Teruel, Municipality in Aragon, Spain
Teruel is a town at 915 meters (3000 feet) elevation where the Guadalaviar and Alfambra rivers meet in northeastern Spain, with connections to Valencia and Zaragoza. The center sits on a plateau surrounded by hills, with narrow lanes and Mudéjar towers.
King Alfonso II founded the settlement in 1171 to secure the southern border against the Almohads, after earlier Iberian and Roman communities occupied this site. During the 13th and 14th centuries, towers and churches rose here that combined Christian and Islamic building methods.
The architecture throughout the town shows the influence of Mudéjar craftsmen, who worked under Christian rule and brought Islamic patterns and techniques into churches and towers. This building style remains visible today on towers and facades, shaping the character of the streets.
Parking areas lie near the old town, and public transport connects residential neighborhoods to main sights. The town is compact enough to explore on foot if you can manage steep climbs.
The town is the provincial capital with the smallest population in all of Spain, giving it a quiet character. Temperatures swing between -21 °C (-6 °F) and 41 °C (106 °F) through the year, bringing extreme seasons.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
