Laguardia

Laguardia, Spain, Spain

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Laguardia is a picturesque medieval walled village perched on a hilltop in the Rioja Alavesa wine region of Álava province, Basque Country, Spain, founded around 908 AD by King Sancho Abarca of Navarre as a strategic fortress.

Its intact cobblestone streets, emblazoned noble houses, and partial 13th-century fortifications enclose landmarks like the Gothic Church of Santa María de los Reyes with its rare 14th-century polychrome portico depicting apostles and the Virgin's life, the Romanesque-Gothic Church of San Juan Bautista featuring a repurposed castle bell tower, and the Torre Abacial offering panoramic vineyard views.

Birthplace of 18th-century fabulist Félix María Samaniego and surrounded by dolmens, Celtic settlements, and lagoons, it thrives as a wine tourism hub amid rolling tempranillo vineyards.