Valle del Nalón
- Caso, Langreo, Laviana, San Martín del Rey Aurelio, Sobrescobio Centro de Asturias
The cycle touring experience in Valle del Nalón is within everyone's reach. Just twenty minutes by car from Oviedo/Uviéu, is the starting point for routes that run along old mining roads to trails that cross stunning natural landscapes.
From Llangréu/Langreo starts a medium-difficulty route specially designed for road or gravel bikes that goes deep into the mining area of the valley. On the way to San Martín del Rey Aurelio and Bimenes, cyclists can enjoy both nature and the rich industrial heritage of the area, combining the kilometres of cycling through mountain scenery with a few breaks to visit the important historical and cultural resources along the way.
The Asturias Iron and Steel Museum (MUSI) offers an interesting journey through the history of the iron and steel industry in the region and its fundamental role in industrialisation; the Pozo Sotón, declared an Asset of Cultural Interest and one of the few in Europe that allows guided tours of the interior, is also worth stopping along the route for the experience of going deep into the earth.
Fun on two wheels on the Coal Trails
In Laviana several routes recover the old mining roads for the use and enjoyment of cycling tourism enthusiasts, these are known as the Coal Trails. Adapted to different levels of difficulty and with routes of varying lengths, these itineraries, suitable for mountain biking, allow you to observe, as you ride along them, vestiges of mining activity, such as abandoned mine entrances, old train tracks and industrial bridges. In addition, cyclists can enjoy a more rural setting, with small villages and the omnipresent greenery providing a peaceful and scenic experience.
Among the trails is the country's first certified Flow Trail, a sustainably built circuit where the adrenaline is pumping thanks to jumps, speed bumps, cut-offs and countless twists and turns.
Cycling in the Redes Natural Park
In the Redes Natural Park, located less than an hour's drive from Oviedo/Uviéu, the rest of the region's cycling routes are concentrated, with more technical and challenging terrain for high-level cyclists. Rusecu/Rioseco acts as the starting point for several inland touring routes that head towards Cangues d'Onís/Cangas de Onís.
Before starting the ascent to the Collada de Arnicio and admiring the panoramic views from its summit or continuing on to Tarna, it is worth stopping in Tañes to visit the Collegiate Church of Santa María La Real or the museum dedicated to beekeeping.
On the route from Teverga to Rioseco, do not miss the Romanesque church of San Nicolás, declared an Asset of Cultural Interest and, on the river, one of the best preserved medieval bridges in Asturias.
Valle del Nalón for mountain biking
Lovers of cycle touring in Valle del Nalón who want to cycle through it by mountain bike can discover the Redes Natural Park on a route with a cumulative vertical drop of over 2000m in an unforgettable mountain biking experience.
With spectacular peaks and deep valleys furrowed by gorges and gorges, the Redes Natural Park is an environment of great natural beauty and the entire Valle del Nalón is dotted with villages that today reflect the traditional rural life of Asturias with stone houses, granaries and typical Asturian bread baskets.
In any of them it is worth stopping to taste the local gastronomy, which marks the celebrations of the region with the highest density of gastronomic Festivals of Tourist Interest in Asturias. From the Stuffed Onions in L' Entregu/El Entrego, the Turnip Festival in Sotrondio, the Stuffed Peppers in Blimea, the Gastronomic Festival "His Excellency the Fabada" in La Felguera to the Quesu Casín Contest, in El Campu, Caso, the oldest cheese documented in all of Europe.
Valle del Nalón offers an unforgettable journey through kilometres of routes where you can be amazed by the vestiges of industrial heritage, key to the history of Asturias, with options to make cultural stops and enjoy the beauty of this unique natural environment.
