Portray of the Destination
Oviedo is the capital city of Asturias and maintains a vocation of administrative and university services city. The commerce has become its fundamental economic sector. The city arose on a hill that the Romans called Ovetao. His founder was the Asturian king Fruela. Today, Oviedo is a city with a remarkable international projection through the Prince of Asturias Awards, annually presented in the Campoamor Theater, and for the International Campus, to which high world-wide relevance personalities attend.

Geography
Oviedo is the capital city of Asturias. It is a small valley surrounded by the beautiful green colours of the Naranco Mount that it is only 30 km away from the Gijón coast. It is settled over a great depression originated by the collapse of the ancient Paleozoic soil, to the coastal strip and it is East-West orientated. The depression is located in the north by the Naranco Mount, and to the south by the Nalón valley that runs by the carboniferous river basin in Olloniego.

It is worth to mention the influence that the hydrologic action of Caudal and Nalón rivers have in the relief, that eroded the land originating a deep unevenness, being remarkable three features in the relief: the Nalón river (80 m), the capital (226 m.) and the Naranco Mount (637 m).

The Nora River flows from the north, by the edge of the Naranco Mount, which works as a dividing line between the Siero, Llanera and Regueras villages, it is trying to be cleaned up nowadays, since it had become one of the most polluting focal points within the central region. To the South flows the Nalón River, which enters from Langreo by Entrepeñas to open itself in a great fertile valley in the territories of Olloniego and Tudela, and to follow its course by the two banks, being the lower one part of the Ovetense village. Important tributaries of the Nalón are the San Claudio and the Gafo rivers.

Climate
Regarding climate, we should mention the existing differences between the lower and upper areas of the valley, stagnating the cold air below the 210 m level, giving rise to an incessant fog, more extreme temperatures and less frequent precipitations in the lower area. The average maximum temperature is 23°C, and the average minimum is 4.5°C. Winters are really cold and rainy, summers are warm and spring and autumns are very pleasant.

When to go
September is a good time to visit Oviedo, to enjoy the nice weather and the St Mateo Celebration. Spring and Summer are also a good choice, since there are pleasant temperatures, although it is always necessary to be cautious and to carry a coat for the nights.

History
The city of Oviedo arose on a hill that the Romans called Ovetao. Its founder was the Asturian king Fruela, son of Alfonso I, who reigned from the year 757 to the year 768. Not far from the old Lucus Asturum Roman “civita”, in 761 the presbyter monk Máximo and his nephew Fromistano decided to found a monastery at the border of the Roman road that united León-Pajares-Lugo de Llanera and later erected a hermitage in honor of the San Vicente martyr.

Subsequently Alfonso II (The Chaste) transferred the capital of the Asturias kingdom to this place and turned Oviedo into an Episcopal seat. In addition, he fortified and equipped the city with palaces, churches and other structures like an aqueduct (today completely disappeared). During his reign a tomb was discovered in Santiago de Compostela that was supposed to be of apostle St. James (in the year 812) and this king was first in visiting the tomb starting off from Oviedo, so Alfonso II became Santiago de Compostela's first pilgrim and the first pilgrim's way was inaugurated. Thanks to his contact with the Charlemagne court, a crowds of pilgrims started heading towards Santiago through the Pyrenees and down to Oviedo, thus the North way is the oldest Pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela. The first Pilgrims travelled this way since the South way was not safe at that time, in spite of being already reconquered, Muslim attacks were frequent. In fact the southern road was used later on, as only the subsequent kings were able to defeat the Muslims beyond the Douro river.

In the year 1075 the King of León and of Castile, Alfonso VI, visited Oviedo as a pilgrim. He solemnly opened the “Holy Ark” in San Salvador Church, containing many good relics that had been hidden in Mount Monsacro since the Muslim invasion. Oviedo and its relics became internationally famous, as from this day, so that pilgrims heading towards Santiago de Compostela, took a detour in León and went north to venerate this relics. In fact there is an old saying that goes: “Whoever goes to Santiago and doesn’t go to San Salvador, visits the servant but not the Lord”.

