The hotels in Oviedo are a great base for getting to know a city wrapped in a culture dating back for a thousand years and which offers visitors the chance to enjoy the strongest gastronomic and folk traditions in northern Spain. Asturian gastronomy is shown off in the bars of Gascona, where the twin stars of seafood and the famous cider delight the palate and are found everywhere in the streets. The District of Oviedo is full of cider houses where you can try delicious and varied food consisting of red meat and fish from the cold Cantabrian waters. The world's best fabada bean dish. scallopini with Cabrales cheese. cachopo of beef and wild mushrooms. kid pie. wonderful chorizo sausage in cider. and to finish, a delicious dessert of carbayones, an almond pastry, or moscovitas dipped in chocolate, all washed down with cider. The city of Oviedo is filled with light and colour for the carnival held in February, and then waits for May to bring in the best of the countryside for the cattle competition at Ascensiontide. The most traditional festivals begin in June with Balesquida Day or Martes de Campo, when folk groups perform and the famous “bollu preñau”, small rolls stuffed with sausage, bacon, etc. is eaten, and offerings are made to the Virgen de la Esperanza. At the end of June, the cathedral square is lit up by the bonfire for St. John's Day. One of the festivals of great interest to tourists is held in September with the Day of America in Asturias, St. Matthew's Day and the traditional gastronomic festival of Desarme, when you can try chickpeas with salt cod, spinach and tripe.Leisure and night life are in a perfect spot in the old town near our hotels in Oviedo, where you can find the best ambience from Calle Quintana to Calle Martínez Vigil. Another spot is found in Plaza de Riego and the streets of Calle Jovellanos, la Luna and Schultz, where there are the best bars, restaurants and taverns. You can also find shops there selling typical Asturian souvenirs and crafts from Oviedo chief among which are food products, medals of the Virgen de Covadonga and traditional clogs. The largest shopping area in in the Calle Uría, and in the centre where the streets have been pedestrianised there are Calles de la Independencia, Covadonga and Nueve de Mayo streets, where the Salesas shopping centre is found.