Spain is culture

The most common trades in the area are pottery, embroidery, carpentry, knife-making, stone and marble sculpting, glasswork and work with leather. Most of them are very deeply rooted in the five provinces of Castile-La Mancha. You will be able to buy unique handcrafted products and you will be able to find out about how they are made.

Arts and crafts in Albacete

Albacete is world renowned for its handcrafted knives and penknives. You can find out more at the Albacete Knife Museum or by visiting a forge which is open to the public in the town of Alborea.

Large earthenware jars for wine that are made in the province are also well-known, especially the ones from Villarrobledo. In La Roda you will be able to visit a pottery and see how they work with clay.

Arts and crafts Ciudad Real

One of the most famous artisan products in Ciudad Real is Almagro lace, although woodcarving and metalwork are also important in Campo de Criptana and in the capital, Ciudad Real; or pottery and ceramics in Puertollano, Alcázar de San Juan and Valdepeñas.

In Ciudad Real there are also some of the most important visitor centres and craft museums in Castile-La Mancha, such as the Lace and Blond Lace Museum in Almagro, and the Pottery Museum in Alcázar de San Juan.

Arts and crafts in Cuenca

The most common trades in the province of Cuenca are pottery, basketry, metalwork and woodworking.

In Priego, for example, there are several pottery workshops and tourist visits are organised in some of them. In Casasimarro, in the south, you will find artisans who make guitars out of wood and show visitors how it is done. Tarancón is famous for its artisans who work with metal.

Arts and crafts in Guadalajara

The most typical craftwork in Guadalajara involves fibres and leather. Many of the most important workshops are situated in Azuqueca de Henares, Jadraque, Sigüenza, Brihuega and in the capital, Guadalajara.

Sigüenza, Brihuega, Jadraque and Alustante are also known for their crafts with wood, stone or metal.

Arts and crafts in Toledo

The typical crafts in Toledo are damascene work and sword making. In fact damascene is known by many as “Toledo's Gold”, and you'll find it easily together with handmade swords in practically any district in the region. However, the workshops in the towns of Toledo, Talavera de la Reina and Puente del Arzobispo are especially well-known.

The lace from Lagartera are worth mentioning - they are highly valued on the market. You will also be able to see how they are made.

Things to remember:

You can find crafts workshops which organise visits on the website: http://www.artesaniacastillalamancha.es (only in Spanish)
Most visits are in Spanish, although some places also offer French and English.
At tourist offices you will find full guides on the endless craft possibilities that Castile-La Mancha has to offer.