Murcia City Centre (Centro) part 2 - South part, around the river

- Segura River, Palacio Episcopal, Puente de los Peligros, Pasarela del Malecón, Plaza Martínez Tornel, Plano de San Francisco, Gran Via Esculto Francisco Salzillo, Palacio Almudi, Jardin Botánico de Malecón, Avenida de Canelejas, Biking competition

The City Centre of Murcia is very beautiful, mostly consisting of an Old Town with beautiful buildings from the 14th-19th century, a large cathedral, restaurants, pedestrian streets and baroque churches. Many architectural styles are represented in Murcia's buildings and palaces, but baroque is the most prominent one. Right outside of the historic parts you will also find modernist residential buildings in pretty dull style, some of them highrises, along the main avenues. Some very large traffic circles can be found in the North end of the city center. They are trafficated by modern lightrail trams. Most of this can be found in part 1.

To the South of the centre flows the Segura River (Fuente Segura), this page is about the area immediately North and South of the river. The river has been heavily flooded 3 times, but that has been prevented. Puente de los Peligros, Murcia's oldest bridge, crosses the Segura River. Pasarela del Malecón, a modern pedestrian bridge also crossed River Segura, built in 1997.

NORTH RIVER BANKS (City Centre):

Palacio Episcopal (Episcopal Palace), a red rococo palace completed in 1768. Built as the residence for bishop Mateo. The other facade faces the cathedral. Glorieta Espana, a green public garden with flowers, fountains and sculptures, is situated in front of Palacio Episcopal. The old Town Hall building is adjencent to the palace (a new City Hall is opposite the cathedral).

Plaza Martínez Tornel is a square next to Puente de los Peligros, where Gran Via Esculto Francisco Salzillo, a modern main road with highrise buildings, crosses Avenida Teniente Flomesta, a riverbank avenue. What we didn't expect was that the police was preparing for a biking competition at Plaza Martínez Tornel during our daytrip. Police cars and motorcycles cleared the way for the bikes at Gran Via EFS in a very fast speed with sirens on so noone dared to cross the road. After the police vehicled passed, the team cars passed and then the competiting bikes! An exciting procedure to watch, that was repeated about 4 times!

Plano de San Francisco. A square just next to Plaza Martínez Tornel and the old river bridge, where you find the Statue of San Francisco de Asís, Mercado Publico de Veronicas, an interesting market hall and the historic Palacio Almudi at Plano de San Francisco. The latter one is a baroque building from 1440 that originally was a cereal trade and now houses the City Archives and an arts centre. At the square you also find the entrance to Jardin Botánico, a public botanical garden, also called Jardin de Malecón. It was created in 1845 and features and Arch of Triumph, statues, sculptures, sidewalks, a playground, trees, palms and lots of different flowers.

SOUTH RIVER BANKS:

Avenida de Canalejas is the nice avenue that continues from Puente de los Peligros, the old bridge, at South river bank. Immediately at the bridge you find the Templete de la Virgen de los Peligros (Shrine of Our Lady of Hazards), Edificio Parador del Rey, a beautiful yellow building with restaurants and stores. Opposite is a cool fish sculpture fountain that spits water, situated in the middle of Segura River. Further to the South on Avenida de Canalejas, you find the baroque church Parroquia de Nuestra Señora del Carmen (Parish Church of Our Lady Carmen).