Soria: the city that’s still discovered in a low voice
Soria is probably one of Spain’s least crowded provincial capitals. And far from being a problem, that’s its biggest draw: here you can still stroll around a square without feeling crowded, step into a Romanesque church and have it almost to yourself, and sit down to eat without booking a month in advance.
I’ve been guiding tours around the city and the province for years, and every time I accompany someone from out of town they ask me the same question: “Why isn’t Soria better known?” I don’t have a clear answer, but I can show you why it’s worth it.
Soria’s Romanesque art, without the crowds
Soria has one of the finest collections of Romanesque art in Castile and León, and one of its jewels is the Church of Santo Domingo. Its façade is, for me, one of the most beautiful in Spanish Romanesque: a sculpted portal with a level of detail that surprises anyone who wasn’t expecting it, with biblical scenes carved in stone that have withstood almost eight hundred years.
When I visit with a group, I like to pause for a few minutes before explaining anything. Let them look at it in silence. Because some buildings speak for themselves, and this is one of them.
Just a few steps away, the complex formed by the Co-Cathedral of San Pedro and the ruins of the Monastery of San Juan de Duero—with its cloister of interlaced arches inspired by Mudéjar art—rounds out a route that in any other city would be full of groups and queues. Here, almost always, it’s just you and the stone.
Beyond the historic centre
Soria is only the starting point. The province holds landscapes many travellers don’t expect to find in Castile: the Lobos River Canyon, Laguna Negra—surrounded by legends that Bécquer immortalised in his Rhymes and Legends—or villages that still preserve their medieval layout almost intact.
On my routes around the province, I always try to combine three layers: the historical one (what happened here and why it matters), the legends and characters that have shaped the area, and a look at the economic and urban development that explains the Soria of today. Because you don’t understand a place only through its monuments, but also through what made it change over time.
A city to visit at an unhurried pace
If I had to sum up Soria in one idea, it would be this: it’s a city for those who seek quality over quantity. There are no long queues, there’s no need to book months in advance, and the connection with the person showing you around is usually warm and personal.
I offer guided tours of Soria city and the province in Spanish, English, French, German, Portuguese, Italian, and Romanian, always with a free, no-obligation consultation beforehand to tailor the tour to what each visitor is looking for. For those who want to go beyond the city, I also organize tours around the province, evaluating the best transport options depending on the group.
If Soria has been on your list of places to visit for a while, now is a great time to tick it off.
Giulio Zanette Official tour guide of Castile and León (CL/000863)
