I went to Soria (capital) on Friday, and there�s nothing about it on the board already, so here goes:

Soria, though a provincial capital, is pretty small, at about 1000 metres above sea level. It has a reputation for being cold. There aren�t any must-see sights there, though a number of the churches and the like were good.

One of the really nice things was that you can walk for about 15 minutes from the centre and find yourself apparently in the countryside (am thinking of the banks of the Duero). Along those banks are some of the main sights (monasteries and a hermitage).

I didn�t go to Numancia (important pre-Roman city which held out for a very long time against the Romans, before becoming itself an important Roman stronghold) about 7km away.

There are 2-3 trains a day from Chamart�n, it was 10,75 one way (3 hours each way). Beyond Torralba on the rail journey, there�s just a single track and manual signalling. The countryside around Soria seems very empty (this is one of the least-populated areas of Spain) and I saw quite a few boar.

There appear to be a number of other places in Soria province worth visiting. Stephen

I agree with Stephen. IMO Soria is one of Spain's most beautiful towns, and best kept secrets.

Set in a valley sitting right alongside the Duero this small town is a great place to visit for a weekend away. Plenty of historic sites to see such as the church of San Saturio carved from the side of a cliff face and San Juan de Duero. The majority of sites can be visited by foot it is a small/med town of 30k people.

The fiesta (San Juan) is one of the best also! From watching the horseman round the bulls up in the campo outside of town to the final day down by the beautiful Duero, it is a sight to behold! (Plus you will probably be the only guiri there - besides me of course ). It beats the tourist-laden fiestas of other towns hands down.

Famous also for its football team (C.D. Numancia - 2nd Div, sometimes Primera! maybe 04/05!) which is known for its "giant-killing", the spirit of the Numantinos (Los Sorianos) can be best felt at the archaelogical site of Numancia nr Garray.

Soria is also famous for being the town which captured the heart of one of the most famous Spanish poets, as well as by one of their girls. Antonio Machado lived in Soria and wrote many a poem about the local countryside and its people.

I could go on, but I am sure you want to click that "BACK" button.

If you do go, keep your eyes open for a tall, blonde Aussie. Offer to buy him a beer, and he'll be your guide (historic sites and/or great bars of Soria - your choice ).

Cheers, Mark

Soria Info - www.valonsadero.com and www.sorianitelaimaginas.com and me...