Logroño: Rioja’s Easygoing Wine Capital

This narrow lane and its side streets are the beating heart of the old town, packed with dozens of small bars barely wider than a doorway. Each one does a single thing well. It might be grilled mushrooms stacked on bread, a slab of seared foie, or a skewer of prawns, and you order by holding up fingers for how many. The tradition is to eat one, drink a small glass of Rioja, and move on to the next. It fills up and comes alive after dark, so it doubles as the city’s main thing to do in the evening.

Logroño’s co-cathedral rises over the Plaza del Mercado with two matching Baroque towers, known locally as las gemelas (the twins). Inside, behind the main altar, hangs a small crucifixion painting long attributed to Michelangelo, though its authenticity has never been proven. It stays dark until you drop a coin in the box to light it. Climb the north tower and the old-town rooftops open up below you, with the river beyond.

The oldest church in the city stands on Calle Barriocepo, right on the Camino de Santiago. A huge stone statue of Saint James on horseback rides above the door. Pilgrims stop here to get their credential stamped, and the pavement outside is laid out as a giant board version of the Goose Game, its squares marking the stages of the route. The Fuente del Peregrino, where walkers still fill their bottles, bubbles up right beside it.

The Stone Bridge carries the Camino across the Ebro on a row of tall arches. From the far bank you get the classic view back over the water to the old town. Below it, the Parque de la Ribera runs along the river, a wide, green space where locals walk off dinner in the long evening light. Cross the bridge as the sun drops and the whole old town glows behind you.

This 16th-century stone gate is the only original entrance to the walled city still standing. You walk straight through its low archway into the old town, just as pilgrims and traders have for five hundred years. Above the arch sits the double-headed eagle of Emperor Charles V, flanked by the city’s own coat of arms. Its three lilies were granted after Logroño withstood a French siege in 1521. A stretch of the old defensive wall, the Muralla del Revellín, runs alongside it.

Set in the 18th-century Palacio de Espartero, this free regional museum fills floor after floor. It runs from gilded medieval altarpieces to the wine presses and farm tools of everyday Rioja life. It is a cool, quiet stop between meals, and it costs nothing to step inside. Check the opening days before you go, as regional museums often close on Mondays.

The evening pintxos crawl is the city’s signature experience, and it needs no booking. Start on Calle Laurel, order one thing at each bar — many are known for a single dish — and pair it with a small glass of Rioja. When Laurel gets crowded, slip round to Calle San Juan, which serves the same quality with a more local, less packed feel. Go early (around 8pm) for elbow room, or later for the full buzz.

Logroño is a major stop on the French Way, and the marked pilgrim route runs right through the historic centre. You can follow the brass scallop-shell markers from the Puente de Piedra past Iglesia de Santiago el Real and out through the Puerta del Revellín. It is a free, self-guided walk that links most of the old-town sights in one easy loop, whether or not you are a pilgrim.

Logroño sits at the centre of the Rioja wine region, and dozens of wineries within a short drive open their doors for tours and tastings. A guided visit is where a booking earns its keep: a good host walks you through the vineyard, the cellar and a tasting flight, and explains what makes a Reserva different from a Crianza — things you cannot get from the bar.

The Espolón is the city’s grand central promenade, lined with trees, benches and a statue of General Espartero on horseback. It is the heart of local life and the main stage for festivals. From there it is a short walk down to the Parque de la Ribera along the Ebro, an easy green loop that makes a good pause between the old town and a meal.