In 1388, King John I founds the Principality of Asturias, a title first used by infant Don Enrique, son of John I, and that was later on used for every successor to the crown; Oviedo turns into the Principality capital. At the same time, the “Junta General” of the Principality of Asturias is created, a public law institution that worked permanently in the Principality from the middle of the 15th century until 1834, year in which it was replaced by the Diputación (Provincial Council).

Traditions
Throughout the year, Oviedo celebrates cultural and recreational events that constitute an attractive offer. Some of the most deeply-rooted traditions in the city are:

PARADE OF THE THREE WISE MEN (January 5th), it goes along the main streets.

CARNIVAL: it is a celebration that becomes more popular through the years, it’s very colorful, with numerous parades and costumes competitions.

EASTER: conjugating history and secular tradition that renews year after year within the framework of its retrieved urban city. Streets turn into a live temple along which processions, organized by different Brotherhoods, parade.

THE ASCENSION FESTIVITY (Variable in May): This festivity is dedicated to the countryside, with cattle exhibitions, agricultural machinery, handicrafts and local foodstuff, all this accompanied by music and regional dances.

THE “BALESQUIDA” or “MARTES DE CAMPO” (the First Pentecostal Tuesday ): This celebration arose in the 13th century thanks to the donation that Mrs. Velasquita granted to the Brotherhood called “los Sastres” to aid the have-nots. The main attraction is centered in the Procession of the Virgin, from the San Tirso Church to the Balesquida Chapel; followed by the distribution of the “ bollu preñau” (chorizo stuffed bread) and the celebration of a cheerful “romería” (pilgrimage).

THE SAN JUAN BONFIRES (Night of the 23 of June): a great multitude of local people meet around bonfires that rise in the different city districts, being the Plaza de la Catedral the most monumental one, around which the Danza Prima (traditional Asturian dance) is performed.

SAN MATEO FESTIVITY (September): During this month spectacles and traditional, artistic and sport activities take place, among others.

Gastronomy
Oviedo is a cosmopolitan city that has wisely known how to combine different styles and ways to elaborate gastronomy, without forgetting its Asturian root. It is a classic cuisine based in stews but also creative with its “sidrerías” (restaurants specialists in serving cider), inns, wineries, delicatessens and “tapas” bars, constitute, among many others, its ample and varied gastronomic offer. Experts use produce from the land, the coast and the Asturian mountains and transform them into truly culinary works of art. The best fish, vegetables, meats, cheeses, etc…

Modern, creative and Asturian cuisines are combined with traditional dishes like “pote de Antroxu”, chick-peas with codfish and spinach, the carne gobernada (stewed veal), vegetable stew and that typical confectionery of Oviedo, the Carbayón. Together with this exquisite offer, the cider plays an important role, it is the regional drink par excellence, and finds in Oviedo the best setting for tasting it.

Basic Dictionary
YES: si. NO: no. HELLO: hola. GOOD BYE: adios. GOOD MORNING: buenos días. GOOD AFTERNOON: buenas tardes. GOOD NIGHT: buenas noches. PLEASE: por favor. SORRY: lo siento. THANK YOU: gracias. DOCTOR: médico. PHARMACY: farmacia. NUMBERS: 1: un. 2: dos. 3: tres. 4: cuatro. 5: cinco. 6: seis. 7: siete. 8: ocho. 9: nueve. 10: diez. 11: once. 12: doce. 13: trece. 14: catorce. 15: quince. 16: dieciséis. 17: diecisiete. 18: dieciocho. 19: diecinueve. 20: veinte. 21: veintiuno. 22: veintidós. 30: treinta. 40: cuarenta. 50: cincuenta. 60: sesenta. 70: setenta. 80: ochenta. 90: noventa. 100: cien. 1000: mil. DAYS OF THE WEEK: MONDAY: lunes. TUESDAY: martes. WEDNESDAY: miércoles. THURSDAY: jueves. FRIDAY: viernes. SATURDAY: sábado. SUNDAY: domingo. COMMON WORDS: BIG/SMALL: grande/pequeño. HOT/COLD: caliente/frío. OPEN/CLOSED: abierto/cerrado. GOOD/BAD: bueno/malo. NEW/OLD: nuevo/viejo. PUSH/PULL: empujar/tirar. ENTRANCE/EXIT: entrada/salida. LADIES/GENTLEMEN: señoras/señores. FAR/NEAR: lejos/cerca. LEFT/RIGHT: izquierda/derecha. TAXI: taxi. BUS: autobús. MEALS: BREAKFAST: desayuno. LUNCH: comida. DINNER: cena. MENU: menú. WINES: vinos. DESSERT: postre. THE BILL: la cuenta. COMMON SENTENCES: DO YOU SPEAK ENGLISH?: ¿Habla inglés?. I DON'T UNDERSTAND: no entiendo. WHERE IS IT?: ¿donde está? HOW MUCH IS IT: ¿Cuánto es? WHAT TIME IS IT: ¿Qué hora es? COULD YOU HELP ME: ¿Puede ayudarme?

