer the females is something difficult to forget.

Bats are also important, as we mentioned when talking about Deboyu Cave (the cave bat and the Geoffroy bat are species of special interest).

Of course, birds are also protagonists. As a Special Protection Area for Birds (ZEPA), there is a bird observatory in the town of La Polina, in the Case council. Grouses, eagles, vultures, griffon vultures, owls, ducks and herons, or cormorants are some of the species that can be seen in Networks.

There are also less known species, such as the Iberian desman, a nice animal that is only established in very pure waters, so it is considered as an indicator of the cleanliness and health of the waters in which it lives. One more sign of the quality of the waters that run through the park.

GASTRONOMY

After visiting the Park, it’s time to regain strength. Neither Networks will disappoint you at this point, since the cuisine of the area is spectacular and overwhelming. It is worth noting the Casín Cheese, typical of the area and which has Protected Designation of Origin. The casino cow or “Asturian mountain” offers not only the milk with which these cheeses are produced, but a great meat with which to prepare delicious dishes.

The lamb with the stake is another of the typical dishes of the area, as well as the pitu caleya (poultry chicken), trout or hunting stews (deer, wild boar, roe deer …). Other typical products can be honey or sweets such as the traditional rice with Asturian milk or the “sighs of the Nalón”, traditional pasta made in Caso.

And as for the drink, the cider is the queen, although it is necessary to emphasize the elaboration of liquors and of the handmade beer “Caleya”.

Surely all this information has made you want to visit this impressive area of ​​Asturias, but if you also want to see it in images before you go, you can take a look at this report by Jesús Calleja in his program “Flying I go” dedicated to the Natural Park of Networks, where you can meet its people, another attraction in the area. Landscape and landscape.

We also recommend the movie “100 days of solitude” and the documentary “Cantábrico, the domains of the brown bear”, which although it does not focus only on Networks, will help you to better understand the fauna that inhabits our region.

If you want to complete the information that we have provided in this post, do not hesitate to visit this website: http://www.parquenaturalderedes.es/

And yes, before concluding this article, we want to emphasize that these areas have a specific regulation and code of conduct that is essential to know and respect. Find out and respect it.

If you liked our post, share it and tell us your impressions.

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There are numerous Palaeolithic sites that make Asturias internationally known. Without going any further, it is very remarkable that in Asturias there are 5 caves declared World Heritage Sites by UNESCO:

– Tito Bustillo (Ribadesella)

– The Pindal (Ribadedeva)

– La Peña (Candamo)

– El Llonín (Peñamellera Alta)

– Covaciella (Cabrales)

Apart from these, there are many other examples such as the Cueva del Demo, in Boal, declared an Asset of Cultural Interest. However, the vast majority do not admit visitors. There are currently only 6 caves that can be visited in Asturias, 3 of which coincide with those recognized by UNESCO. Here are some of them:

1. Tito Bustillo’s Cave.

Probably the best known in Asturias. It is located in Ribadesella. It was discovered in 1968 by a group of young people from Oviedo and Rioella who were fond of caving. It is made up of 12 ensembles, including the Gallery of the Horses, the Gallery of the Anthropomorphs, the Camarín de las Vulvas and the Main Panel, the only one that can be visited today. In addition, to ensure their proper conservation, there are restrictions on these visits on the number of people (maximum 150 per day) and dates (from March 1 to November 3 in 2019). Children under the age of 7 are not allowed in Tito Bustillo.

Tito Bustillo is part of a karst complex in which there are other caves such as the Cuevona de Ardines, which can be visited all year round. Of course, it is a visit “for the brave”, since to access it you will have to climb 300 steps. An effort that is certainly worth it.

The complex has been completed with the creation of an interpretation centre, the Tito Bustillo Rock Art Center, which offers a very complete and very interesting permanent exhibition, which is sometimes complemented by temporary exhibitions, and a wide range of Workshops & Activities didactic and educational to approach the Paleolithic Art.

If, after all this, you are thinking of including this visit in your plans, we recommend that you take a look at their website to see the different options available, prices, access and other information of interest.

