Walk around Logroño

What to see in Logroño

Logroño, a junction of Ways, hides true treasures between its streets full of history, not only architectural or cultural, but also gastronomic. The city stretches along the river Ebro which serves as a natural border and once a defensive wall. There are many historical moments that treasure its buildings and the mere fact of walking through its streets already gives us part of the warmth and hospitality of its people.

Proposed itinerary to visit Logroño

The route of a walk around Logroño takes us to know emblematic buildings and places of the city. Diving through its history, we will discover customs and deep-rooted traditions that unite with modern and current Logroño to, without a doubt, make us enjoy our visit to this city, capital of La Rioja.

Concathedral of La Redonda

The Market Square next to the imposing towers of the ConCathedral of Santa Maria, La Redonda as it is known for its Romanesque origins, in its origins there in the twelfth century had a circular layout, marks the beginning of this urban tour that will take us to discover part of this hospitable city. The current building of La Redonda is the result of numerous extensions and improvements, the result of its rise in rank over the years, going from collegiate church to the current co-cathedral. Of these extensions, the two tall towers that rise towards the sky of logroña stand out above the others, being a clear exponent of the Baroque of La Rioja. In its interior we can contemplate the rich cultural heritage it treasures, its altarpiece, the different chapels, as well as the sculpture of the Holy Sepulchre, of great beauty, in addition to the different pictorial works that make up its collection. The Twins, as they are known to the towers of La Redonda are visible from different points of the city and next to the towers of the churches of Palacio, Santiago and San Bartolomé to which the Puente de Piedra is added, create the unmistakable silhouette that the pilgrims contemplate on their arrival in Logroño.

House of the Sciences

Once we visited the concathedral, we followed the course of its façade along Portales Street. Soon we found another of the symbols of the city, the Chapiteles Palace, owned until 1862 by the Marquises of Someruelos. From here the itinerary makes us border the building leading us to the nearby church of San Bartolomé, built in the thirteenth century, old gateway to the town, which among other things include its imposing Gothic facade that will undoubtedly surprise us. Now fully inserted in the historic quarter of Logroño, we leave San Bartolomé behind us to go through the network of streets in search of the Church of Santa María de Palacio, built in ashlar has been the reason for numerous reconstructions over the years but its characteristic tower known as the needle undoubtedly symbolises the medieval period of the city. The Calle Mayor takes us to the city limits, delimited by the river Ebro, the undisputed protagonist, next to the Stone Bridge, of part of the history of Logroño. Few people know the real name of this pass over the river, Bridge of San Juan de Ortega, and that seems to inherit the name in honor of the builder of the first bridge that was here, crossing this bridge allows us to contemplate a magnificent panoramic view of the city and its link with the river. The Iron Bridge accompanies our passage as we head towards the House of the Sciences, the old Municipal Slaughterhouse that today houses a multipurpose space dedicated to science where different exhibitions are shown throughout the year and that as part of its facilities we have the Science Garden, where we will be able to experiment with science through the elements and apparatus installed there.

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Centre of the Culture of the Rioja

Returning on our steps we will be able to intuit what the pilgrims feel when arriving until here crossing the Way of Saint James and the bridge of Stone, while we contemplate the Park of the Ebro, a true lung of the city that follows the course of the Ebro contributing a space for the walk and the sport. This time it is Rúa Vieja street that, following the Way, will guide us through Logroño, taking us to the doors of the typical cellars such as Calao de San Gregorio, a calado are the old underground cellars, usually excavated under the ground although we can also find them built outdoors and covered later. As an example of this wine culture, we have the Rioja Culture Centre, built over a 15th century palace, where we can learn more about wine through exhibitions, tasting courses and various cultural activities that take place throughout the year.

Walls and Gate of the Revellín

We continue our journey following Rúa Vieja street to reach another of the landmarks of the Way and the city, the church of Santiago el Real, which next to the square and the fountain of the same name are a must for any pilgrim or visitor. From here we follow the course of the street contemplating the enormous mural with the different seals of the Way as it passes through La Rioja, for almost at the moment we find ourselves in front of the Old Convent of La Merced, today parliament of La Rioja and in the past until the tobacco factory. We are in the limits of the old fortified city and sample of it is the only conserved door of the old wall, the Gate of the Revellín or Gate of Carlos V that receives this name by the great imperial shield with which it counts. We pass through this gate to contemplate the remains of the old wall that in this area receives the name of Revellín, in it the artillery bucket stands out, even today it can be visited and it will let us see the defensive framework that protected the town from enemy attacks.



San Juan and Laurel Streets

We leave the walls behind us to go down the lively Bretón de los Herreros street, where the theatre of the same name is located, to the Espolón Park, presided over by the equestrian effigy of an illustrious from logroñés, General Espartero. The palace of the Government of La Rioja is a silent witness of another era under the shelter of the wooded Glorieta del Doctor Zubía, from here we submerge ourselves in the gastronomic Logroño going into the Calle San Juan to taste the atmosphere and the tapas that characterize each establishment. Without time to assimilate so much variety is the Mercado de San Blas or Plaza de Abastos, a unique building built in 1927, which allows us a little respite while we soak in the produce of the land that is traded there, before returning to enter another of the mythical streets of Logroño, La Laurel.

Museum of La Rioja

After our journey along this singular street, in which we will taste a great variety of worked skewers, it is the street itself that leads us to the vicinity of the Museum of La Rioja, housed in an 18th century palace owned by the Duchess of Victoria, wife of General Espartero. In the museum we will be able to deepen, through its permanent and temporary exhibitions, in the history and the culture of this region making us a small idea of the treasures that it keeps. Another singular building of neobaroque style, next to the palace of the museum, without a doubt will call our attention, is the old Post Office that giving way to the cinematographic Portales Street serves us to get lost in the run of the people of this city in search of the corners that without a doubt still it can offer us.

Map of the route

This map is a sketch made as an example of the route, in no case represents the best or the only itinerary to follow. Its development has not taken into account the current rules of circulation or the state of the places through which it passes and that could affect its layout.