Neighbourhoods in the centre of Murcia
Murcia municipality is extremely large, in fact, it’s one of the twenty largest in Spain. The city is comprised of 28 neighbourhoods and a further 55 suburbs. However, if you’d like to visit Murcia’s tourist attractions, all the main sights and monuments can be found in the city’s central neighbourhoods.
La Catedral, San Bartolomé, San Juan, San Lorenzo and Santa Eulalia are all important neighbourhoods in the centre and east of Murcia. Together they are home to over 14,000 inhabitants and contain a large number of fascinating places to visit.
As you stroll around the area, you’ll be met by impressive buildings such as the Cathedral, whose Baroque façade is one of the most outstanding in the world. It was designed by Jaime Bort and has born witness to countless significant events held in the adjacent square. The cathedral tower is also the second highest in Spain, after La Giralda in Seville. This same square, Plaza Cardenal Belluga, also contains the famous Episcopal Palace.
These two essential visits aside, the streets of the centre are also home to key spaces such as the Casino de Murcia, a private club built in the 19th century in a style that oozes luxury and glamour. No one can fail to be impressed by its Moorish-style entrance hall (with over twenty thousand sheets of gold leaf) and ballroom. Another important space is the Teatro Romea, which was opened in 1862 by Isabel II. While the theatre has been damaged by several fires over the years, it still looks spectacular, and you’ll feel privileged to watch a show here. This historic space is near to another significant building: the Convent of Santa Clara, where you can enjoy exploring the church, which contains a good collection of paintings and altars, and also the museum. Make sure you don’t miss the Convent of Santa Ana either, or the bronze Monument to Alfonso X, which is over two metres tall. Did you know that Alfonso X’s heart is buried in Murcia Cathedral?
The historic centre of Murcia has many more monuments to see, but it’s also well worth visiting the city’s museums during your stay because many contain wonderful collections. One of the most important is the Archaeology Museum, which has seventeen rooms spread across two floors and provides visitors with key information so they can understand the history of Murcia region. You should also make time for other museums in the centre such as the Museum of Santa Clara (mentioned above), the Cathedral Museum, which houses the largest collection of religious art in Murcia, and the museum at the Church of San Juan de Dios. In under ten minutes you can also reach the Fine Arts Museum of Murcia (MUBAM), whose eight rooms take you on a journey through five centuries of art from the 15th century onwards and include works by Murillo and Zurbaran, among others.