Pola de Allande

Pola de Allande sits on the bank of the Rio Nison and has never been easy to reach -- which explains why the medieval pilgrim hospitals were built up on the mountain passes rather than down here. The town is small but welcoming, and the Hotel La Nueva Allandesa routinely earns praise from pilgrims for generous portions of Asturian home cooking.

The Palacio de Cienfuegos de Penalba, a Renaissance manor, stands at the edge of town. Pola has been the historical capital of the Allande concejo -- a municipality that encompasses some of the most rugged terrain in western Asturias.