Home to two of the world’s great tapas streets, Logroño is a can’t miss stop on a foodie trip to Spain.
Like most of present day Spain, the Romans conquered the region and called what we know as Logroño “Vareia.”
The Visigoths defeated the Romans and took over the city in the 5th century CE, followed by the Muslims in the 8th century. The Muslims were pushed out of this region much earlier than the rest of Spain as part of the so-called “Reconquista.”
In 1609 and 1610, Logroño was the center of the “Basque Witch Trials,” an offshoot of the Spanish Inquisition and a horrible time when people were encouraged to identify their relatives, neighbors, and friends as witches. Once accused, a victim could escape punishment by admitting to the “crime” of witchcraft and informing on other “witches” in their community. In all, 7,000 people were accused of being witches. Six were ultimately executed by burning at the stake and four others died in prison. Others were tortured, often for the crime of practicing folk medicine.
In the 1850’s, the phylloxera pest was killing off huge swaths of vines in Bordeaux. Many winemakers moved to Rioja to set up shop and figure out why the Spanish vines were immune to the plague.
In the end, the vines of Rioja were not immune and phylloxera marched through the vineyards, killing off the crops in rapid succession. But, the Bordeaux winemakers brought valuable knowledge to Rioja and local vintners soon adopted their methods including the extensive use of oak aging. Today, wine from Rioja is some of the most prized in the world.
Calle del Laurel and Calle de San Juan are the iconic tapas streets of Logroño and two culinary can’t miss gems when visiting the city. Both are vibrant and packed with people at night, but a little more chill and manageable earlier in the day.