On the second day of our visit to Teruel, we got up early and enjoyed a hearty breakfast at our hotel, situated right next to the Torre del Salvador — a tower built in the 14th century. We pigged out during breakfast, returning to the buffet multiple times, because we knew we’d need the energy: we had a full program planned, and our first activity of the day would be a climb up the tower.
122 steps later, we emerged onto the rooftop, sweaty and questioning the wisdom of stuffing ourselves right before the exercise. The highest floor now functions as a bell tower and provides amazing views over the medieval city. Despite dating from the 14th century, El Salvador is actually one of the more recent tower built in Teruel; uniquely, it’s actually comprised of two towers, with a winding staircase found between them. On your way up, you can take a break to catch your breath in one of the mid-level rooms, which shares the history of this architectural masterpiece.
Since we’re all about amazing views, we also wanted to visit the terrace on top of the Provincial Museum. It seems like a strange place to get a view over the city, but not only is the panorama amazing, but the museum is excellent as well. It’s situated within a 16th-century Renaissance palace, adjacent to the cathedral. We especially loved a particular piece of clothing on display: a vest, which seemed to have been crocheted. Weird! We’ll post a photo below, it’s very extravagant.
Then it was time for lunch, and a chance to recharge our energy. For the afternoon, we planned to visit the Mirador Teruel, which is just to the east of the walled city center!
This mirador is not exactly one of Teruel’s well-known highlights, as it’s outside the town’s historic nucleus. But though it might not have the architecture or history, the neighborhood around the mirador is charming and worth an hour or two. From the mirador you can see the the colorful clay cliffs of the Las Arcillas Natural Park. Sadly we didn’t have time to explore the park itself, but we heard that the hiking there is wonderful.
Two days wasn’t nearly enough time in the city of Teruel, and we were sad to leave. But we were also excited for our next stop: a tiny town with a huge reputation. Stay tuned for Albarracín — you don’t want to miss these posts! The best way is to subscribe to our free newsletter.
From our Travel Blog.
