A commercial town of medieval origin and long-standing maritime tradition, it boasts an old quarter dotted with mansions, gardens, fountains, churches, arcaded houses, and more... all of which lend it a unique atmosphere. The size and proportions of its estuary, and the fact that it passes right through the heart of the city, make Avilés the only city in Asturias with a major river flowing at the foot of the old town, one of the best preserved in all of Northern Spain.
Land of discoverers such as Pedro Menéndez de Avilés - the conqueror of Florida in the Americas -, the city has an artistic calling besides being open to innovation. What's more contemporary Avilés also experienced a major industrial revolution in the form of the steel industry, which has lent it the post-industrial 'appearance' that inspired the genius of architecture Oscar Niemeyer to design the last of his major international projects, a cultural centre that bears his name and is a symbol of the urban and sociological renewal the city has undergone.
That's Avilés... commercial, maritime and medieval.