Murcia City- south east Spain

Major shopping centre

Murcia is one of the most popular destinations for the shopper, with a great variety of small dress shops where you can buy off the peg clothes, but inclusive in the price, an alteration to fit you. Larger stores such as El Corte Ingles, Carrefour and well known franchise shops like Benetton Colours and The Body Shop are to be found in the centre.
town hall

Murcia city in south-eastern Spain, capital of Murcia Province and autonomous region, on the Segura River. The surrounding plain, the huerta (farming land), is a fertile, irrigated area that produces oranges and other citrus fruits, cereals, olives, peppers, and truck-farm produce. The city is a centre for transportation, trade, and tin mining. Its industries include food processing, distilling, and the manufacture of textiles, chemicals, apparel, furniture, and building materials; the silk industry dates from the Middle Ages.



                                                                                                         puente viejo
  

                         Narrow, twisting streets are found in the old city north of the river, the banks of which are lined with promenades. The baroque 17th-century Ermita de Jesus houses a museum of the art of the city's native sculptor Francisco Salzillo.
The Cathedral of Santa Maria dates from the 14th century and was restored in the 18th century. There is an annual Holy Week procession. The city also has a university (1915) and a provincial museum. By tradition founded by the Moors in the 9th century, Murcia was the capital of an intermittently independent or vassal Moorish kingdom until it was taken over by Castile in 1243. Population (19
98 estimate) 349,040.
                                                                                      cathedral Murcia at night
The importance of the city over the years can be seen in its churches, palaces and other public buildings. To see Murcian Baroque at its best, visit the churches of La Merced, San Juan de Dios, San Nicolas or San Miguel and buildings such as the Bishop 5 Palace or the Palacio Fontes.
Murcia contains so many different styles of  buildings, the best example of this is the Cathedral, with  its famous baroque styles, the late Renaissance Junterones chapel and the Velez chapel, combining Gothic details and Moorish decorations.  Down the Traperia, one of the pedestrian streets of the  city, you will find the Casino (built in 1847), its entrance ;hall in the style of a Moorish courtyard, with richly  carved ceiling and intricate stucco wall panels and elegant Viennese Ballroom.

typical street Murcia

Two other buildings that are well worth a visit are the Roman theatre and the Town Hall. The theatre has a wide range of productions all year and tickets can be bought on the day and are very reasonably  priced.  Murcia is anxious to preserve its historical treasures as  well as allowing visitors to see them. A variety of museums and exhibition centre have been opened. These include the Belle Artes public gallery or the Archaeological museum, which holds one of the best collections of Iberian art in the country.

The exhibition gallery in the church of the Las Veronicas Convent; the Salzillo Museum, containing the beautiful carved religious figures by the famous artist Salzillo, or the cathedral Museum should be visited, along with the Municipal Museums. These include a wide range of themes including the Almudi Palace Art Centre, The Museum of Bullfighting and the Ramon Gaya Art Gallery. Examples of Murcia's long traditions in pottery, embroidery and the making of carpets and paper maché toys can be seen at the Regional Craft Centre.

AIRPORTS:
San Javier Airport (Murcia), 47 km from Murcia by car.
Tel: 968 17 2000
For further information on flights go to www.aena.es
El Altet Airport (Alicante) , 68 km from Murcia by car.
Tel: 966 91 91 00/ 966 91 94 00
                                                                                               

TRANSPORT
Murcia is well connected with the capitals of Europe, through airports and the modern motorway system. In addition a new international airport should be opening by the end of 2008