Cuevona de Ardines (Image: C.A.R. Tito Bustillo)

2. El Pindal Cave.

The El Pindal Cave is located in the town of Pimiango, in the municipality of Ribadedeva. It is located in Cabo San Emeterio and has a single entrance over the sea. The gallery is partially open to the public and, due to its characteristics, it is not recommended for people with vision or mobility difficulties to visit and the use of warm clothing and appropriate footwear is recommended. In addition, in the case of children, access is allowed for ages 7 and up. Tours are carried out in groups of a maximum of 20 people and require prior reservation.

In this case, El Pindal also has an Interpretation Centre with free access and from which guided tours are organised. Pay attention, because although the Interpretation Centre is open from Tuesday to Sunday, access to the cave is from Wednesday to Sunday.

In this link you have all the information you need (click!).

3. Cueva de La Peña.

It is located in the town of San Román, in the neighboring municipality of Candamo. That is why it is also known as the Candamo Cave. This is the westernmost Palaeolithic cave in Europe, with different spaces such as the Stalagmitic Slope, the Wall of Engravings and the Goat Panel. Unfortunately, as a result of having allowed the visit without any kind of control, its engravings and paintings suffered serious deterioration, so in 1979 it was closed and did not reopen until 1994, after having carried out recovery work. Today, visits are limited and require prior reservation. In this case, entry is also limited to those over 7 years old.

La Peña Cave has a Interpretation Centre and Didactic Classroom of the Candamo Cavern, in which you will be amazed both by its content, with life-size reproductions and a very complete multimedia system, and by its container, as it is located in an old palace from the seventeenth century. Although the center is open year-round, access to the cave is allowed at certain times of the year.

Detail of Tito Bustillo (Image: C.A.R. Tito Bustillo)

4. Cave of La Lluera.

In the municipality of Oviedo is the Cueva de La Lluera, discovered in 1979. It should be noted that it is considered the most complete outdoor sanctuary of Palaeolithic art in Europe, in which there are representations of aurochs, deer, horses and bison. Its opening is limited to the summer period. Once again, this time mainly due to its access, visits are restricted for children under 7 years of age and elderly people or people with reduced mobility.

Here you can see more useful information for your visit.

5. Cueva de La Loja.

One of the easternmost caves in the region, in the municipality of Peñamellera Baja (town of El Mazo) and the first with vestiges of Palaeolithic art discovered in Asturias. It can only be visited at Easter and summer. It also has a Didactic Classroom. In this case, the visit to the classroom is guided and takes place prior to the visit to the cave itself. There is a maximum number of people per day and children under 7 years old are not allowed.

You can find additional information at this link.

6. El Buxu Cave.

The last of the 6 caves that can be visited in Asturias is the Cueva de El Buxu, located in Cardes (Cangas de Onís). It has 3 sets in which not only animal figures can be appreciated, but also geometric and zoomorphic ones. A very important feature of this site is the discovery of movable art, where a sculpture of a bird carved on a cave bear tusk stands out.

It is open all year round, with free admission on Wednesdays. Be careful, because the visits are very small, with 4 groups per day of a maximum of only 6 people per group. Once again, we leave you more information here.

Gallery of the Prehistoric Park of Teverga

Another way to get closer to cave art and the Palaeolithic is to visit
the Teverga Prehistory Park
, which we already told you about in this post.

As you will see, this period left great examples in our region. We have only told you a small part that we hope has been helpful and that has served to give you one more reason to visit Asturias.

La entrada Rock art in Asturias se publicó primero en Aparthotel Campus.

But Asturias is much more. Among the many attractions it can boast of are its museums, which are as numerous as they are varied. Today we want to focus on some of the ones that may be more attractive if you are traveling with children.

Asturias is a very good destination for family tourism. As we know that sometimes travelling with children can be difficult to entertain and surprise the little ones, we wanted to make it easy for you. So take a deep breath, take a seat, and most of all, take note. Started…

1. Jurassic Museum of Asturias (MUJA)

It is located in the municipality of Colunga, about 45 minutes by car from our Aparthotel.

The MUJA surprises even before it crosses its doors. The structure of its building, in the shape of a tridactyl footprint, the impressive replicas of dinosaurs that will welcome you and its privileged location, which offers fantastic landscapes, are the prelude to what awaits you inside.

