Culture of A Coruna. Places to visit - old town, temples, theaters, museums and palaces

La Coruna is a major port city and a popular beach resort, which, in addition to an abundance of entertainment, can offer its guests an interesting cultural program. You can begin the exploration of the city walking along the picturesque waterfront, which offers wonderful views of the coast. Along the waterfront there are the most beautiful modern buildings, popular restaurants and night clubs.

Maria Pita Square is the center of the city’s historic district. The statue of the legendary heroine is located at the center of it. A lot of beautiful stories are associated Maria. In 1589, when the city suffered of yet another attack of pirates, Maria managed to plan the defense of the city and set up local residents on a valiant fight. Today the beautiful statue of warrior reminds visitors of the city about this important historic event.

Another legendary hero, whose name is associated with the history of La Coruna, is Hercules. According to one version, he was the founder of the city. For many years, the Tower of Hércules has being the undisputed symbol of La Coruna. It is the world's oldest lighthouse, which has been built during the reign of the Roman Empire. The unique constructionis more than two thousand years old; today, the lighthouse continues to act, as the movement of ships in coastal waters would be seriously hampered without it. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

A walk through the historical part of the city will give an opportunity to admire unique monuments of architecture. The Cornide Palace is the striking landmark of past centuries. Among religious buildings, Santa María del Campo Collegiate points out. The beautiful mansion, which belonged to the family of the writer Emily Pardo Bazan, has also managed to preserve in the historic part of the city. Today it is open to visitors, and shows its guests an interesting collection of works of art, antique furniture and personal belongings of the writer.

These buildings are not the only historic landmarks – these days, many old buildings have turned into restaurants and antique shops. An important tourist attraction is the St. Charles' Garden, where there is a tomb of Sir John Moore. During the war with Napoleon's army he freed La Coruna from invaders. The most well-known cultural institution of the city is Tres Casas science museum. Here, visitors can see a collection of various exhibits and also take part in exciting experiments.

Among other interesting museums in La Coruna, it is worth mentioning the Museo Militare Regionale, which houses a great collection of weapons from different periods, as well as the uniform of Spanish soldiers. The Museo de Bellas Artes with its impressive collection of works by Spanish artists, including Francisco Goya, will appeal to connoisseurs of fine art. The city also has the house-museum of another famous Spanish artist Pablo Picasso who lived in the city for one year as a child until his family moved to Barcelona. The house recreates the atmosphere of the times when the painter lived here with his parents.

The most significant natural attraction in La Coruna is Monte de San Pedro, which offers breathtaking views of the Atlantic Ocean and the coastal areas of the city. Defensive structures were once located on the mountain, and it is still possible to find evidence of that. Another great place to enjoy solitude is the area around Faro de Louro. It is here, away from civilization, that one can see that “old” Galicia fascinating with its serenity. It seems these places have been bypassed by the scientific and technological revolution, which is a great advantage of the area.

It is worth noting that in La Coruna one can find many interesting sculptures. The most original one is the Surf Sculpture (Fuente de Los Surfistas) dedicated to the most popular pastime on the beaches of the resort. Also, La Coruna has monuments to famous people (already mentioned John Moore and María Pita). It'd also be interesting to visit Plaza del Humor and admire the sense of humor of locals, here you can find a lot of interesting caricatures and sculptures. One should never pass by another religious attraction - namely, Parroquia San Nicolás. The Baroque church was built in the 18th century on the site of an older temple, from which only a chapel has remained. The building itself has remained unchanged since then (except for the facade, which dates from 1865).

Those who wish to get pleasant impressions from watching beautiful theater performances, opera, ballet or music concert should check the repertoire and then visit the Palacio de la Opera de La Coruna. The building's exterior is very attractive and thus hard to ignore. Formerly it housed the congress hall. Near the port is a beautiful example of Art Nouveau architecture - namely, the building called A Terraza. This is a series of white-gray buildings dating back to the early 20th century. The style is somewhat different from the typical Art Nouveau that many are used to: local architects brought changes to the architecture of the building - and this is how Galician Art Nouveau was formed (similar buildings can be seen in other cities of the region).