There is another way to explore Asturias in autumn: following the sound of a forge, stepping into a weaving workshop or discovering how water once powered mills, trip hammers and fulling mills. From Taramundi to Grandas de Salime, we suggest a journey through western Asturias to meet the people keeping these crafts alive.
When we think of Asturias in autumn, it is easy to picture copper-coloured forests, paths winding through chestnut trees and a good meal at the end of the day. All of that is still there, of course. But in western Asturias there is another reason to travel when temperatures drop: stepping into small workshops, talking to craftspeople and discovering objects whose story begins long before they reach a shop.
Here, wood, iron, wool and water are not simply elements of the landscape. For centuries they were raw materials and sources of energy, and even today they help explain much of the identity of places such as Taramundi, Los Oscos and Grandas de Salime.
This itinerary works particularly well for a long weekend: a car, no rush and a route where the mountain roads matter just as much as the stops along the way.
Taramundi: where a pocketknife tells a story
Taramundi is an almost inevitable starting point. The area brought together three essential ingredients for the development of cutlery making: iron, water and abundant woodland. Knife and pocketknife production flourished especially during the 18th and 19th centuries and, by the early 20th century, there were around one hundred workshops in the municipality. In 2005, Taramundi was also declared a Craft Area of Special Interest.
But cutlery making has not been confined to a museum: it remains a living craft, and one of the best ways to see this is to visit Pardiñas, just a few minutes from the centre, where the Museo de la Cuchillería offers demonstrations of the traditional process. Between October and December, demonstrations take place from Tuesday to Saturday and also on Sunday mornings. In any case, it is worth checking opening times before setting out.
Pay particular attention to the handles. Traditionally, woods such as boxwood and heather were used and decorated with geometric patterns, although today’s craftspeople also work with other materials and have taken the classic Taramundi pocketknife in new design directions.
And if you would like to explore further, the local council keeps an extensive list of knife makers spread across villages such as Vega de Llan, Esquíos, Mousende, Bres and Vilanova. There is no need to visit them all: part of the pleasure of the trip is choosing one or two and giving them your time.
Os Teixois: when water powered a village
Around four kilometres from Taramundi is one of the route’s essential stops: the Os Teixois Ethnographic Complex, listed as an Asset of Cultural Interest.
This is not a conventional museum. It is a small stone-and-slate hamlet crossed by water, where a system of hydraulic machinery has been preserved, including a trip hammer, a mill, a sharpening wheel, a fulling mill and a small power station. During the visit it quickly becomes clear that traditional crafts did not operate in isolation: the river powered the hammer used to work the iron, the wheel sharpened tools and the fulling mill beat fabrics to make them stronger.
Visits are guided, last approximately 45 minutes and take place in small groups, so booking in advance is worthwhile.
It is also a good place to understand what travelling “slow” really means: it is not simply about doing fewer things, but about spending longer observing how things used to be done.
If you are still curious about hydraulic machinery, close to the centre of Taramundi you will also find the Mazonovo Mill Museum, home to historic mills and reproductions that trace the evolution of milling. Much of the exhibition is interactive.
A surprise in Bres: contemporary ceramics in knife-making country
Taramundi’s craft tradition does not end with pocketknives.
About five kilometres from the village, the Bres Craft Centre occupies the former Casona de Villanueva and combines workshops, exhibitions and training. Ceramicist Daniela Krpan works there, with an exhibition and sales space as well as personalised pottery and hand-building courses. It is an interesting stop precisely because it reveals another side of rural craftsmanship: inherited trades coexisting with new makers and contemporary designs.
Before leaving Taramundi, you can also stop by El Telar de Susana. Alongside its own textile pieces—rugs, bedspreads, clothing and household items—it brings together ceramics, leather, wood and glasswork made by Asturian craftspeople. It is a good alternative to the typical souvenir shop if you want to take home something genuinely connected to the region.
