Soria: A Chilly Town of Just 40,000 Souls ❄️

I visited around Dec 20, and after seeing news of -23°C there today, I decided to share this hidden corner of Spain. 📍 Basic Info Capital of Soria province (pop: 40,000 / whole province: 90,000) Located in Castilla y León, central Spain (1,000m altitude, 230km from Madrid) 3h by bus/train from Madrid The Duero River flows east of town, winding all the way to Porto’s iconic iron bridge! 🏛️ Sights (Few but Quirky) 🌳 Alameda de Cervantes Park – Vast greenspace (spooky at night!) ⛪ Iglesia Santo Domingo – 12th-century church 🏰 Ermita de San Saturio – Tiny cliffside hermitage (engineering marvel!) 🦞 Estatua Cangrejo – River crab statue (locals eat them, but Chinese visitors will giggle) 🏛️ Museo Numancia – Artifacts from ancient Numancia ruins (7km north) 🌉 Brick bridges south of the train station – Dramatic heights + misty views = photo gold! ❄️ My Frozen Adventure Came here as a transit stop after a 6hr night bus (arrived at 4AM!). No hotel—roamed empty streets like a shivering hobo (claimed -3°C but *felt like -10°C* 🥶). Police questioned me (lone Asian at dawn = suspicious?), but Soria is very safe—just battled hypothermia in stairwells/parking garages. Sunrise saved me—town looks quaint in daylight! 🚗 Beyond the Town Castle Gormaz: Spain’s largest Muslim castle ruins (epic but car-required). Other medieval villages dot the countryside. 🍖 Food Typical inland Spanish fare: roast lamb, stews. 💡 Verdict ✔️ Quiet, authentic, frozen-in-time ✖️ Not worth a special trip (unless you’re a castle-chaser with a car!) #Spain #OffTheBeatenPath #Soria #WinterTravel #MadridDayTrips