Gijon

General information

An industrial town, serving as the main port for Asturias coal, Gijon is bigger than nearby Oviedo. Nowadays, it is bustling with travellers, due to its recent work to make better pedestrian areas and museums. The town is especially busy during the summer months, with plenty going on for all ages. Gijon has a headland known as Cimadevilla, formerly a militarised zone, and has now been transformed into a beautiful park.

The symbol of the city is the Elogio del Horizonte which is a monumental concrete sculpture located at the promontory on the headland. A good place to start exploring the town is the Plaza Mayor which has impressive porticos on three sides and on the fourth, the town hall. In the city centre, you will also come across the Palacio de Revillagigedo dating from the 18th century, which now puts on art exhibitions and concerts. There is a vast collection of museums in Gijon, including the Torre del Reloj, which is an exhibition of the history of the town, on 6 floors, and there is a viewpoint at the top. Others include the Museo de Ferrocaril de Asturias (a history of the Asturian railways, housed in the old station) and the Museo del Pueblo de Asturias, an old ethnographic museum east of the city centre. Other than museums, there is the Atlantic Botanical garden if you are interested in the Cantabrian flora, and the Archaeological Park to the northwest of the centre, where Gijon was founded and there are plenty of Roman ruins and cisterns to explore. Take note that all Gijon’s museums are closed on Mondays, but most are free.

 

Monuments of Gijon

The symbol of the city is the Elogio del Horizonte which is a monumental concrete sculpture located at the promontory on the headland. A good place to start exploring the town is the Plaza Mayor which has impressive porticos on three sides and on the fourth, the town hall. In the city centre, you will also come across the Palacio de Revillagigedo dating from the 18th century, which now puts on art exhibitions and concerts. There is a vast collection of museums in Gijon, including the Torre del Reloj, which is an exhibition of the history of the town, on 6 floors, and there is a viewpoint at the top. Others include the Museo de Ferrocaril de Asturias (a history of the Asturian railways, housed in the old station) and the Museo del Pueblo de Asturias, an old ethnographic museum east of the city centre. Other than museums, there is the Atlantic Botanical garden if you are interested in the Cantabrian flora, and the Archaeological Park to the northwest of the centre, where Gijon was founded and there are plenty of Roman ruins and cisterns to explore. Take note that all Gijon’s museums are closed on Mondays, but most are free.

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