Portray of the Destination
Soria is a province and a city with great literary tradition, birthplace of well known poets, dramatists and romancers and, moreover, the stage of many great worldwide literary works like Cantar del Mio Cid -The lay of the Cid-, the first known Castilian epic poetry. inspired in this beautiful lands. The Sevillian poet Antonio Machado wrote Campos de Castilla -Fields of Castille-, written in and for Soria. Gerardo Diego, the brilliant author, born in Salamanca, wrote Soria, that as its name reveals, it is a tribute to Soria city. We cannot forget the superbly Legendas Sorianas -Legends of Soria- by Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer, the first author that gave shape to the rich legendary foundation of Soria. This city is the best place to read and capture the essence of these works, to know their origins and the endless source of inspiration that Soria was for these poets.
Nowadays it is still possible to stroll along the sites these writers knew and wrote about, by the called Poet's route, that goes along the Douro riverside from the capital city to the beautiful Chapel of San Saturio or by the Route of the Cid to let the visitors enjoy the beauty of the sites described in the Cantar del Mio Cid, travelling along the same route of the epic hero. Soria is pure beauty, inspiration and poetry.
We would like to thank the "Diputación de Soria" for the information and pictures provided.
Visit:
www.sorianitelaimaginas.com
Geography
Soria's area is 10,036 square km of beautiful landscapes. The province has a very irregular geography that shapes a heterogeneous landscape that comprises high mountains and the deepest valleys, including the characteristic summer pasturelands. Forests and streams where hunting and fishing is possible; unique spots perfect to relax away from the stressing modern way of life; natural protected sites where diverse animal and vegetable species live: Soria offers you everything you can imagine.
Climate
The climate of Soria, as well as the landscapes, is very irregular, in fact the province must be divided into clearly differentiated regions. On one hand the Tierras Altas -High Lands-: the mountains situated between the Moncayo and the Urbión, crossed by a great number of valleys and outstanding frozen landscapes. To the west, we can find the called Green Soria, the largest forest mass of the Iberian Peninsula where the wooden industry and the rural tourism prevail. The oriental zone, former pasturage area, is currently almost depopulated, but their towns continue conserving all the charm of long ago. To the south the high wastelands are located and in the centre it is the grain-producing and the winegrowing zones of the Ribera del Duero -Douro Riverside-. Finally, the Capital of Soria, is a tranquil and peaceful city that conserves all the artistic attraction of its great historical period, the Middle Ages. The diversity of its climate and lands let the visitors enjoy their favourite activities and sports in their leisure time in the historical towns and villages, surrounded by outstanding landscapes.
When to go
Known for its cold winters, dry summers and mild autumns, the best time to visit Soria is the autumn season, when the visitor will be able to enjoy the best landscapes, trips and excursions without worrying about extreme temperatures.
History
The history of Soria can be seen in every corner of the province. Its caves, ruins, monuments and even the abandoned towns are a testimony of its activity in remote times. Soria counts on an impressive palaeontological heritage, a sample of its early history. In their lands valuable pre-historic remains, like the rock paintings, are conserved in different caves, or the dinosaur's tracks along the Route of the Dinosaurs, that goes through Bretún, Santa Cruz, Villar del Río and Yanguas. In its traditions, based essentially in the cult to the bull and fire, Soria shows its Celtiberian character as a result of the Celtic and Iberian cultures' union during the 4th century. The Celtiberians left many important archaeological remains like those of Numancia, Uxama (Osma), or Termancia (Tiermes), and singular historical stories such as the called Gestas de Numancia -Historic Deeds of Numancia-, that relates how the Soria population resists against the Roman besiege until, exhausted, they decided to surrender the city in flames after their collective suicide. Visiting the Celtiberian ruins means knowing the heroic resistance of Soria and how a few courageous citizens caused a tremble of the Roman Empire.
During the Middle Ages, Soria reached its major historical splendour becoming the Romanesque treasure that is still nowadays. Palaces, churches, chapels ..., all testimony of the magnificence that the province lived in that period and also of its importance within the national territory due to its frontier strategic situation among the different kingdoms that conformed what later would be known as Spain.
The splendour of this Medieval period supposes the arrival of the Modern Age. The unification of the kingdoms of Castile and Aragon, and later the annexation of other Kingdoms of the Iberian Peninsula were, without doubt, the main episode of this historical period. Also, many important social changes happened: the property of the lands passed from the King to the feudal lords. The landholders have all the power in their hands, both civil and criminal law, apart from the right to set and collect taxes. This situation benefited the noble families of the region whose coat of arms are still present in many of the monuments that embellish the province. The numerous wars of that period, to which Soria contributed with its troops and victuals and, the successive droughts in a area that is predominantly agricultural, had an adverse impact both in the economic and social area.
The Contemporary Age was marked by continuous military conflicts in which the Spanish nation was involved. Since the Carlist Wars to the Spanish Civil War of 1936 together with the Dictatorship of Primo de Rivera and the Republic governments, Soria has lived through a social, economic, and a political instability that was generalized in all Spain, but that seemed to be worst in the agricultural areas. This situation had an impact on the emigration and the gradual aging of its population. Those who could work used to go abroad or to other regions within the Iberian Peninsula to get a good wage and only the aged people stayed in the region. However, Soria cannot be easily forgotten, they were just willing to go back to their birthplace and many of them returned after a long time.
Currently, Soria is recovering its former splendour, looking to the future with new hopes which are mainly focused on tourist possibilities due to timeless beauty of its landscapes, which have been the power of its growing economy. Soria manages its tourism in the most intelligent way trying to conserve its natural environment and restoring its charming towns, once abandoned and today recovering its liveliness.
