Elciego

This is where an imposing titanium building coexists alongside a Baroque church that looks like a castle. From the San Vicente hermitage, you can glimpse the perfect view of Elciego, a sea of vineyards, and Laguardia against a Cantabrian sierra backdrop.

This modern construction is home to the Hotel Marqués de Riscal and is the work of Frank O. Gehry, the same architect that designed the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao. In this case, his building houses a luxury hotel, Michelin star restaurant, spa specialising in vinotherapy treatments, and a convention centre.

The old Marqués de Riscal bodega together with the new building make up the Ciudad del Vino, which has already become an international icon.

Quite nearby, you will find a church with unequal-sized towers and an altarpiece inside that took 40 years to complete, as well as a handful of baroque buildings. Stroll through town and look for house number 3 on Bebedero Street. Do you see the twisted bars on one of its windows? They are like that because that is how chemist Aniceto Bañares Arrabal dispensed medicines to his clients in the 19th century.