Top Rated Attractions in Oviedo

This park is an oasis of green in the city center. It originally formed the San Francisco monastery's market garden until the end of the 19th century. Nowadays it covers an extensive area and includes leafy avenues, ponds, play areas and kiosks. There are interesting features like the Romanesque entrance to the ancient San Isidoro church and numerous sculptures. It's open 24 hours a day and is well worth a wander through to see all the varieties of trees, such as horse chestnut, banana, American sequoia, ash, walnut and Japanese acacia.

With over 8000 pieces on display, the ancient Museum of Fine Arts of Asturias represents the largest public art collection in Oviedo, Asturias. Opened in 1980, the museum is housed in three beautiful Baroque palace style buildings, the Palacio de Velarde, the House of Oviedo-Portal and the House of Solís-Carbajal. Apart from the local paintings and sculptures, the museum also houses fine art collections from other countries.

At Oviedo's core lies its striking historical center, a bustling neighborhood featuring a cluster of historic structures and cultural institutions that are emblematic of the city. Major attractions concentrated in the area include the stunning Oviedo Cathedral, Museum of Fine Arts of Asturias and Cathedral Square among others.

This fine example of Pre-Romanesque Asturian architecture is located on the slopes of Monte Naranco, the hill that dominates the city. King Ramiro I had it built as a palace in the mid-9th century. It's a rectangular, two-story building. The ground floor has a large vaulted room with two beautifully enclosed balconies at one end and a crypt. There's a door in the eastern wall leading to a room which is partly underground and thought to have been the royal bathroom. The upper story is light and spacious, with a barrel-vaulted ceiling supported by arches. It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1985. It's of great historical interest and there are guided visits every 30 minutes, ending at San Miguel de Lillo.

This is one of the largest and best preserved Pre-Romanesque churches in Spain. It was built during the reign of Alfonso II (9th century) as part of the royal retreat. The style was in keeping with Roman and Visigothic traditions. It has an entrance porch with a rounded brick archway leading to a wing with aisles and a large stone cross. The windows have ceramic shutters with geometric designs. The paintings and sculptures inside are outstanding. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985.

Encompassing the entire history of the region of Asturias, the scenic Archaeological Museum of Asturias is housed in part of the San Vicente Monastery and displays items pertaining to the historic and ethnographic heritage of the Asturias Region. The range and diversity of the exhibitions put on display include materials and collections from periods such as the Early, Mid and Late Palaeolithic, the Epipalaeolithic and the Metal Age. Remnants of the early Romanisation era in Asturias are also showcased here. Notable features of the museum include the Vega del Ciego mosaic, epigraphs and ceramics. The San Miguel de Lillo and Santa María del Naranco altar stones, along with the splendid 12th Century sarcophagus of Doña Gontrodo Petri are also quite remarkable.