Study in La Coruña, Spain
Study in La Coruña, Spain
A Coruña, or La Coruña in Spanish, is a city and municipality of the Galicia region of Spain. It is the second-largest city in the autonomous community of Galicia and the seventeenth-largest overall in the country. The city is the provincial capital of the province of the same name, having also served as the political capital of the Kingdom of Galicia from the 16th to the 19th centuries, and as a regional administrative center between the years 1833 and 1982, before being replaced by Santiago de Compostela.
A busy port, A Coruña is located on a promontory at the entrance of an estuary in a large gulf (the Portus Magnus Artabrorum of the classical geographers) on the Atlantic Ocean. It serves a major function as a distribution point, shipping agricultural goods from the region throughout Spain and Europe.
The greater province of A Coruna is Galicia's most significant district and has the highest population, the greatest number of towns and cities and the most prosperous economy of the region. Its three main cities are Santiago de Compostela, the Galician capital; A Coruna, the provincial capital; and the seaport city of Ferrol. The area is also famous for its many fishing villages, the most notable of which are Ribeira and Finisterre, the latter of which lies on the infamous "coast of death" (costa da morte).
After Santiago de Compostela, A Coruna is probably Galicia's most visited locality. As well as acting as the provincial capital, it is an important location in its own right and possesses the world's oldest working lighthouse, the Tower of Hercules and the galeria (glass-fronted) harbor buildings that have given rise to it becoming known as the "glass city".
La Coruna city also has a medieval quarter, a 9 km promenade, a sea front tram system and an international port, offering UK flights to Heathrow via Iberia airlines. Its Maria Pita square, with the massive and palatial "Palacio Municipal" building is also a must see attraction for all visiting tourists.
Things to Do and See in A Coruna, Spain
A Coruna offers many interesting sites and attractions. Some of the more popular of these include:
The Tower of Hercules
The 'Tower of Hercules' is situated near the windy northern tip of A Coruna. Legend attributes its construction to one of the labors of Hercules, but it was actually the Romans who originally built this lighthouse in the 1st century AD—a beacon on what was then the farthest edge of the civilized world. Visitors to this monument have the opportunity to climb the 234 steps to the top of the lighthouse, which offers great panoramas of the city, coast and the surrounding Parque Escultórico (Sculpture Park). The exterior facing of the 59m-high stone tower was added in 1788–90, but the inside, apart from the staircase and cupola, is all original Roman.
Ciudad Vieja
Shady plazas, charming old churches, hilly cobbled lanes and a good smattering of cafes and bars fill A Coruña's compact “Old Quarter,” known locally as Ciudad Vieja. Guests to this part of the city will have the unique opportunity to explore the stately Plaza de María Pita, rimmed with cafes and dominated by early-20th-century architecture; as well as a monument Maria Pita, the city’s symbolic heroine. They can then make their way through the labyrinth towards the Castillo de San Antón, a 16th-century fort that proudly guards the entrance to the port.
Museo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología
Not just for nerds, the innovative, recently-opened National Science & Technology Museum will engage guests of all ages. Visitors will see the very first computer used in Spain (a monstrous IBM 650 bought by the railway company Renfe in 1959) and the entire front section of a Boeing 747. But perhaps most fascinating is the room displaying innovations from every year of the 20th century—a Fender Stratocaster guitar (1964), Sony PlayStation (1994) and much, much more.
Monte de San Pedro (St. Peter Mountain and Park)
This hilltop park known as Monte de San Pedro is located 2km northwest of the city center and provides exceptional views over the city and coast. The park features the Cúpula Atlántica, an observation dome with displays on A Coruña, as well as a maze, cafe, restaurant and two very large 1920s guns. Part of the fun of this park is climbing one’s way to the Ascensor Panorámico, a large glass ball that slowly ascends the steep hillside from the Paseo Marítimo.