The La Rioja region in the north of Spain is world famous for its wine. It is also home to many monasteries, however, where the first records in the Spanish language can be found. We discover the region in a Setra ComfortClass S 511 HD.

Rioja – the fact that the name of this region is also synonymous for Spanish wine outside of Spain is no coincidence. After all, the grape juice has been native here since 3,000 years BCE, and the La Rioja region is famous all over the world for its DOC wines. Yet although the wine is of tremendous importance to the region, Rioja has much more to offer. José Ignacio Jiménez Domínguez, owner and managing director of the long-standing coach operator, Autobuses Jiménez from Logroño, the capital of La Rioja, takes us on a trip through the vineyards and to the region’s historic roots. The vehicle selected for the journey, a Setra S 511 HD club coach, is perfect for the route across winding vineyard roads and through narrow historic villages.

In the Middle Ages, wine production in La Rioja fell to the monasteries, where the monks were otherwise dedicated to studying the Holy Scripture and translating historic documents from Greek or Arabic into Latin. Some monasteries now belong to the UNESCO World Heritage and are therefore among the most important cultural and tourist destinations in La Rioja. The excursion there is one of the most beautiful and interesting tours on the Autobuses Jiménez schedule. A particular delight for all those wanting to discover more than the famous Calle del Laurel in Logroño with its countless wine bars.

We feel comfortable straight away in the Comfort-Class S 511 HD, as its 30 seats divided over a length of 10.47 metres provide plenty of leg room. A club area encourages stimulating conversation with our fellow passengers. Pepe, our driver, steers the Setra majestically over small country roads and is totally fascinated by how easy and safe the S 511 HD is to drive.

“In spring, when the first vine leaves show off their green tips, it is already beautiful here,” says José Ignacio Jiménez during the drive through the vineyards. “But this route is a special experience in October and November, when the grapes gleam in autumnal red and yellow creating a picture-book landscape.” In La Rioja you should dedicate yourself to two things above all, he says grinning. The “grape harvest” and “wine drinking”. He also recommends visiting the many festivals, such as the “wine battle” (batalla del vino) in Haro, where the visitors spray each other with wine.

Whilst the roads get more winding and the passages through the towns ever tighter, we approach the mountain village of San Millán de la Cogolla. This is where, just a stone’s throw apart, the two monasteries, Yuso and Suso, are located. Both were declared as World Heritage sites by UNESCO, not only for religious or architectural, but also for literary and language reasons. Because the monasteries are seen as the “cradle of the Spanish language”. There is a book in Latin here edited by monks in the early Middle Ages, on whose pages a monk has left comments in the local language spoken back then but never before written down. Gonzalo de Berceo, the first poet who wrote his works in Spanish, also lived not far from here.

After just a short drive through the gentle, hilly landscape, we reach Briones, an idyllically situated wine village in Rioja Alta, where we visit the Vivanco Museum. The imposing museum lies in the middle of the vineyards and fits into its surrounding perfectly. Wine culture in all its diversity can be discovered here: origin, tradition, culture. And, of course, visitors can try various wines from the region and buy them to enhance their wine cellar at home – not without first having tasted one of the regional specialities, such as patatas à la Riojana (potatoes Rioja style) or lamb cutlets.

We return in the ComfortClass club coach through the gentle hills of the Rioja region to Logroño, the capital of La Rioja. While the setting son bathes the region’s sprawling vineyards in a golden light, we lean back in the comfortable Setra Voyage Plus reclining seats and enjoy the quiet cruising of the Setra S 511 HD, whilst we review the experiences of an eventful day.