About the Area:
The rich soil of La Rioja enables the preparation of some of the specialities which make up its recognized culinary tradition. Asparagus, beans, peppers, artichokes and other vegetables and pulses are the basic ingredients of a long list of dishes such as vegetable stew, potatoes "a la riojana", lamb and kid cutlets with vine shoots or stuffed peppers.
The traditional desserts are pears in wine. The almond pastries from Arnedo or the marzipan from Soto (made with sugar and ground almonds) are regional specialities.
La Rioja is synonymous with great Spanish wines. For decades, wines from La Rioja, protected by their own Designation of Origin standard, have been a benchmark for excellence throughout Spain and beyond.
The deep tradition of devotion to St. James which exists in La Rioja is felt in each and every one of the towns which the Pilgrim's Road to Santiago de Compostela crosses in this province. Leaving Logroño behind, the French Road passes through Navarrete, with the remains of a pilgrims' hospital, and Najera, a former royal court. Here you can stop to admire the Monastery of Santa Maria la Real, which is noteworthy for its splendid cloisters and its use as a pilgrims' shelter. Continuing along this route, walkers must branch off a few kilometres to San Millan de la Cogolla to admire the incredible beauty of the site formed by the Monasteries of Suso and Yuso, declared World Heritage Sites. Santo Domingo de la Calzada is the last great staging post of the Road in La Rioja. Outstanding in this well-looked after town are its walls, its Roman road and the Cathedral of San Salvador.
To the south of the region you can tour the Route of the Dinosaurs, an itinerary which takes in the tracks left by these prehistoric animals.
Another of La Rioja's attractions is its wealth of nature. The Sierra de Cebollera National Park, in the Los Comeros region, bordering on the province of Soria, is home to one of the greatest examples of glacial scenery in the peninsula.
Attractions
Museo de la Rioja - Historians and art lovers will enjoy a visit to this Baroque palace in Logrono, the capital of La Rioja. The museum houses an interesting collection of Reinaissance and Impressionist works, which were confiscated from monasteries and convents in 1835.
Haro - This little town is in the centre of La Rioja's wine production area. Take a tour of the wine cellars or bodegas and let the proud vintners ply you with some of the finest Spanish wines available.
Catedral de Santo Domingo - This Romanesque church was built in the eleventh century by King Alfonso VI and dedicated to Saint Domingo, a pious hermit who lived in the area. A climb up the tower of the cathedral rewards you with a stunning panoramic view of the city.
Camino de Santiago - A part of the Camino de Santiago, known in English as the Way of Saint James, leads through the La Rioja region of Spain. Along the way there are monasteries which are of high cultural, spiritual and artistic importance. The first religious text ever produced in Castilian Spanish was written here.
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La Rioja 
Logroño 
Albacete