Once inside, in addition to getting to know the magnificent permanent exhibition and the temporary exhibitions that you can count on at the time of your visit, your children will be able to take part in a workshop in which they will become paleontologists for a day. The workshops are aimed at children from 4 to 11 years old.

In addition, the museum has a shop, cafeteria, garden and play area.

http://www.museojurasicoasturias.com/

2. Teverga Prehistoric Park

As in the previous case, it will take you about 45 minutes to get there by car from our Aparthotel.

The facilities of the Prehistory Park have an outdoor enclosure where you will find specimens of species in danger of extinction and in the process of recovery, such as the European bison, the Przewalski horses or the aurochs of Heck, some of the protagonist species of Palaeolithic rock art.

On the other hand, there are three buildings dedicated to the visitor reception area, gallery and cave of caves. It’s the latter that you’ll probably find most impressive. An almost magical place where the interior of a cave is recreated and where sets of cave art existing in the caves of Tito Bustillo, Candamo (both in Asturias) and Niaux (in France) are reproduced.

The Prehistory Park also offers workshops for children from 4 years old, for families and for individual audiences.

Don’t doubt that children (and adults) will enjoy all this, but if that wasn’t enough, you should know that there is also a picnic area and children’s area.

http://www.parquedelaprehistoria.es/

3. Fernando Alonso Museum & Circuit

In the municipality of Llanera, just 15 minutes from Oviedo, we find a very different museum, dedicated to one of the best-known Asturians in the world: the two-time Formula 1 champion Fernando Alonso.

Fernando Alonso got into his first car when he was just three years old. The car had been made for him by his father, with the pedals adapted so that he could reach them.

In 2005, Alonso achieved Formula 1 glory. He was the first Spaniard to win a Grand Prix, the champion with the most points in history and the youngest to win the championship. The following year came the second: Fernando Alonso had already etched his name in the history of F1.

The museum is located in Llanera, about 10 minutes by car from our aparthotel, and in it you can see all the cars with which the driver from Oviedo has competed, as well as his competition teams and trophies. Formula 1 lovers And fans of the Asturian driver will have a great time in its facilities, where they will find more than 270 unique pieces: his first karts, his single-seaters, trophies, helmets, overalls… It is a unique opportunity to get closer to this world and learn about the trajectory of the two-time world champion since his beginnings when he was only 3 years old.

In addition to the museum itself, you’ll find a go-kart circuit where several of Fernando Alonso’s favourite corners have been replicated. We recommend that you find out about the circuit and its booking conditions before making your visit.

http://www.fernandoalonso.com/museo/

4. Museum of Mining and Industry (MUMI)

Just 30 minutes from our Aparthotel, you will find one of the most curious museums in the region; the second most visited museum in Asturias after the MUJA.

The MUMI stands on the grounds of the rubbish heap of the old San Vicente Mine. It has 2 floors where you can learn about the history of mining and see old locomotives, salvage trucks, rigging or mineral collections that children will love.

But what they’ll really enjoy is access to the image mine, a full-scale replica of an old mine. Located 600 meters underground, it is accessed by a hydraulic elevator called a “cage” that will be very exciting. Be careful, because access with child seats is not allowed in the image mine.

http://www.mumi.es/

5. Museum of Fine Arts of Asturias

For our last recommendation you won’t need to leave the city, as the museum is located in the old town, in front of the imposing Cathedral of Oviedo. It will be a pleasant 10-minute walk and we assure you that it will be worth it.

The Museum of Fine Arts stands out for its extensive and invaluable collection: more than 15,000 pieces of painting, sculpture, drawing, engraving, photography… spanning from the 14th to the 21st century and including artists such as Dalí, Sorolla, Picasso and Goya.

But also for its educational program, through which it tries to bring art closer to the youngest.

Throughout the year they organize workshops for children (4-12 years old), young people (13-16 years old) and families, as well as other activities such as conferences or film series.

And one last piece of good news: admission to the museum and its activities are free. Do you need more reasons to visit?

http://www.museobbaa.com/

La entrada 5 museums to visit with children in Asturias se publicó primero en Aparthotel Campus.