Vigo is a medium-sized Galician city in the south-west of Spain, 30 km from the Portuguese border. Unlike the nearby Pontevedra or Santiago de Compostela, Vigo is not very well known as a tourist destination. First, his reputation as a major commercial center hinders him. Secondly, no one really knows about him. Although in recent years the situation has changed for the better for Vigo side: many tourists have already appreciated the romance of its Old Town and the opportunity to spend a day on the most beautiful beaches in this part of the world.
How to get to Vigo
By plane from Madrid, Paris or Barcelona to Vigo-Penador Airport, 8 km from the city.
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A little history
The city was founded by the Romans, but, alas , the objects of the architectural heritage of that era have not survived to the present day . In the Middle Ages, Vikings repeatedly landed here, and Vigo could not grow to the size of a decent village or town . This happened only in the 16th century, when the city began trade relations with America, which was the impetus for his further prosperity . In the 17th century, city walls were built to protect against the Turks, and their fragments can be seen before the si poured . And in 1702 . in the Gulf of Vigo there was a landmark sea battle: by joint efforts the British and the Dutch defeated the Spanish and French ships carrying the riches of the New World to their homeland .
Entertainment, sightseeing and sightseeing Vigo
The Old City of Vigo is located on a slope hill hell harbor . It is not as extensive as other Galician centers, but here you can see several beautiful palaces along with more than modest medieval houses and streets showing what the city was at the very beginning of its history . In the heart of the Old the city is the church of St. Mary, the oldest in the city . Directly behind the Plaza de Pedra, an ancient square, you can see the Plaza Almeida in front, and next to it Plaza Princess and the largest - Plaza Constitución . This four atmospheric squares is built up original buildings that were preserved intact . Some of these four-five-story mansions were built in Galician style, with arched galleries on the first floor and balconies on the top .
Historically, the main street of the Old Town was Royal, which started from church and descended towards the first port of Vigo. It still hosts the majority of surviving fishing dwellings, the oldest of which date back to the 17th century.
- To see the modern monument to the Siren, one of the symbols of Vigo. The siren hangs in an uncomfortable pose just above the Old City, at the Puerta del Sol, and looks at the sea.
- Take a picture against the background of another modern monument - "A floating person" on the promenade.
- Climb to the top, to the chapel Guyya to admire the city and the bay
The difference between Vigo and other cities of Galicia is that in the 19th and 20th centuries it was experiencing a period of rapid growth . This also affected the architectural appearance of that part of the city that neither Staraya, nor the New (sometimes her name is "the second Old Town" of Vigo) . Rich mansions are usually built They were supplied in a traditional style and were supplied with generously decorated facades: for example, the Galician Theater, the most magnificent building of the city, and El Moderno, built in 1897 . in a mixed style by an architect from France . The inconvenience for tourists is , that this new Old Town does not occupy any particular place: amazingly decorated rich mansions are scattered along city streets, so that on almost every "rua" or "feces" you will find at least one architectural monument . True, as you approach to the present rum city their concentration becomes higher .
Castro Castle was built in the southern part of the city in 1665, during the war with Portugal, to protect the city from permanent attacks of Portugal's allies - British sailors. However, the castle did not fully justify the hopes placed on it: the fortification system was not very effective and could not prevent landings from the sea. In the early 19th century, the castle was briefly occupied by the French, but since then its history has remained quite peaceful. Today, beautiful gardens and playgrounds with views are scattered on the territory.
The center of modern Vigo is the square of Spain, crowded with cars and not too elegant. But in the center of the square is set a dramatic statue of Los Caballos, depicting wild horses that rush into the sky one after another - another sculptural symbol of the city along with the Siren. From the square the main shopping street, Gran Vía departs, and at the bottom stands another sculptural object for photographing: a statue of muscular and severe fishermen 2, 5 m high.
There are several good museums in Vigo, among them a curious museum "Verbum" An interactive exhibition space dedicated to human communication and communication. In addition, the city has a sea museum in a historic building, built by Aldo Rossi, an ethnographic museum, an interactive museum of Naturnov, dedicated to the environment. And the Vigo Museum of Contemporary Art is on par with the most famous art museums in Spain
Vigo beaches are not well known among holiday-makers, and meanwhile they are considered almost the best in Galicia . The coastline of the city counts them as much as 45 . The closest thing to Vigo is Buzas beach in its own small cove right in the city line . To the east, just behind the Hermitage park in Teis, is the Punta beach, the most popular of all, with an artificial promenade and fine white sand . And to the west the beaches start and end one one after another: a one and a half kilometer Samil with excellent infrastructure, smaller Santa Baja, Fontes, O Kocho das Dornas and Carryl .
In Vigo, in addition, there are many city parks and gardens that are pleasant to visit, not only by themselves , but also due to located on their territory observation platforms. In the city park of El Castro, which is in the center, there are traces of the settlement of the pre-Roman era, and a large smooth stone cross is installed, to which you can climb the stately staircase. From the hills of the park offers an excellent view of the bay. In addition, the remains of the once impressive San Sebastian Fort are located on the territory of El Castro.
And just beyond the city limits, to the north-east, there is another park on the hill, La Guia, and the views from here are worth the attention of any photographer. The park is officially located on the territory of Teis, a tiny town-suburb of Vigo. The central point of the park is the chapel of la Guilla, which can be seen from almost anywhere in the city thanks to the high bell tower.
Book popular Vigo hotels at the best prices
| Hotel Pazo Los Escudos Spa & Beach from 7,581 rubles Vigo Avenida Atlántida, 106 | Gran Hotel Nagari Boutique & Spa from 5,307 rubles Vigo Plaza de Compostela, 21 | |
| Hotel Coia de Vigo from 3 653 rubles Vigo Sanxenxo, 1 | Silken America Vigo from 3 377 rubles Vigo Pablo Morillo, 6 | Hotel Ciudad de Vigo from 3 446 rubles Vigo Concepción Arenal, 5 |
| @Posadas de España Ensenada Hotel & Suites from 2 068 rubles Vigo Alfonso XIII, 9 | Hotel Oca Ipanema from 2 482 rubles Vigo Vázquez Varela, 31-33 | @Hotel Inffinit from 4,136 rubles Vigo Marqués de Valladares, 8 |
| Hotel Compostela from 2 275 rubles Vigo García Olloqui, 5 | Hotel Vigo Plaza from 1 586 rubles Vigo Progreso, 13 | Hotel del Mar from 1 930 rub Vigo Luis Taboada, 34 |
Events Vigo
At the end of March the festival "Reconquista" is held in Vigo in honor of the long-time liberation of the city from the French. In the middle of July, a week-long Fiesta Vigofolkelt is held here - a Celtic festival, where all the other Middle Ages usually hang. In addition, a series of gastronomic fiestas dedicated to octopuses, sardines and breads are held every year between June and August
@ Vigo vicinities
Regular ferries or on a private vessel from Vigo, it is easy to get to the Islas Sies archipelago that approximately 20 km from the city . It is famous all over the world for its amazing beaches, picturesque rocks and abundance of feathered sea fauna, which is protected by the state . Archipelago consists of three islands: northern Monteagudo ("Sharp mountain"), to Faro ( "Mayak") in the middle and San Martino and south . Island Monteagudo, which approach the court of Vigo, Cangas and Bayonne, boasts Rodas beach, which the British "Guardian" in 2007 . named the best in the world .