Currency
Euro is the local currency. There are 500, 200, 100, 50, 20, 10 and 5 euro bank notes. There are also 1 and 2 euro coins, together with 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1 cent coins.

Currency Exchange
1.00 USA Dollar= 0.82 Euros; 1.00 Sterling Pound = 1.45 Euros.

Prices
In comparison with other European Union countries, and perhaps due to its high tourist vocation, Spain is one of the cheapest countries. Obviously, prices vary depending on the season, being higher during the summer and lower in the winter.

Useful Info

Official name
Oviedo
Country
Spain
Time Zone
GMT+1
Official Language
Spanish
Surface area
186.65 km²
Population
196,156 inhabitants
Political Regime
Constitutional Monarchy
Public holidays
January 1st : New Year. January 6th : Three Wise Men Celebration. March-April: Holy Week. May 1st : Labor Day. June (first pentecostal tuesday): Martes de Campo. August 15th : Virgin’s Assumption Day. September 8th : Asturias Celebration. September 21st: Saint Mateo Celebration. October 5th : Saint Froilán Celebration. October 12th : National celebration of Spain. November 1st : All Saints Day. December 6th : Day of the Spanish Constitution. December 8th : Day of the Immaculate Conception. December 25th : Christmas.
Religion
Catholicism is the most popular religion within the country. Four out of five Spaniards consider themselves Catholics. After the Catholics, atheists or agnostics, and other minor religions are also found. As far as members, the second religion in importance is the Muslim, which has an estimated of 80,000 congregation, arrived during the recent immigration waves. After them, the Jehovah’s witnesses with a 103,784 congregation. There are also several Protestant denominations that add near 50,000 followers, as well as about 20,000 Mormons.
Religion
Mainly Catholic
Arrival / Departure
The access by air to Oviedo is through the Asturias airport, located 50 kilometers away from the city. Oviedo can be accessed by road from any direction in Spain since the highways connects the city comfortably and safely with the rest of the country. In addition, it is interconnected to the national railway network, making the access by train another alternative.
Safety
In Oviedo, people are conscious of the amount of tourists that get there, for that reason security is a priority. In this territory the institutions count on several services which aim is to make the coexistence easier and to help during emergencies. General precautions to avoid theft must be taken such as going out with just the amount of necessary money and to watch purses and wallets around crowded areas.
Visa
The European Union tourists do not need visa to enter Spain. Neither those citizens of the United States, Argentina, Mexico, Brazil and the rest of the Latin American countries, though a return ticket must be bought. Travelers from Australia, Anguilla, Bermuda, Canada, Cyprus, South Korea, Hong Kong, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Israel, Japan, Macao, Malaysia, Montserrat, New Zealand, Saint Helena, Singapore and Turk & Caicos do not either need visa provided that they do not stay more than 90 days in Spain.
Clothing
Clothing, which does not have very fixed rules, changes according to the climatic period, the place or the circumstances. Spaniards usually do not over dress to attend to work or to share leisure time with others; in general casual comfortable clothes are used, without forgetting that during the month of January, warm clothes are a must.
Electricity
Electricity in Oviedo is 220 or 225V, AC, 50Hz. Sockets take two round plugs.
Radio and Television
There are many TV channels in Oviedo: Oviedo Televisión, Teleasturias, Televisión Centro, Corvera Televisión and Canal 6 among others.

