Tourist information - La Coruna
Found beside the Atlantic Ocean, A Coruña is a historic city whose history has maintained close links with its old fishing and also commercial port. The peninsula on which the Old City stands also includes the Tower of Hercules, the symbols of the city, which is an enjoyable Romanesque collection of streets, squares and medieval churches. The Aquarium Finisterrae, the Domus and also the Science Museum are some of the places that show the more modern, recreational side of the provincial capital, which offers one of its most breathtaking facets in the wide beaches of Riazor as well as Orzán. All this is completed with cuisine recognized throughout the country, marked by the excellence of its seafood as well as meats from the inland parts of the province.
The Aquarium Finisterrae, the Domus and also the Science Museum are some of the places that show the more modern, recreational side of the provincial capital, which offers one of its most incredible facets in the wide beaches of Riazor and Orzán. All this is completed with cuisine recognized all over the country, marked by the excellence of its seafood along with meats from the inland parts of the province.
Although origin of A Coruña could be in an old Celtic settlement, the history of the city started to be top in Roman times, when the port became a key point on sailing routes. A witness to this period is the Tower of Hercules, the only working Roman lighthouse along with a real symbol of the city. Currently declared a National Monument, it was established at the beginning of the 2nd century by order of the Emperor Trajan. There have been a number of refurbishments throughout history, the last of them in 1791, when Carlos III ordered the architect Giannini to restore and also reface the tower.
The harbour has always been the scene of some of the most leading historical events in the city, just like the defeat of the English privateer Francis Drake in 1589 thanks to the resistance of the people of Coruña, led by the heroine María Pita.
The early medieval town is bounded by the Coruña peninsula. In its lively streets, good examples of Romanesque architecture are preserved. The most breathtaking is the church of Santiago. Established around the 12th century, this church, the oldest in the city, has later additions from the 14th as well as 15th centuries. Its broad nave of pointed arches houses a polychrome sculpture of the Apostle Santiago (Saint James) dating from the 13th century. Because of its architectural interest, it has been declared a Historic-Artistic Monument.
Within the high part of the early town centre stands another equally outstanding church, that of Santa María Del Campo. The building of this old collegiate church goes back to the 12th and also 13th centuries and was carried out by the Seaman's Guild. One of its greatest points of interest is a visit to the Museum of Religious Art housed in this building, which has works from the 12th to the 15th centuries.
For its part, the convent of Santa Bárbara (15th C.) along with the pretty little square of the same name are registered as Historic-Artistic sites. The convent precinct, standing on an old hermitage devoted to the saint, was later extended within the 17th along with 18th centuries.
The Baroque style is present in other religious buildings, such as church of Las Capuchinas, finished having a beautiful façade in Compostela Baroque from the 18th century.
Very close by include the churches of San Nicolás and San Jorge, both built at the beginning of the 18th century under Baroque dictates. The construction of the former, located nearby the City Hall, was planned by Domingo de Andrade. Meanwhile, the latter is important because inside it houses a side-chapel with the image of La Virgen de los Dolores, from the same period.
The convent of Santo Domingo, whose narrow eighteenth-century façade hides a chapel devoted to La Virgen del Rosario, patron saint of the city, is also worth pointing out.
The city's most important civil buildings also deserve a visit. The City Hall is located at the Plaza de María Pita, the nerve centre of the city. It's an elegant, monumental building established at the beginning of the 20th century, characterized by its porches and also galleries and by three towers finished with interesting cupolas.
Very nearby is the Emilia Pardo Bazán Stately Home, an 18th century aristocratic house in which this Galician woman writer - an excellent figure of nineteenth century Spanish literature - lived. Currently part of the building is occupied by the headquarters of the Galician Royal Academy.
Another sight not to be missed around the centre of A Coruña is the San Carlos Garden, declared a Historic-Artistic site. The walls of the fortress of San Carlos, which dates from 1843, house this unusual space in which the Archive of the Kingdom of Galicia is based along with whose centre is presided over by the tomb of Sir John Moore, a British general who died in 1809 throughout the battle of Elviña.
Surrounding the Old City is the coastal area, where A Coruña mixes the traditional as well as the modern. Beside the port at the Avenida de la Marina, are the typical houses with white glazed galleries (19thC), architectural elements making up one of the best known features of A Coruña along with which earned it the name of 'Glass City'.
The Castle of San Antón, at one end of the harbour area, was developed at the end of the 16th century with a defensive character along with later altered in the 18th. It currently houses the Provincial Archaeological Museum, which takes an interesting journey through Galician prehistory using various pieces of metalwork, objects as well as tools corresponding to the hill fort culture.
On the long Coruña promenade there are many exceptional cultural opportunities. The Acuarium Finisterrae, found nearby Tower of Hercules, houses among the largest aquariums in Spain, as well as includes rooms with interactive exhibitions related to the sea. Human beings are the central theme of Domus or the House of Man, situated in a futuristic building designed by the architect Arata Isozaki. Inside, various interactive rooms show man from a multidisciplinary point of view. The promenade finally leads to the wide Riazor and Orzán, beaches, the main areas for the people of A Coruña to relax.
The tour of the museums can be completed by exploring the Science Museum, located in Santa Margarita Park, among the provincial capital's most major green areas. Its outstanding feature is the Planetarium, while its permanent exhibition approaches scientific, technological and also natural principles in an interactive way.
The cuisine of La Coruña brings together the best of the coast and also the interior. From the coast comes excellent seafood: small crabs, barnacles, spider crabs, Norway lobster, etc. Succulent recipes based on fish also are cooked, just like angler fish stew, Galician-style hake (with onion, garlic and also carrot) or griddled sole. Pasties serve being a transition to the interior as they can be made either with fish and shellfish or with meat. As for meat, pork can be used to make the famous pork shoulder with parsnip tops, while Galician beef is protected with a Denomination of Origin. Any of the magnificent Galician wines that have a Denomination of Origin (Monterrei, Ribeira Sacra, Ribeiro, Rías Baixas along with Valdeorras) can be used to accompany these dishes. As well as, for dessert, there is the famous Santiago cake (with almonds, sugar as well as flour).
¬¬¬Around the provincial capital you can go to attention-grabbing places like Betanzos, declared a Historic-Artistic Site, Santiago de Compostela, capital of Galicia along with World Heritage City, or Ferrol.
In the capital of Compostela you can stay at the 'Hostal de los Reyes Católicos' Parador (15th C.), declared a National Monument. For its part, the Parador at Ferrol is the best places to stay in this seaside city. The most top ecosystems in Galicia are preserved in A Coruña, much like the Fragas do Eume Natural Park or the Complejo Dunar de Corrubedo as well as Lagunas de Carregal y Vixán Natural Parks. The Costa da Morte, a route along the steep Atlantic Coast passing through places like Camariñas, Corcubión along with Fisterra has very remarkable landscape.
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