Discovering Cartagena
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Discovering Cartagena
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More Articles By Phillip Bruce www.raxomnium.com Try Some Desert Island Cruising
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Discovering Cartagena Tours Explore the fascinating ancient city of Cartagena with our English-language tours. Hannibal’s home town is full of interest, from Roman remains to glorious art deco houses. Now English speakers can gain an insight into one of Europe’s most fascinating cities. Our tours are carefully planned to provide plenty of enjoyment and information, with fully-qualified official guides and we are a registered Spanish company.
Pre book only – e-mail 8@discoveringcartagena.com Here are some of the tours that we can arrange: The Show-Off City. This is a walk around the ancient heart of Cartagena. Starting at the world’s first modern submarine on the waterfront we walk past the 18th century walls and into the narrow streets and lanes. Along the way we learn more about the three thousand years of history, visiting the ornate 19th century town hall, the Roman Theatre, a tiny shrine to a saint, underground walls, leafy squares, Art Deco buildings, and the Calle Mayor – the heart of the city. This is a gentle walk, all on the flat and we take time for a coffee and an ice cream. The Mines and Industrial Heritage. The first people to exploit the mineral laden hills to the east of Cartagena were the Phoenicians but it was the Romans who fully developed the deep shafts that brought great quantities of silver and lead to the surface. In the 19th and 20th centuries there was tremendous activity in the hills and today the slopes are covered in old shafts, winding gear, mining equipment, washing plants and other relics of an industrial age gone by. The wealth of the mines paid for the ornate buildings of the mine owners in Cartagena city. This tour will visit the mining town of La Union and the dramatic cove of Portman with its stark industrial heritage. The City and the Sea. Cartagena is one of the best deep natural harbours in Europe and the Phoenicians established a port and city in 227BC. Since then the sea has always been an integral part of the city’s life and today the harbour is still a very busy place. From the 18th century onwards, Spain’s naval might in the Mediterranean was concentrated here and strong walls and fortifications and a big naval dockyard were built. The hills around the harbour were ringed with forts and more were added in the early 20th century. The Naval Museum contains many fascinating relics of the Spanish navy and a visit there is included in the tour. The Architectural Heritage. Call it classical, neo classical, art deco, art nouveau, modernist or whatever you like – there is something for everyone in the streets of Cartagena. The Roman theatre is one of the finest Imperial buildings in Spain but and architects have had their fun in the many centuries since. In the 1870s only a couple of dozen buildings escaped destruction when the city was bombarded by centralist forces after it declared independence. However, this cleared the ground for the rich mine owners and businessmen of the end of the 19th century and early 20th century to really get to town in displaying their wealth and opulence. This tour takes a look at the rich architectural heritage of the city. For more information: To enjoy one of these tours call (0034) 692674688. The tours generally start at 10.00am and finish at about 2.00pm, although times can be adjusted. Where necessary, transport is included. We are happy to arrange individual itineraries to cater for special interests and to provide group and corporate programmes. Prices From 20.00 Euros Per Person
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