Walk through the small resort town of Spain

• Walk through the small resort town of Spain

Today I want to show you the wonderful Alicante - kurotny a small town on the Mediterranean coast of Spain. I love these cozy and pleasant in all respects towns: here the excellent climate, the sea, the old city with a rich history, cozy cafes, the best coffee! Even the name of the city is already mellifluous - Alicante!

About 2500 years ago on the site of the modern Alicante was a small Iberian village. We come to these places Greeks founded a fortified trading colony.

Later, the city was conquered by the Romans, who renamed it Lucentum is, which means "city of light shine."

In the eighth century the Moors captured the city. They rebuilt the city in his own way (Al-Lakant) that is consonant with the present name.

More than 500 years of Alicante was part of the possessions of the Moors, who occupied almost the whole of Spain. Moors - a collective term used to refer to the peoples and nations of the Maghreb (the western part of North Africa up to the Sahara - today's Mauritania, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia and even Libya), without separation specific nationality and religion.

The Moors made the foundation of his system of government of the wise and just laws, cultivated science, art, trade, agriculture and manufacturing. They managed to eventually create an empire, surpassing all the empires of the Christian world, and spread the light of knowledge the Eastern to Western Europe.

As a people, the Moors were completely destroyed during the subsequent wars of liberation, baptism, suppress insurrections, and ultimately, their expulsion from the Iberian Peninsula in the 17th century.

What's left of them? Dark eyes and hair the Spaniards, many Arabic words and names in the Spanish language, traditions, crafts (eg, steel production in Toledo) and tolerance of other religions. And, of course, the holiday "Moors and Christians".

Reconquista, the centuries-old liberation war against the Moors, put an end to the Islamic state. In 1248, he was relieved of Alicante, after which the fortress on Mount Benakantil, in the center of the modern Alicante has been renamed. She received the name "Santa Barbara", in honor of the saint whose day was just 4 December (the day of final victory). Here is the fortress on the top of the mountain:

height of the mountain - 166 meters. Santa Barbara castle is perfectly visible from any part of the city, about it will be a separate post.

If you go up to the fortress, there offers the best (yeah, probably the only one) a panoramic view of the city. Tall buildings with views to Alicante no. In contrast to the neighboring resort of Benidorm, which is the number of skyscrapers in Europe, second only to Milan and London!

A round building on the left - the arena for bullfighting.

Alicante is one of the most important trading ports of Spain. From Alicante you can go through the sea on the Balearic Islands (Mallorca, Ibiza) and in Algeria.

In 1960 Alicante became a tourist destination, is now more than 80% of the city's population is employed in this sector. Costa Blanca is very popular with tourists from all over Europe.

According to statistics, in these places is more than 300 days of sunshine a year. Beach season starts in May and ends in October.

The global financial crisis has also affected Spain, with it very much. Property prices in Spain plummeted in recent years, so many rushed to buy an apartment here.

Strolling through the city, we ran into a beautiful wedding ceremony, held in the old cathedral city: Basilica of Santa María.

This church was built on the site of an old mosque in honor of the victory over the Moors.

If you love coffee and want to try the most delicious cappuccino, go to the cafe 26 Lounge Bar at Plaza Portal de Elche, 6. This is a small square with a fountain, fully sheltered canopy of huge Banyan Tree.