Traditions
Some of the most symbolic traditional celebrations in Soria are: the Bajada de Jesús Nazareno -the descent of Jesus of Nazareth-, the first Sunday of September; the Barrosa, a combination of carnival and mythological ritual that commemorates the legend according to which a lady agrees to the loving pretensions of a shepherd as long as he sacrifices his best calf for her; the festival of Candelas and San Blas, at the beginning of February, characterized by a war dance, done with olive tree sticks and tiny shields; the Pinochada, celebrated in August, consists on a series of represented battles in which people attack each other with pine tree branches; Saint John's festival is a celebration based on the bull cult during six days; and the Easter festival which was declared of tourist interest in 1997.
Gastronomy
Due to the great cereal production of Soria, one of the main culinary traditions is the one based on the flour: the pastry. Rosquillas -bagels-, mantecadas -shortbreads-, roscos -buns, sobados and sobadillos, anisados, lagartos of Berlanga de Duero; empiñonados and huecos de Agreda; lemon and almond cookies; yellow or red cakes or egg and chicharrones cakes; crusty cakes in the city, El Burgo and Ágreda; large oil bagels in the High lands; buns in all the province; biscuits, fardeles of Monteagudo; turrones and marzipans and still a wide rage of pastry all over the province.
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
The official currency is the Euro (€) and the system of weight and measures is the decimal metric system.
Currency Exchange
1 Euro (EUR)= 1.20 Dolars, 1 Euro (EUR)=0.68 Sterling Pound (GBP)
Prices
Soria is not one of the main tourist destinations, nevertheless it is one of the most welcoming and special sites within Spain, a city which landscapes are of memorable beauty. This is the reason why visiting Soriat can be an unforgettable experience for a very reasonable price.
Useful Info
Official nameSoria
CountrySpain
Time Zone+ 1 GMT
Official LanguageSpanish
Surface area10,036 sq. km.
Population35,178 inhabitants
Political RegimeConstitutional Monarchy
Public holidays
1st January: New Year, 6th January: Epithany, 1st May: Labour Day, 1st November: All Saint's Day, 6th December: Day of the Constitution, 8th December: Our Lady of Inmaculada Concepción Day, 25th December: Christmas Day.
Religion
Though the majority in Soria are Catholic, there is freedom of worship.
Religion90% Catholics, 8% Muslims, 2% Jews
Arrival / Departure
One of the best ways to reach Soria is through the motorway as it is very well connected with the main Spanish cities. Also train connections are available.
Safety
As everywhere in Spain, the security is a priority for the police. In this region the institutions of Soria include various services which objective is to make the every day life easier and to help in the event of an emergency.
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
If travelling during the winter it is reccomended to take a coat, during the summer it is better to wear thin clothes without forgetting a jacket for the refreshing nights.
Electricity
220 Volts AC, 50 HZ
Radio and Television
The main radio stations that can be listened in Soria are: RNE, Tel; (0034) 975 21 21 77, Cadena SER (0034)975 22 75 00, Cadena COPE, Tel (0034) 975 23 90 59 as well as an extensive local and national radio stations. In terms of television, apart from the national chanels such as TVE, Antena 3, Cuatro, Tele5, it is possible to watch regional channels such as Soriavisión, Tel: (0034) 975 24 08 24 and Channel 4 Castilla y Leon, Tel (0034) 975 23 92 00.
Telephone
The telephone code for Spain is 34 and for Soria is 975. To call abroad dial 00 followed by the code of the country, and then dial the subscriber's 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.
PoliceNational Police: 091 / Local Police: 092 (for emergency)
AmbulanceRed Cross: (0034) 975 222 222
Fire BrigadeFire Brigade: 085 (0034) 975 220 700
Tourist health care servicesTourist Information Centre: (0034) 975 212 052 Emergency: (0034) 975 221 550
Newspapers and Magazines
Some of the main publications of the city and the province of Soria are: the Diario de Soria ((0034) 975 21 20 63) and the Heraldo de Soria (975 23 36 07). The national newspapers are ABC, La Razón, El Mundo, El Pais, which can be easily get.
Postal Service
The postal service is efficient. Letters inside Europe can take between 3 to 5 days to reach their destination. A registered post costs a minimun of 2.5 Euros. Opening hours: 8:30 to 20:30 and saturdays from 8:30 to 13:00.
www.correos.es
Health Care Services
The health care centres in Soria, as everywhere in Spain, offer a permanent health assistance to all the population in their respective area. They include services that guarantee a direct and comfortable care to the user.
Airport
It does not have Airport, the nearest one is the Madrid airport.
Public Transport
The main public means of transport operating in the city of Soria are the buses and the railways.
Railway
Railway Station: El Cañuelo. Carretera de Madrid, s/n. Tel: (0034) 975 230202
Bus
In Soria there are several urban bus companies which make different routes throughout the city. Bus station: Tel: (0034) 975 231313.
Car
The main road and motorway access to the city of Soria are: the N-122 if coming from Valladolid, the N-234 if coming from Burgos, the N-111 if coming from Logroño or Madrid and the A-68 if coming from Bilbao. For more information consult the map.
Car Rentals
Avis (Avda. de Mariano de Vicen, 1. Tel: (0034) 975 228461)
Europcar (C/Ángel Terrel, 3-5. Tel. (0034) 975 22505)
Ship
Due to its geographical situation, it cannot be accessed by boat.
See climate
www.worldweather.orgCurrency converterwww.xe.com/uccA dinner15-20 Euros
A coffee1 Euro
The Bus1 Euro
The taxi2.30 Euros when the metre starts running.
The UndergroundSoria has no Underground.
The trainDepends on the distance
