Live cameras in Ourense, Spain

Ourense is a city in the interior of Galicia, in northwestern Spain, and the capital of the province of the same name. It sits on both banks of the Miño River at about 130 meters above sea level, and with roughly 105,800 inhabitants it is Galicia's third-largest city. Its Roman-era name was Auria, and its nickname is the city of the Burgas, after the hot springs that have flowed here since antiquity. The Burgas fountains in the old town pour out water hot enough to steam on cold mornings, and outdoor thermal pools along the river, such as those at Outariz, can be used all year.

The Ponte Vella, a medieval bridge on Roman foundations, still crosses the Miño, and the Cathedral of San Martiño, founded in the sixth century and rebuilt in the thirteenth, has a carved Portico of Paradise inspired by the one at Santiago de Compostela. Several Camino routes, including the Vía de la Plata, pass through the city, and high-speed trains have linked it to Madrid since 2021.

Fog and traffic in the Miño valley

The cameras here are DGT traffic cameras, from Spain's national traffic authority, posting still pictures every few minutes. They follow the main roads around the city, such as the A-52 motorway between Vigo and the meseta and the N-120 along the Miño valley. On winter mornings they often show the thick valley fog that settles over Ourense, which can make driving slow even when the hills above are sunny.

Galicia lies far west yet shares Madrid's clock, so in December the sun does not rise until close to nine. Its sheltered valley makes it the hottest city in Galicia: summer days regularly reach the thirties Celsius, and in July 2022 it set a regional record of 44.1 degrees. Summer sunsets come after ten in the evening. In November the city celebrates San Martiño and the Magosto, with roasted chestnuts and new wine, and in winter the Entroido carnival comes alive in nearby towns like Laza, Verín and Xinzo de Limia.

Northeast of the city, the Ribeira Sacra's terraced vineyards line the Sil and Miño canyons, and the Ribeiro wine country lies just to the west.

Sources: Ourense - Wikipedia · DGT - Dirección General de Tráfico.