10 best museums in Alicante – list, photo, description, prices 2021, map

An ancient city of Carthaginian origin, located on the Costa Blanca, today the most popular Spanish resort. Luxuriously decorated promenades, beaches with excellent infrastructure, Moorish sights have made Alicante a place of tourist pilgrimage. The symbols of the city – the medieval castle of Santa Barbara, the quarter of Santa Cruz, the Church of Santa Maria, the Esplanade Boulevard are known all over the world. The glorious history of the beautiful resort, the seaport is reflected in the wonderful museums of Alicante.

Archaeological Museum MARQ

The history of an institution important for the city, demonstrating the history of its development over thousands of years, began in 1932. For 30 years it has been actively enriching its funds, becoming a solid historical and archaeological center of world significance. By the opening of the new building of the MARQ Museum in 2002, 80,000 unique exhibits were stored in its funds. The organizers sought to create an ultra-modern cultural and educational institution with interactive technologies.

Thanks to this, the visit is interesting not only for specialists and scientists, but also for ordinary citizens. The opportunity to see prehistoric objects against the backdrop of a recreated authentic environment attracts a lot of visitors here. In 5 themed rooms exhibits are placed, illustrating the various eras of the development of Alicante. The exhibits of the 1st hall illustrate the Bronze Age: primitive tools, various tools, jewelry.

The 2nd hall presents the culture of the Iberian era: amphoras, statues of gods, fragments of the Moral and Albufereta necropolises. The 3rd room demonstrates the Roman period in the history of Spain: household items, weapons, jewelry. The exhibits of the 4th hall introduce the Middle Ages, illustrating 2 world religions – Islam and Christianity. The 5th hall reflects the history of modernity, exhibiting various inventions, furniture, works of art.

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Museum of Contemporary Art MACA

It is paradoxical that works of contemporary art are displayed in one of the old buildings of the city – a former granary. But when you see it today, the paradox disappears: talented architects managed to turn an outbuilding into a real Temple of avant-garde art of the 20th-21st century. The facade is crowned with the name of the famous native of Alicante – the artist Eusebio Sempere. Both the classical appearance of the building, and the modernism of the interiors, and unusual exhibits amaze visitors.

The halls are literally flooded with light, the abundance of free space creates the impression of space. In the 1st hall, a huge metal capsule – a UFO, with a fantastic internal content, is harmoniously “fitted” into it. The main part of the collection consists of abstract works by Sempere, who donated 575 of his creations to the institution (1st floor). His graphics, woven from thousands of openwork lines, cannot be copied. The intricate designs of chrome-plated rods fascinate with mystery.

Attention is drawn to fantastic metal structures sparkling under the sun, abstract paintings. The whole color of the modernist art of the world is presented on other floors of the building. Paintings by Dali, Picasso, Chagall, Miro, Kandinsky, Gonzalez and others (177 copies) are displayed in various halls. Here is Picasso's iconic painting “Alicante, city view” of 1895. Residents of Alicante show great interest in him, comparing the image with a modern city.

Museum of Fine Arts Gravina

Located in the historic building of the Gravina Palace. It was organized and opened in 2001. Today, this institution, which keeps the priceless cultural heritage of Alicante in its collections and storerooms, has won world recognition. Even a very sophisticated esthete will find a lot of new things here. All permanent exhibitions present the work of natives of the city – artists and sculptors. The largest exposition is dedicated to the work of Emilio Varela Isabel.

A huge collection of paintings has been collected for many years, starting in 1838 and covering the period from the 16th century to the present. Among the masterpieces of the 16th century, the famous painting by Oson “Golgotha ​​of Christ” from the Capuchin monastery is exhibited. Buschel's painting “Sunset in Florence”, which he presented as a gift to the city, is impressive. The pearl of the 18th century collection is the portrait of Ferdinand VII by Vincent Lopez. There are paintings by his contemporaries at exhibitions: Ordoñez, Aparicio, Peyret, Rodes.

The painting of Alicante of the 19th century is represented by landscapes, portraits, social canvases by Casanova, Agrasota, Cabrera and others. The central exhibit of this collection is A. Hisbert's painting “The owners of the estates of Castile”. The fine arts of different periods of the 20th century are fully reflected. Among the paintings there are genuine masterpieces, the authors of which (Santa Gonales, Lozano, Perezgil) became winners of international competitions. An extensive collection of works by avant-garde artists: Tapies, Rivera, Saura, Serano. There are many beautiful engravings, miniatures of lithographs of the 16th-19th centuries, and many works by contemporary artists, including world-famous P. Stang and P. Laporte.

water museum

In the heart of the Old Town, on the picturesque slope of Mount Benacantil, there is an unusual museum. It consists of 3 parts, one of which – Garrigos Wells – is located in the open air. They are reservoirs built into the rocks. Rainwater flowing down the aqueducts was stored in them. The first wells were made in the 16th century. The rest, designed by the engineer Garrigos, appeared in the 19th century.

