Skip the crowds of Magaluf and Marbella and instead discover a more picturesque, more romantic and far less crowded Spain with a trip to its smallest city.
Welcome to Frías. With less than 300 inhabitants, it is the smallest town in the country. Despite its minuscule size, Frías retains the status of city that was granted to it in 1435 by King Juan II of Castile.
The streets of this medieval citadel are so narrow that it is not possible to walk through them: visitors must park and use their legs to explore.
And there is a lot to see.
There are striking houses hanging from vertical rock faces and a striking 12th-century castle perched on a rocky hill – the Castillo de los Duques de Frías – which offers visitors stunning views of the town and the picturesque surrounding landscape.
Welcome to Frías. With less than 300 inhabitants, it is the smallest town in Spain.
The streets of Frías are so narrow that they cannot be driven through by car: visitors must park outside the perimeter and use their legs to explore.
The striking Castle of the Dukes of Frías, from the 12th century
The image shows striking houses hanging from vertical rock walls. Image courtesy of Creative Commons License
One visitor said the castle offered the chance to “travel back to medieval Spain”
The castle can be visited for €2 (£1.70), and children enter free.
According Spain’s tourism website‘It has beautiful mullioned windows and offers a stunning panoramic view.’
One visitor said the castle offered the chance to “travel back to medieval Spain.”
By sharing a review on Tripadvisor, the tourist Continued: “An excellent castle in an intact medieval village. This small town is well worth the drive.”
“The views from the towers and the narrow, winding streets are unforgettable. There is plenty of good food in the local restaurants.”
The castle can be visited for €2 (£1.70), children enter free.
The Castle of the Dukes of Frías offers visitors impressive views of the city and the picturesque surrounding landscape.
Other tourist attractions in Frías are the Church of San Vicente Mártir (left), the small park of Alfonso VIII and the Frías bridge (right), which has a defence tower and crosses the Ebros River.
Another said it was “worth the trip,” while one visitor said all of Frías was “spectacular.”
Other tourist attractions in Frías are the Church of San Vicente Mártir, the small park of Alfonso VIII and the Frías bridge, which has a defence tower and crosses the Ebros River.
There are also many local restaurants, including Restaurante El Albergue, Ortiz Bar Restaurante and Mesón Fridas, serving Spanish cuisine.
You can spend the night with him Frias Country Hotel in the city centre offering rooms from £79 per night.
Frías is located in the region of Castilla y León, less than two hours by car from Bilbao, on the northern coast of Spain.. The nearest airport is Bilbao, but Brits can take a ferry from Portsmouth to Bilbao and drive instead of flying. The total journey takes 32 hours with Brittany Ferries.