Discover the rich, historic culture of Oviedo through site visits, museums, and more.
Guided tour of Oviedo historic center: Students tour the historic center of Oviedo with Art Historian Laura Barrientos
Roman Baths and Villa Veranes (Gijón): Students go on a guided tour of the Roman Baths in Gijón, and the Roman Villa in Veranes (nearby).
All-day excursion to Cangas de Onís, Covadonga, and Llanes: Students travel to Covadonga to see the site of the battle of Covadonga (8th c.), the shrine to the Virgin Mary located in an ancient cave, and the 19th-century Basilica of Covadonga. We then move on to Cangas de Onís, the first capital of Asturias and see the Church of Santa Cruz, Roman bridge, and (if you like), a swim in the river under the bridge. The last stop is the picturesque beach city of Llanes, with a beautiful historic center, traditional open air market, marina, beach, and walking path with a view of the sea (and ice cream).
Café with the professor: A weekly (optional) opportunity to have a coffee and informal chat with the faculty leader and fellow participants (in English).
Camino Primitivo: Together with the faculty leader and GEO staff, hike a 5 mile section of the Camino Primitivo, the original route of the Camino de Santiago stretching from Oviedo to Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, to get a taste of what it's like to walk the Camino as a pilgrim.
Cathedral of Oviedo: The Cathedral of Oviedo is home to a collection of important relics, such as the santo sudario, a cloth used to cover Jesus after his crucifixion, the sandal of St. Peter, and much more. We will read medieval legends about how these relics came to Oviedo.
Ruta Revolución 1934 (Oviedo): In 1934, local miners rose up against the Spanish government to fight for workers' rights. We will go on a walking tour to show us how the uprising took place in the same streets where we live and study every day.
Church of San Julián de los Prados (Oviedo): This church, along with other monuments in Oviedo, are a UNESCO World Heritage site. This is one of the best-preserved churches from the 800s in Europe, and an important site for Asturian cultural history. We will go on a guided tour by Art Historian Laura Barrientos.
Herminio Cidery (Colloto): In a town nearby Oviedo, we will visit the Llagar Herminio, a cidery where every year they turn 14,000 kilos of apples into many many bottles of Asturia's favorite drink. We will also sample a variety of Asturian artesanal cheeses in support of our food studies module on Cheese.
Museum of Mining and Industry (MUMI): Mining is single most important industry for understanding Asturian history and culture. We will go on a guided tour of a facsimile coal mine to learn about the working conditions of the men and women who spent decades working in difficult, dangerous conditions to put food on the table.
Farewell Banquet at Gran Taberna (Oviedo): In the patio of a beautiful building in the historic center, we'll celebrate the end of the program over traditional Asturian dishes and beverages. A great way to bring our time together to a close.