Los Oscos: iron, looms and hands-on workshops
From Taramundi, the route continues towards Los Oscos, an area made up of Santa Eulalia, San Martín and Villanueva de Oscos. The three municipalities jointly received the Exemplary Village of Asturias Award in 2016, among other reasons for preserving their heritage and rural culture.
A good base is Santa Eulalia de Oscos—Santalla—, where several traditional crafts still coexist.
On Calle Fermín Arango you will find Hyottoko Artesanía, the workshop-shop of knife maker Jorge Román Toquero and metal artist Keiko Shimizu. Their project is especially interesting because it blends Asturian knife-making tradition with techniques learned in Japan: here you will find everything from traditional pocketknives to knives and forged-iron pieces. The workshop usually opens from Tuesday to Sunday, although it is worth checking the latest opening hours before your visit.
Very close by is El Telar de Irene. Irene Villar works with wool, silk, cotton and linen, combining the traditional loom with more contemporary designs such as shawls, scarves and garments. The exhibition-workshop can be visited free of charge, but an appointment must be arranged in advance.
Here the trip can become even more hands-on. Artesanamente, next to the Birthplace Museum of the Marquis of Sargadelos, organises experiences related to old trades and manual techniques: basketry, candle making, natural cosmetics, medicinal plants and activities linked to beekeeping. Outside the summer programme, some workshops can be organised on request for small groups, making them particularly appealing for an autumn break.
And if you want to return to ironwork, the Mazonovo Trip Hammer in Santa Eulalia—not to be confused with the mill museum in Taramundi—preserves an old forge. During demonstrations, it is even possible to forge a nail and take it home as a souvenir.
From field to table: the Bread Ecomuseum
Another way to approach traditional crafts is through something as everyday as bread. In Villanueva de Oscos, the Bread Ecomuseum follows the entire process that once took grain from the field to the table.
The visit helps explain how grain was grown and harvested, how mills worked and what role ovens played in the everyday life of villages. Rather than focusing only on food, it reconstructs a rural system in which agriculture, water, tools, architecture and community work were closely interconnected. It is a particularly fitting stop on a route like this because it reminds us that the major artisan trades were not the only things that shaped rural Asturias: everyday gestures also depended on knowledge passed down through generations.
In Villanueva de Oscos, you can add another stop: the Santa Eufemia Forge, where visits and traditional forge demonstrations are available by prior booking.
Grandas de Salime: a museum that brings everything together
The perfect final stop on this journey is Grandas de Salime.
The Grandas de Salime Ethnographic Museum “Pepe el Ferreiro” is one of the leading places to learn about the traditional culture of western Asturias. Its spaces recreate a complete rural society: homes, a shop, a school, workshops and different trades.
Here many of the pieces of the puzzle encountered throughout the journey come together. There are areas devoted to woodworking and woodturning, forging and wool processing, as well as an important collection of madreñas, galochas and zocas—traditional wooden footwear—and the tools used by galocheiros to make them.
The museum regularly organises demonstrations of woodturning, forging, basketry and weaving. Not all of them continue through autumn, so it is worth checking the programme before travelling.
An artisan weekend, without rushing
A simple way to organise the getaway would be to spend the first day in Taramundi, combining a knife-making workshop, Os Teixois and the village shops; reserve the second day for Santa Eulalia and Los Oscos, visiting a workshop and exploring the villages at an easy pace; and leave Grandas de Salime for the morning of the third day.
For an overnight stay with a particularly strong historical connection, try Hotel La Rectoral de Taramundi. Housed in an 18th-century former rectory, it opened in 1986 and is closely linked to the development of rural tourism in Taramundi.
What is more, whether you stay at this hotel or another rural tourism property in the area, you can take advantage of the discount offered by the Asturias Rural Tourism Voucher, an opportunity to enjoy the getaway at a very attractive price.
If you want to extend the trip, on Volare you can also discover Asturias’ autumn traditions, such as Samhain and Amagüestu, learn more about rural tourism in Asturias or round off the journey by exploring Asturias’ landscape cuisine.
Because in this part of Asturias, travelling slowly is not a new trend. It is simply the way things have been done for centuries.
