Territorio Tarón, the place where you’ll wish time would stand still

Nowadays, wine tourism is one of the best options for discovering small, hidden landscapes, such as those that Territorio Tarón has to share with those who come to discover it.

On your arrival, you will find a landscape dotted with priceless heritage, authentic gastronomy and wines, friendly and welcoming people, and accommodation where you will wish time would stand still. An all-round experience around the world of wine, its people and its history.

Territorio Tarón is synonymous with peace and quiet, with stopping and enjoying its people. It is said that the people of La Rioja are people who are ready for conversation. And on your next visit you will be able to confirm this. Leave your mobile phone and watch behind.

Generations of farmers have left their mark on these centuries-old vineyards, shaping a landscape and a character of their own in which viticulture and heritage go hand in hand. That’s why, before reading on, we must warn you: it’s quite possible that after this trip you’ll want to stay here forever.

Today we are going to introduce you to the four municipalities that give life to Territorio Tarón: Cuzcurrita de Río Tirón, Sajazarra -which holds the title of being one of the most beautiful villages in Spain-, Tirgo and Villaseca.

We begin with Cuzcurrita de Río Tirón. What was once a walled town of great importance in the Middle Ages is also included in a prestigious list of the “Magic Villages of Spain”.

Highlights include the imposing castle of Los Velasco, which dates back to the 14th century, its church of San Miguel, an 18th-century Baroque building, a national monument since 1978, and its entire town centre, of simple beauty and full of large houses. Also worthy of special mention is its restored laundry built in 1862, as well as the medieval bridge over the river Tirón, built by local inhabitants in the 15th century.

Following the route through the villages of Territorio Tarón, we come to Sajazarra, which for almost four years has held the title of being one of the Most Beautiful Villages in Spain. This town, surrounded by landscapes of vineyards and other crops, has buildings of great architectural and cultural value.

The village is a historic-artistic site, fortified and with pointed arches in its walls. It has an imposing 14th century castle, one of the best restored in La Rioja, and its 12th and 13th century church of La Asunción, next to the castle.

If we talk about Sajazarra, it is obligatory to mention its open-air contemporary art pieces. Sculptures dot the whole town and blend in with its architecture. Among them, the head of a metallic dragon on the façade of the Town Hall or “The woman in the moon” in a medieval house stand out. In the church, we find “La campana de la Mora”, made with photos of the local inhabitants, and the mythical “Manos de Sajazarra”, hands that seek to intertwine and which are located in the narrowest alley in the village.

We change town and continue our journey until we reach Tirgo. Bathed by the waters of the river Tirón, this municipality hides a Romanesque jewel from the 12th century: the parish church of El Salvador, and here you can also admire its urban area with large ashlar houses and coats of arms from the 17th and 18th centuries.

And we end this route in the small town of Villaseca, at the foot of the Obarenes Mountains. It still conserves an entrance arch of what was once a walled enclosure. Its heritage resources include the aforementioned Church of San Román, a late 12th or early 13th century work in the Riojan Romanesque style and considered to be the best and most complete example of Calceta’s Romanesque style.