ARAD - keeping up with the times

Arad A Wonderful Town

       Arad  is the capital city of Arad county , historically situated in the regions of Crisana , and having recently extended on the left bank of the Mures river , in Banat  region of western Romania . 

    An important industrial center and transportation hub on the Mures river , Arad is also the seat of a Romnian orthodox archbishop and features two universities, a Romanian Orthodox theological seminary and a training school for teachers.

A step back in time 

     Arad was first mentioned in documents in the 11th century. The Mongol  invasion of the Kingdom of Hungary in 1241 showed the importance of the fortifications on this place, to which were added in the second half of the 13th century more stone fortresses at Șoimoș, Șiria, and Dezna. The Ottoman Empire conquered the region from Hungary in 1551 and kept it until the Peace of Karlovitz of 1699.

   The new fortress was built between 1763 and 1783. Although it was small, it proved formidable having played a great role in the Hungarian  struggle for independence  in 1849. The city possesses a museum containing relics of this war of independence.

   Courageously defended by the Austrian  general Berger until the end of July 1849, it was captured by the Hungarian rebels, who made it their headquarters during the latter part of the Hungarian revolution.

A stepstone in the Romanian History  

    The town had an important role in the Romanian History especially in the Union of Transylvania with Romania in 1918. Arad in fact was the Birthplace of the  Great Union . The most important figure was Vasile Goldis, the artizan of the Great Union. The day of the union , December 1st is also the Romanian national holiday. Ferdinand I was the first king of all the Romanians. 

And today.........

  According to the 2011 census, the municipality of Arad was home to 159,704 inhabitants. The ethnic split of the city was as follows: 126,070 Romanians (85.19%); 15,695 Hungarians (10.06%); 2,535 Romani (1.71%); 1,256 Germans (0.84%); and 2,116 of other nationalities (1.22%). 

Economy

   With a rich industrial and commercial tradition, Arad is one of the most prosperous cities  in Romania. Thanks to numerous investments in industry and commerce, Arad has a booming economy.

The main industries are: railroad cars, food processing, furniture and household accessories, equipment for the car industry, electric components, instrumentation, clothing and textiles, and footwear.

Tourist attractions

The  Ioan Slavici Theatre 

 The Neumann Palace

and The Ferdinand Hall 

The Lutheran Red Church in Arad

Moise Nicoara National College 

 The Catholic Cathedral 

The Arad Citadel

The Musical Fountain 

   

    The only way to know a town is to visit it and roam its streets and enjoy the atmosphere that it provides. 

WELCOME  TO ARAD

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yE7a1JaCXe0

cervantes

We are going to show you some of appearances of Miguel de Cervantes and Don Quijote in Alcala de Henares. But first things first. Do you know who Miguel de Cervantes is?

Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra was a Spanish novelist, poet, and playwright. His magnum opus, Don Quixote, is considered the first modern European novel, and he is known as the greatest Spanish writer of all time, as well as one of the best universal writers. If you’ve never heard of Don Quixote, check out this link, and start reading the novel today!!

 Spanish, the language of Cervantes

Cervantes and Don Quijote in Spanish coins

Have you noticed that Cervantes is engraved on some of the spanish coins? His influence on the Spanish language has been so great that it is often called ‘la lengua de Cervantes’ (the language of Cervantes). This is also the reason why the official institute of the Spanish language is called ‘Instituto Cervantes’.

You can imagine Alcalá is proud of this fact, and therefore he appears all around the city. Let’s have a look at some of his most important appearances!

Cervantes in Cervantes Square

 Cervantes was baptized in Alcala

The coolest thing is Cervantes was baptized in Alcalá, in Santa María’s Church on October the 9th in 1547, and that is why we celebrate The Week of Cervantes every year at this time.

At the end of Plaza de Cervantes are the remains of the church where Cervantes was baptized: the tower of Santa María, the Oidor chapel and a bit more. It was destroyed during the civil war.

