Laviana, Asturias: municipality guide
Laviana is a municipality in central Asturias, in the heart of the Nalón comarca. Its capital is Pola de Laviana. With 12,352 inhabitants and 130.99 km², it combines the mining past of the Nalón valley with the nature of the protected landscape of the Cuencas Mineras and the gates of the Redes Natural Park.
Things to see in Laviana
The narrow plain of the river Nalón, which crosses the municipality from east to west, concentrates the main settlements —Pola de Laviana, Barredos and El Condado— and the communication routes, such as the AS-117 road and the railway between Pola de Laviana and Gijón. Around the plain rise mountains such as Peña Mea (1,564 m, the highest summit of the municipality), La Triguera (1,291 m) and La Xamoca (1,288 m). The western half of the territory belongs to the Nalón coal basin, while the eastern part, with limestone substrate, holds the highest altitudes. The municipality is divided into nine parishes and more than half of its population lives in the capital.
Its heritage includes the town hall of Pola de Laviana, a work by Mariano Marín (1905); the birthplace of Armando Palacio Valdés in Entrialgo, today a museum and interpretation centre; the Romanesque church of Santa María de Villoria; the sanctuary of Nuestra Señora de Otero; and the Menéndez family manor house, a listed Historic-Artistic Monument. The mining industrial past has left landmarks such as Las Tolvas, the Pozo Carrio, the La Sota mine entrance, the Rimoria bridge, the Coto Musel mines, the old copper factory of El Condao and the Pola station.
Mining marked the contemporary history of Laviana: in the 20th century the municipality lived a period of great mining activity that reached its peak before the crisis of the sector, which reduced activity to the Carrio pit. After the reconversion, Pola de Laviana has developed an important service sector and tourism is gaining weight.
Note: the port of Tarna, south of the municipality, was a historic crossing of the Ruta Jacobea de Tarna towards Oviedo through the Nalón valley, a route that is not officially recognised today as a Camino de Santiago, although in 2026 the regional parliament approved an initiative to promote its recognition.
How to get there
The AS-117 road (Riaño–Puerto de Tarna) crosses the municipality from west to east; the AS-252 connects Pola de Laviana with Aller and the AS-382 with Bimenes and, via the AS-251, with Nava. The railway connects Pola de Laviana with Gijón. Laviana is 33 kilometres from Oviedo.
Festivals and gastronomy
The big event of the summer is the Descenso Folclórico del Nalón (Folkloric Descent of the Nalón), in August, declared a Festival of National Tourist Interest, together with the main festival of Nuestra Señora de Otero, also in August. The calendar also includes the gastronomic days of the second week of March; the Xarana de Primavera festivals in Pola de Laviana (April); Santa Rita in Boroñes (May); San Antonio in Villoria (June); La Chalana (July); San Justo in Llorío (August); El Cristo in El Condao (September); and La Pontona in Pola de Laviana (October). The traditional dish of the municipality is cabrito con patatines (kid goat with potatoes), finished off with bartolos for dessert.
Municipality facts
Coat of arms: Wikimedia Commons / Facc (CC BY-SA 2.5)
- Capital: Pola de Laviana
- Population: 12,352 inhabitants (INE 2025)
- Area: 130.99 km²
- Zone: Central
- Demonym: lavianés, -a
- Town Hall: Plaza Armando Palacio Valdés, 1, 33980 Pola de Laviana. Tel. +34 985 60 00 50
Neighbouring municipalities
Useful links
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See it on the interactive map: The 78 municipalities of Asturias
