Spain - Sigüenza and Atienza Sweet and Salty Landscape

 The "Paisaje Dulce y Salado" (the "Sweet and Salty Landscape") of Sigüenza and Atienza extends from the Río Dulce Cliff Natural Park in the South up to the town of Atienza in the north, covering an area of 219 square kilometres. This unique natural landscape is framed in the Sigüenza moorland, one of the most authentic, characteristic and well preserved examples of this kind of landscape in the Iberian Peninsula. The interaction between human beings and this exceptional natural area has generated a unique ecosystem, which became particularly shaped during the Middle Ages and hardly changed since that time. Nowadays, the area is home to numerous small villages which have the town of Sigüenza as the main urban cluster in the district followed by Atienza. In terms of natural and cultural diversity, one of the outstanding features of such landscape is the exceptional coexistence of both salt and fresh water in the same natural space. As a result, the area is characterized by a peculiar hydrography, full of places and spots with their names related to water, human activities are influenced by such traits and, of course, the landscape reflects that. So up in the north there is a salt water river (the Salado River) which flows over the moorland area creating just a smooth imprint over its surface while dragging within it Keuper Triassic salts (a trait also present at the Cubillo River). The Salado's sediments are the source and origin of the Gormellón, Olmeda and Imón salt pans among others. In contrast, one can find the Río Dulce (Sweet River) down South, set in a highly dense Jurassic limestone and sandstone area, with many springs in both sides. This river creates a spectacular landscape with fresh water canyons and gorges, with either alluvial deposits or small meadows on tertiary and quaternary detrital lands with agricultural plots, pastures and small vegetable gardens linked to the two main villages in the gorge: the village of Peregrina with its impressive castle and La Cabrera town, where the gorge ends. One of the most outstanding elements and significant heritage values regarding the landscape of Sigüenza is the dense net of small, clustered medieval villages, which provide the territory with its structure. Its architectural wealth, especially in terms of religious monuments present in many of the small villages is accompanied by a fascinating urban web creating a peculiar web of settlements. All these traits shape the landscape and allow us to fully understand and read them based on their historic location in the territory.