Albarracín is one of the most beautiful small towns in Spain, a medieval fortress settlement perched on a rocky outcrop almost entirely encircled by a gorge of the Guadalaviar River. The town's pink-hued sandstone houses, half-timbered upper storeys (the Casa de la Julianeta is the most photographed), and narrow cobbled streets have been so well preserved that walking through the old quarter feels genuinely like stepping back several centuries.
The Moorish walls climb the hillside above the town and can be followed on foot for sweeping views over the surrounding Sierra de Albarracín. The cathedral, small but richly decorated, houses a collection of Flemish tapestries. The town's name comes from the Banu Razin, the Berber dynasty that ruled this taifa kingdom in the eleventh century.
Albarracín is remote — about 35 kilometres west of Teruel in the mountains of eastern Aragon — and that remoteness is part of its appeal. It sees tourists in summer, but far fewer than comparable towns in Andalusia or Castile. The surrounding landscape of pine forests, limestone gorges, and prehistoric rock art sites (the Pinturas Rupestres nearby are UNESCO-listed) makes it worth more than a quick stop.