Cervantes is the meeting point in Alcala

First of all, his sculpture is in the center of Plaza de Cervantes. This is the meeting point of Alcala’s inhabitants, and we even lovingly call this statue ‘el Monigote’ (it is translate to something like stick figure or rag doll). It is very funny!!

It has certainly become a beloved landmark since Carlo Nicoli designed the statue in 1878. It looks light but it is actually made of bronze, 2’09 meters high (6 feet 10 inches) and weights 750 kgs (1653 pounds or 118 stones).

Cervantes Birthplace Museum

Another significant place you can’t miss is the Cervantes Birthplace Museum or “Casa de Cervantes”.

It is a monographic museum placed in Calle Mayor, and housed in the building where the writer was born. It brings to life the various areas of an affluent household during the 16th and 17th centuries, recreating an environment intended to provide visitors with a sense of the former residents as they went about their daily lives.

Take a photo with Don Quixote and Sancho Panza in Alcala

At the front entrance of the Cervantes Birthplace Museum, you’ll find a charming statue of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza. They welcome you, and invite you to sit with them and snap a picture. In fact, it’s a must: when you visit Alcala de Henares, you have to take a photo with Don Quixote and Sancho Panza.

Don Quijote and Sancho in Calle Mayor, waiting for you to take a photo with them.

The statue is the work of Peter Requejo Novoa and was inaugurated on April 24th 2005, commemorating the fourth centenary of the publication of Don Quixote. It is cast in bronze and life-size.

Other appearances of Cervantes in Alcala

Statue of Don Quijote in Vía Complutense

These are the best known Cervantes references in Alcala, but there are plenty more of them throughout the city.

For example, close to the bus station on a rotunda in Vía Complutese you can see a giant sculpture of Don Quixote. This work was made by Enrique Carvajal, and it belonged to a huge exposition of sculptures that took place in Alcalá during 2008. In fact, this was the only statue that stayed here, the 60 remaining sculptures were moved to Toledo from where they continued their tour of Spain.

Just look around, and you can easily spot more examples. Don’t you think it’s crazy the amount of Cervantes memorabilia placed all around Alcalá?! Probably, it is. We are obsessed!!

traditional food

BARS IN ALCALA

http://www.dream-alcala.com/en/bars-in-alcala/

You may already know a bit about bars in Alcala from reading the “tapas,” http://www.dream-alcala.com/en/tapas-in-alcala/ or “nightlife” pages, but don’t stop reading yet… there is still a lot to learn!

Becca Fogel, New Jersey, USA.

Bars in Alcala, and much of Spain, have a variety of functions. Ultimately, they are places of social reunion, to kickback and have some cañas and copas, or to enjoy a morning coffee and tostado with classmates. They are great places to meet up with friends, meet new people, and of course, stay well-nourished.

However, the concept of bars in Alcala doesn’t necessarily align with the American concept of “bars.” In fact, many bars in Alcala seem to serve the double function of bar and café (in the American sense). For instance, some bar venues that are perfect for relaxing with coffee and a book during the day attract rowdy sports crowds at night (go Real Madrid!). Plus, almost all venues you may be temped to call “cafés” in Alcala sell beer and wine, which is unlike the cafes in United States where liquor licenses are notoriously hard to acquire.

So to sum it up, the line between “bar” and “café” is a lot more fluid in Alcala and Spain in general than it is in the U.S.
Now that you have a sense of what it means to be a “bar” in Alcala, let’s get to the fun part…where are the best Alcalaino bars? No matter where you go, you are bound to meet lively people and enjoy excellent coffee, Mahou beer, and/or tapas. Just walk down Calle Mayor, the main street, and you’ll spot several charming venues.

But for a start, here’s a list of some of the most popular ones, close to the center: Indalo (mouth-watering tapas), Hemispherio (relaxing work environment with great coffee), Panaderia (60’s rock bar), Hanoi House (a lively nightlife spot), and La Española (fun place to watch the Real games, with very cheap tapas). Of course, each of these bars has a unique character, but it’s an Alcala character nonetheless.

So, give them all a shot, and enjoy!