The main Radio stations are: Cadena Cien Oviedo / 92.8 Cadena Dial Asturias / 91.1, 98.1 COPE Asturias / 1.143 AM, 90.7 Los 40 Principales / 97.5 Onda Cero Radio / 95.2 Radio Asturias / Several frequencies. Radio Maria / 95.5 Radio QK Racha / 107.3 Radio Sele / 106.5 Radio Vetusta / 106.9 Somosradio / 100.6
Telephone
The Spanish phone code is 34 and the Oviedo code is 985. To make a phone call to another country you must first dial 00 and then the international code of the country you would like to call to and finally dial the subscriber phone number. For phone calls within Spain a special code is not required.

The most important mobile phone operators are Amena – www.amena.com-, Movistar/Telefónica Móviles -www.movistar.tsm.es- and Vodafone-www.vodafone.es-. Telephone booths are very common along the streets and they work with coins or phone cards. There are also the called locutorios, they are establishments with many phone booths, where coins or cards are not needed, just pay in cash the phone call after the conversation. In many of this kind of places it is also possible to send and receive faxes and there are computers with internet connection as well.
Police
092
Ambulance
985 235025
Fire Brigade
080
Tourist health care services
006
Newspapers and Magazines
Besides receiving all National newspapers such as “:El País”, “El Mundo” or “La Vanguardia”, Oviedo also has local editions: “LA NUEVA ESPAÑA” (www.lne.es); “LA “VOZ DE ASTURIAS” (www.lavozdeasturias.com); “QUE! ASTURIAS” (www.queasturias.com).

The most important magazines are: “Época”, “Semana”, “Interviú” and “Tiempo de Hoy”.
Postal Service
The post office system is efficient. Letters within Europe usually arrive after 3 to 5 days. A certified postal shipment costs a minimum of 2.5 euros. Schedules: from 8:30 to 20:30 on weekdays, Saturdays from 8:30 to 13:00. Oviedo’s post offices are located in:

Avenida Fernandez Ladreda, (CARREFOUR) Telephone: +34 985 113847;
Padre Ferrero, 4 Telephone: +34 985 201306;
León y Escosura, 1 Telephone: +34 985 273993;
General Elorza, 75 (HIPERCOR) Telephone: +34 985 213030;
Luis Xinielga, 19 (COLLOTO) Telephone: +34 985 985704;
Alosnso Quintanilla, 1 Telephone: +34 985 208884;
Celestino Zuazua, 4 (TRUBIA) Telephone: +34 985 784774;
Coronoel Aranda, 2 Telephone: +34 985 237807.
Health Care Services
Health care services in Spain are good, offering a large network of Health care Centers. Some of them are listed below:

Instituto Nacional de la Salud: calle Manjoya, LOS BARREDOS (33174) Telephone: +34 985 797070;
Centro de Especialidades Lila: Calle Lila, 2 (33002) Telephone: +34 985 108900;
Centro de Salud Teniente Alfonso Martínez: Calle Otero, s/n (33008) Telephone: +34 985 219196;
Centro de Salud del Cristo: Calle Álvaro Flórez Estrada, 23, (33006) Telephone: +34 985 236561;
Centro de Salud Ventanielle: Calle Río Cares, 3 (33010) Telephone: +34 985 288001 Fax: +34 985 111995
Airport
The Asturias airport connects Oviedo’s bordering areas, and it is located 43 Km from this city. In order to get in and out from Oviedo to the airport, taxis (around 40 euros) or Buses can be taken. The Airport information telephone is +34 985 127500, and its fax is +34 985 127516. Direct flights to/from Alicante, Barcelona, Brussels, London-Gatwick, Lanzarote, Madrid, Malaga, Palma de Mallorca, Paris-Orly, Seville, South Tenerife and Valencia are offered in this aerial terminal.
Public Transport
Urban transportation within the city is made by the TUA company (Transportes Urbanos de Oviedo). Its headquarters are located on the Oviedo Bus station and the Telephone number for further information is: +34 985 222422. A total of 12 bus services goes not only within the city, but to some other towns in the municipality of Oviedo too.
Railway
There are three daily train services that connects Oviedo to the Spanish capital, the journey takes approximately between six and eight hours depending on the service that is taken. The adult fare goes from the 37 euros. The railway station of Oviedo is located in Calle Uría, s/n, and there are three bus numbers stopping at this station (2, 4 and 7), and it is also possible to get a taxi or rented vehicles.
Bus
Below. we detail the bus services that departs / arrives from Oviedo, with its respective contacts:

