Requena

Requena is a town of 20,000 people (2018) in the west of Valencia province. It is dominated by the ancient citadel of the Moors, and still has traces of the original town walls. There are three ancient parish churches. Near the town are the sulphurous springs of Fuentepodrida. It is known for its excellent wines.

Understand
Requena (from Arabic rakka'na – 'strong') was established by the Iberians in the 7th century BCE, and was later occupied by the Romans. During the Moorish period it was part of the Muslim kingdom of Valencia, but after the Christian reconquista in the 13th century it became part of the kingdom of Castille, to which it belonged until the mid-19th century when it rejoined Valencia. Largely for this reason the principal language spoken here is Spanish, not Valencian as in other parts of the province.

In the Middle Ages the town grew wealthy from the silk trade. Following the collapse of the silk economy in the 19th century it became more known for its excellent wines, a reputation which continues to the present.



By bus
Monbus operates routes from Valencia, Cuenca, and nearby Utiel, with buses stopping at the, a block away from the regional train station. Avanza runs a line between Madrid and Valencia, with buses stopping near  on C/ Desvío Carretera, 46.

Get around
The old centre of Requena is quite small, and if you're reasonably fit you can get around just fine by foot. To visit any of the nearby wineries, though, you'll need a set of wheels.

See
Most sights are clustered in the Barrio de la Villa (aka Recena Medieval), the former Muslim quarter in the heart of town which is still enclosed by the surviving remnants of the medieval city wall.

Hiking and biking
The surrounding area offers a number of opportunities for hiking and mountain biking. The tourist office has an online list of hiking trails with trail descriptions in English.

Eat
Given Requena's inland location, local cuisine unsurprisingly is more meat-based, with influences from the neighbouring region of Castile-La Mancha. Typical dishes include gazpacho manchego, a warm soup with bread (not to be confused with Andalusian-style cold gazpacho), morteruelo, a meat paté with breadcrumbs, and a wide variety of dried sausages.



Drink
Requena, along with neighbouring Utiel, is a part of the Requena-Utiel wine-producing region, designated as a Spanish Denominación de Origen. Red wines are especially highly-regarded; the red Bobal grape which makes up nearly 80% of production is native to the region. Since the early 2000s the region has also become noted for its sparkling white and rosado wines.