Gijón Travel Guide

Many discerning visitors are discovering Asturias and Cantabria’s exquisite green landscapes and vibrant culture. From the Pyrenees to the Portuguese border, the Atlantic coast is at its most scenic here, while the mild climate has created lush meadows and broad-leaved forests – a picturesque paradise indeed. However, the jewel in Asturias’ crown is undoubtedly the city of Gijón, an industrial port and cultural capital that is refined and ‘real.’ This isn’t a tourist enclave but a living, breathing Spanish city untouched by mass tourism.

Gijón‘s history is shrouded in mystery until the 13th Century – in 1270, the Spanish King Alfonso X bestowed the settlement of Puebla’s status (village). However, Northern Spain and, indeed, Asturias boast a long and turbulent history – nomadic tribes and neolithic farming communities were eclipsed by settlers from the Mediterranean, who were, in turn, supplanted by the Romans. They came to Spain to fight the Carthaginians and take possession of the Iberian Peninsula’s enormous mineral wealth. Nevertheless, it took 200 years to subdue Spain.

Unfortunately for the Romans, the fall of the Empire in the 5th Century left Spain in the Visigoths’ hands, invaders from the north. In the 6th Century, Asturias fell under the control of the Visigoth King Sisebut, although at this point in history, it is unclear if Gijón existed as a settlement at all. However, historical evidence shows that after the Moors conquered most of Spain following their invasion in 711, Gijón, or the land where modern-day Gijón stands, fell under the Berber governor’s control as Uthman ibn Naissa or Munuza.

In 718, the tide started to turn, and Christians defeated a Moorish force at Covadonga in the Picos de Europa. Asturias subsequently became one of Spain’s first Christian Kingdoms, although the Moors made several attempts to reconquer their lost territory. After that, there is no elegant mention of Gijón again until 1270. But we are confident that Asturias’s forces helped to regain land from the Moors in the 11th Century and that by the 1400s, only parts of Andalucia remained under Muslim control.

After Alfonso X of Castile officially recognized Gijón as a village in the 13th Century, the settlement became important as an Atlantic port. But, sadly, the good times would not last – the war in the late 14th Century between Henry III (Prince of Asturias) and Alfonso Enriquez of Castile decimated Gijón.

However, the 15th and 16th centuries would see peace and prosperity return to this corner of Asturias. In the same year (1492), the Catholic Monarchs captured the last Moorish stronghold of Granda, and Columbus discovered the Americas. Subsequent trade with the New World brought unprecedented riches to Spain – coastal cities such as Gijón benefited enormously from the new trade routes. The town had many fine new buildings, a dock, and an improved port area. This prosperity continued into the 17th Century, during Spain’s Golden Age.

This era gave birth to Spain’s most famous artists – El Greco and Velazquez – and writers, especially Cervantes and Lope de Vega. Gijón‘s importance as a port of commerce grew, as did the mansions, which soon became an emblem of the town. Yet all was not well in Spain – ruinous wars with the Low Countries and France led to economic deterioration, and the good times were about to end.

In the 18th Century, they brought hardship and good fortune to the people of Gijón. Carlos II’s death signaled the Habsburg line’s end, and Felipe V, the first Bourbon King, ascended the throne in 1700. Spain was subsequently ruled as a centralized nation after Felipe V defeated the forces of Barcelona in 1714. Later in the Century, Gijón benefited enormously from creating the Oviedo–Gijón road, which helped to encourage further trade and the industrialization of Asturias. This Century also saw the birth of the city’s most famous son, Gaspar Melchor de Jovellanos, an eminent author, reformer, and diplomat.

The 19th Century was no less contradictory, a time of economic growth, industrialization, and bloody conflict. Gijón was a thriving city, well-placed to take advantage of the growing importance of mining coal and European trade via its excellent infrastructure, mainly its expanding port. A new port called El Musel was built in 1893, the first entry point for coal into Spain. Hand in hand with this impressive economic growth was rapid urbanization – new streets, squares, and neighborhoods such as La Calzada sprung up, and Gijón’s population ballooned during this period. Meanwhile, an invasion by revolutionary France led to the War of Independence or Peninsula War. Later came the Carlist Wars – caused by another succession dispute – liberal revolts, and the short-lived First Republic.

The defining moment of the 20th Century was the start of the Spanish Civil War in 1936. On 17 July, Nationalist generals rose against the Republican Government and declared Franco head of state on 29 September. Gijón sided with the Republicans, and fierce fighting broke out until August when the resistance was wiped out. Subsequently, Nationalist troops captured Gijón in October 1937 and occupied the city until the end of the war in 1939. After the War, Franco tightened his grip on Spain, outlawing the regional languages and unifying Church and State.

Gijón breathed a sigh of relief in 1975 – Franco’s death and the transition from dictatorship to democracy proved surprisingly swift and painless. The previously outlawed Socialist Workers’ Party won the general election in 1982 and set about modernizing Spain, devolving considerable power to regions like Asturias. Unfortunately, the last decades of the 20th Century saw the decline of once-prosperous metallurgical and shipbuilding industries, as competition from emerging economies made these enterprises unprofitable.

Nevertheless, Gijón greeted the 21st Century with optimism – new industries have emerged, and the city increasingly benefits from domestic and foreign tourism. Yet the beauty of Gijón is its timeless quality, typified by a stroll through the city’s charming old town, situated on a small isthmus and headland. Known as the “Barrio de Cimadevilla,” it centers on the arcaded Plaza Mayor. Locals gather in their droves to sip wine and sometimes listen to Asturian bagpipers’ powerful melodies, often seen in the old town. Masters of the Gaita Asturiana are a fitting emblem of a city that, while contemporary and modern, also proudly clings to its fascinating past.