INTERNATIONAL SERVICES: París, Brussels, Geneva, Zurich.
-ALSA / INTERCAR: Telephone: +34 902 499949. http://www.alsa.es
Offices and departures: OVIEDO BUS STATION: Calle Empresario Pepe Cosmen, s/n .

INTER-REGIONAL SERVICES: León, Valladolid, Madrid, Barcelona, Zamora, Salamanca, Cáceres, Badajoz, Seville, Lugo, Corunna, Santiago de Compostela, Pontevedra, Vigo, Tuy.
-ALSA / INTERCAR: Telephone: +34 902 499949. http://www.alsa.es
Offices and departures: OVIEDO BUS STATION: Calle Empresario Pepe Cosmen, s/n.
-TURYTRANS: Information Telephone: +34 902 499949. http://www.alsa.es
Offices and departures: OVIEDO BUS STATION: C/ Empresario Pepe Cosmen , s/n.

REGIONAL SERVICES:
-ALCOTAN: Telephone: +34 985 219149
Offices and departures: Padre Suarez, 27-33008-Oviedo
-ALSA: Telephone: +34 902 499949. http://www.alsa.es
Offices and departures: OVIEDO BUS STATION: C/ Empresario Pepe Cosmen , s/n .
-ALVAREZ GONZALEZ. Telephone: +34 902 499949
Departure: OVIEDO BUS STATION: C/ Empresario Pepe Cosmen, s/n.
-EASA. Telephone: +34 902 499949. http://www.alsa.es,
Departures: OVIEDO BUS STATION: C/ Empresario Pepe Cosmen, s/n .
-EMFERBUS. Telephone: +34 985 464709.
-HORTAL. Telephone : +34 985 730967. http://www.autocareshortal.com info@autocareshortal.com,
Departures: C/ Jeronimo Ibran, s/n.
-LLANERA.Telephone: +34 902 499949. http://www.alsa.es
Departures OVIEDO BUS STATION: C/ Empresario Pepe Cosmen, s/n.
Car
Main road accesses to Oviedo city are: N-634 – from the West, National Road, coming from Galicia. N-632 and A-8: from the East, National Road and Highways coming from the Basque Country and Cantabria. N-630 and A-66, from the South, National Road and Huerna Motorway coming from La Meseta.
Car Rentals
AVIS: Train Station. Calle Uria; Telephone: +34 985 241383 (www.avis.es).

RUMBO: Train Station. Calle Uria (www.rumbo.es).

SPAIN CAR: (www.spaincarsa.es).

CURIN: (www.curin.es).

ASTUR-DRIVE CAR: Calle Pepe Cosmen, Telephone: +34 902 222818 (asturcar@fade.es).

EUROPCAR: Asturias Airport.

NATIONAL ATESA: Asturias Airport (www.rentalcargroup)
Ship
Oviedo can not be accessed by boat.
Spanish embassy in the destination
 
Taking pictures
 
See climate
www.woldweather.org
Currency converter
www.xe.com/ucc
A dinner
Between 25 and 40 Euros
A coffee
Approximately 1.5 Euros
The Bus
0.85 Euros
The taxi
Daytime fare: 1.25 euros initial fare plus 0.67euros every kilometer; 16.50 each waiting hour.