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SPAIN | Murcia, Spain Travel Guide
Tuesday, January 14, 2025
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Sightseeing in Murcia
Sightseeing in Murcia
If you have an evening to spare, passing through from the Costa del Sol or Granada to Valencia, Murcia can keep you entertained. Concentrate on the historical area running from the Puente Viejo de los Peligros bridge over the Río Segura up to the Plaza La Fuensanta by way of the central thoroughfare Gran Vía Escultor Francisco Salzillo. This street is happening and packed, so it’s best to get out on foot and hoof it.
The Catedral is a block west of the Plaza La Fuensanta, abutting the Jardín El Salitre. Its first stone was laid in 1388, but the structure took four centuries to complete, in a medley of architectural styles. There are 23 chapels inside, some in the traditional Renaissance style, others in the Gothic. The 16th-century Renaissance tower replaced the minaret of the Moorish mosque that once occupied the spot. The western façade of the Catedral is the most stunning, carved of stone in the Baroque style during the 18th century by the sculptor Jaime Bort. It appears almost like a cross-section of a church’s transept, with a half-dome at the top that reveals the Virgin, Ionic pillars representing the choir and an elaborate iron grate where the altar would be.
The Moorish Calle Traperia, to the east of Gran Vía, is the central pedestrian way running north/south through the main commercial zone of Murcia. Just off it is the sumptuous 19th-century Casino, Murcia’s most popular entertainment site and a classic place to relax (non-members are allowed inside from 10 am-9 pm, after which you will have to pay an entry fee). This casino is reminiscent of old Spain, when casinos were built in each city for the exclusive use of men. Most are disappearing, much like our own drive-in movie theaters. But this one retains its majestic feel (check out the elaborate Victorian ballroom with its immense crystal chandeliers and the Grecian-styled patio) as well as its argumentative, cigar- smoking clientele.
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