Inside Spain’s smallest city – where fewer than 300 people live and the streets are too narrow for cars

Give the masses in Magaluf and Marbella a miss and instead discover a quainter, more romantic – and far less crowded – Spain, with a trip to its smallest city.

Welcome to Frias. With fewer than 300 inhabitants, it’s the smallest city in the country. Despite its miniscule size, Frias retains a city status that was granted in 1435 by King Juan II of Castile.

The streets of this medieval citadel are so narrow that cars cannot be driven through them – visitors must park and use leg power to explore.

And there is plenty to see.

There are striking houses that hang from vertical rock faces and an eye-catching 12th-century castle perched on a rocky hill – the Castle of the Dukes of Frias – which affords visitors stunning views of the city and the picturesque surrounding landscape.

The streets of Frias are so narrow that cars cannot be driven through them – visitors must park outside the perimeter and use leg power to explore

The eye-catching 12th-century Castle of the Dukes of Frias

Pictured are striking houses that hang from vertical rock faces. Picture courtesy of Creative Commons 

One visitor said the castle offers the chance to ‘travel back to medieval Spain’ 

The castle can be visited for €2 (£1.70), with children entering for free. 

According to Spain’s tourism website, it ‘has beautiful mullioned windows and offers a breathtaking panoramic view’.  

One visitor said the castle offers the chance to ‘travel back to medieval Spain’. 

Sharing a review to Tripadvisor, the tourist continued: ‘Excellent castle in an unspoiled medieval village. This small village is worth the drive. 

‘Great views from the towers and the windy, narrow streets are unforgettable. Plenty of good food in the local restaurants.’

The castle can be visited for €2 (£1.70), with children entering for free 

The Castle of the Dukes of Frias affords visitors stunning views of the city and the picturesque surrounding landscape 

Other tourist attractions in Frias include the Catholic church Iglesia de San Vicente Mártir (left), the small Alfonso VIII Park and the Frias bridge (right), which has a defence tower and crosses the River Ebros

Another claimed it was ‘worth the drive’, while one visitor said the whole of Frias is ‘spectacular’. 

Other tourist attractions in Frias include Catholic church Iglesia de San Vicente Mártir, the small Alfonso VIII Park and the Frias bridge, which has a defence tower and crosses the River Ebros. 

There are also plenty of local restaurants, including Restaurante El Albergue, Ortiz Bar Restaurante and Mesón Fridas, which all serve Spanish cuisine. 

You can stay overnight, with the Hotel Rural Frias in the city centre offering rooms from £79 a night. 

Frias is in the Castile and León region, less than a two-hour drive from Bilbao on Spain’s north coast. The closest airport is Bilbao, but Brits could hop on a ferry from Portsmouth to Bilbao and drive rather than fly. The overall trip takes 32 hours with Brittany Ferries.