Ourense in 1 Day
Every visit should begin at the Municipal Tourist Office, located in Father Fejoo’s Gardens. There, we will be glad to explain the whole tourist offer of the city and we will provide you with maps and brochures. We will also inform you about the schedules of tourist resources.
Come to the area of As Burgas to understand the origin of the city and its thermal tradition. You can start by touching the hot waters and then see the most urban thermal pool (and even take a bath in it). You will also discover the archaeological remains of the Roman settlements and you will understand its history with a visit to the Interpretation Centre.
Walk up to the Main Square, centre of the old town, where some of the most emblematic buildings of Ourense are found: the City Hall, the former Bishop’s Palace, the Church of Holy Mary, Mother of God …
Here you can take the opportunity to take a break at some of the terraces in the esplanade.
Going up Dames’ Square you will arrive to the Cathedral’s southern gate, located at the beautiful Wheat Square, from where you can access the temple. Inside you will find gems such as the Holy Christ, the Main Chapel or the impressive, polychrome Gate of Paradise.
Continuing through Los Suaves’ Square and Mayor’s Square, take the stairs: at the end of them awaits a spectacular view of Ourense. Here you will find St. Francis’ Cloister, a gem in Gothic style that you must visit. Don’t forget to stop at the annexed room, the “Anthology of Sculpture”. The pieces exhibited here, from the funds of the Provincial Archaeological Museum, invite you to a journey through history.
The narrow streets surrounding the cathedral (Unión, Hornos, Lepanto, Hierro, San Miguel, Eironciño …) are known as “Os Viños”: the city’s tapas area par excellence. Definitely a good place to discover the local gastronomy.
You can devote the second part of the day to the river’s natural hot springs. You can go there walking, cycling, by car … but also taking the Thermal Train from Main Square, a public transport that will take you comfortably to all of them. Either in A Chavasqueira, Muíño da Veiga or Outariz, we suggest that you not only see them, but also take a bath. A bathing suit, flip flops, a towel and the wish to relax are the only necessary requirements.
When returning, you can make a stop to see all the bridges that have been built over river Minho, from the most modern one (Millennium Bridge, in which you can climb the walkway to the viewpoint) to the most historic one (the Old Bridge, erected by the Romans two thousand years ago).
From the bridge you will arrive to the urban centre, St. Lazarus’ Park. The streets surrounding it form an open-air shopping mall where fashion and accessories fill the shop windows.
And back to the Historic Centre, which is even more lively when the sun comes down. In Ourense at night, the tapas, the terraces, the drinks and the music reach another dimension.