Laguardia · La Rioja Alavesa · Spain

Laguardia

villageold quarterwine countrygoogle verified

easy

9/10

best: autumn harvest, spring, year-round

charming, historic, gastronomic

A local would say...

Below this medieval village's streets lie hundreds of metres of wine cellars carved out of the rock — the village sits on top of its own wine cellar.

A medieval walled village perched on a ridge above La Rioja's vine-carpeted plains, Laguardia was known as 'La Bella' in medieval times and retains a labyrinthine historic centre of narrow cobblestone streets and remarkable stone architecture. The Iglesia de Santa María de los Reyes has a breathtaking polychrome Gothic doorway, while underground the village is hollowed out with bodega tunnels dug over centuries to age wine in constant cool.