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The route includes several monuments in four conference towns
RUTA DE LA PLATA, FOLLOWING THE VESTIGES OF THE ROMAN ROAD
Since 1997, Spanish art heritage, through its historic references and emblematic places, has boasted a cultural tour which has been growing in size and importance as a tourist product: Ruta de la Plata. This 800 kilometre circuit brings together different monumental and landscape resources, including the legacy present in the cities of Gijón, León, Salamanca and Seville.
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The communication hub linking the Cantabrian coast with the lands of the south of Hispania in the 1st century, whose transit contributed to the spread of culture, forms the route of the current Ruta de la Plata, made up of 19 members of the Cooperation Network of Cities on Ruta de la Plata, including four cities specializing in meeting tourism, which are Spain Convention Bureau members. The Autonomous Regions of the Principality of Asturias, Castilla-León, Extremadura and Andalusia comprise this route, which incorporates several World Heritage cities and enables convention and incentive travel delegates to get to know, through cultural visits, unique enclaves near the meeting facilities of Gijón, León, Salamanca and Seville, included on this cultural tour.
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The Roman spas, the Asturian settlement of Campa de Torres and the Roman village of Veranes, in Gijón, the Roman walls, the Roman village of Navatejera and Miliarios Museum, in León; the walls and Salamanca Museum, in Salamanca; and the remains of an ancient temple from the period in calle Mármoles, in Seville, are part of Ruta de la Plata’s riches which can be discovered in these cities as an ancillary activity to their culture and leisure offer.
In recent years, Ruta de la Plata has created a link between the different administrations and municipalities assigned to the route and the councils’ tourist boards, thereby centralizing the entire activity through a jointly managed technical office, set up in Gijón. Throughout 2005, the Office has carried out different training, preparation, promotion and marketing actions with respect to the Route, obtaining extremely positive results.
Passport to history
 The interest of a growing number of travellers, especially young people between 20 and 40, in discovering the major attractions of Ruta de la Plata was the main reason behind the Cooperation Network of Cities on Ruta de la Plata’s decision to issue a free passport, which can be obtained via prior request at any of its offices or via its web page. The success of the initiative, which enables all those people who have stamped the document in all the member towns to take part in a draw of prizes and discounts, is being repeated for the second year running in January 2006, with several new features. Besides giving holders up to 10 per cent reductions on hotels along the Route, the correctly stamped passports will receive a Reward Card, valid for twelve months. With it, holders can obtain additional discounts and special rates in accommodation and establishments along this tourist route, including its conference towns. |
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