Some cities, on the coast or along rivers, are based on water. Others are an outgrowth of the earth and are pure stone. Very few, however, may be said to be cities of and on air – but that is exactly the case of Cuenca. The image of its Hanging Houses is famous throughout the world, giving the magical impression of structures about to take flight. These houses overhang the dizzying cliffs that overlook the gorge of the river Huécar. Cuenca is a monumental city but even so it is very light and airy. It never overpowers the visitor, despite its magnificent edifices, like the Cathedral (which was begun in the early Gothic period and finished in modern neo-Gothic times), its stately mansions or its splendid Abstract Art Museum. Today’s Cuenca spreads out on the sunny plain of La Mancha, but the Old Town remains suspended forever in time and space.