They were equipped with a water filtration system used as drinking water. Wells served the city until the appearance of the central water supply (1939). In 1968, the wells of Garrigos became the museum of the same name. Archaeological artifacts discovered during the excavations of the city of Lukentum are located here. Wells illuminated by colored lights make a strong impression.

In 2009, a building was built close to them, and the institution was called the Museum of Water. Its expositions introduce the history of the emergence and development of water supply in Alicante from antiquity to the present day (part 2). The 3rd part of the institution, the most interesting for children and teenagers, is interactive. After exploring, many stroll through the nearby De La Ereta Park, which offers incredible views of the city.

Fogueras Museum

A small building houses very interesting exhibits – various figures made of papier-mache for the annual carnival (June 18-24). By tradition, since 1928, about 100 expressive figures-characters of fairy tales, oral folklore, animals, etc. have been exhibited in the city. All of them, as a rule, are very expressive, colorful and reach up to 30 m in height.

The festival dedicated to the beginning of summer is a favorite holiday and a significant event in the life of the townspeople. During the celebration, the figures are burned on the beach, and the best copies (reduced copies) are placed in a small building. Entrance here is free. In a few minutes of examining the originally made figures, all visitors receive a fair portion of delight.

Often these are not just individual figures, but compositions filled with meaning on various topics. Mythological monsters, married couples, newlyweds, dwarfs and giants are depicted most often in a grotesque form. The collection, housed in 5 halls, reflects all the stages of preparation and holding of the main festival over the years. Costumes, drawings, audio-video recordings, layouts clearly illustrate the history of the holiday.

Museum “Belen”

All skillfully executed paraphernalia of the most important holiday of Catholics – Christmas is presented in the Belen Museum. It was opened in 1997 on the initiative of members of the association of masters of Christmas compositions. Nativity scene exhibits (13-21 c) have been collected for decades all over the world. Here are the works of famous artists from different eras, creating scenes for Christmas stories. Each composition reflects the attitude of different authors to the birth of Christ, to the characters involved in this phenomenon.

Here are the true masterpieces of masters from different cities of Spain and other countries. The works of Jose Lebria (Madrid), Castells Martin (Barcelona), Pazis (Erez) and other artists from Valencia, Murcia, Poland, Germany, Japan, Portugal are magnificent. You can endlessly admire the amazing figurines of the Virgin Mary, the Magi, baby Jesus and other characters. The skill of Kareres Hurtado, who created the largest puppet theater on the theme of Christmas, is admired. Entrance b/n.

bullfighting museum

Leader in attendance among cultural institutions. Located next to the bullfighting arena. On an area of ​​400 sq. m presents exhibits demonstrating the rich history of the art of bullfighting. Before my eyes, pictures of fights between bullfighters and angry animals, captured in photographs, are resurrected. Costumes of Alicante bullfighters of different years, their portraits, awards are presented at permanent exhibitions.

The first exposition illustrates the Golden Age of Bullfighting. Here you can visually get acquainted with the first bullfighters of the city: V. Blau, V. Fernandese, F. Antone, L. Esple. The second exhibition is dedicated to the famous bullfighters of the 20th century who have become legends of Alicante. One of them is Julio Martinez, who was awarded the scientific degree of Doctor (1904). Photo documents, awards clearly confirm the extraordinary skill of Aneglu Karatal, Andreas Colom and others.

The third exhibition introduces visitors to the history of breeding and selection of various breeds of fighting bulls. The next exposition is a kind of art gallery, which displays paintings, posters, posters dedicated to bullfighting. The authors of these works are famous Spanish artists. In separate halls, films and programs about bullfights are shown, meetings and conferences with bullfighters are held. There is a library with over 700 books on bullfighting. The whole atmosphere is imbued with the spirit of respect for the participants in the battles.

Volvo Ocean Race Museum

Another institution that reflects the respectful attitude of the city towards athletes is the Volvo Ocean Race. The historical building of the Sea Station houses expositions dedicated to the round-the-world regatta of the same name. Races on sailing yachts have been held every year since 1973. The entire period of the race is clearly presented at exhibitions. The exhibits are regularly replenished, and the collection becomes more extensive.

Here visitors see unique footage of a 9-month nautical mile journey. They reflect all the difficulties of overcoming huge distances among the waves, the courage of the participants in a high-speed cruise. Among the showrooms there is a control room, where 3D simulators in real mode recreate the picture of the regatta. Everyone not only sees the side of the yacht, but also feels like yachtsmen. Leaving the building, everyone is imbued with a sense of respect for courageous athletes.

Turron Museum in Gijón

For many, the mysterious word “turron” will become close and understandable after visiting an amazing institution with a confectionery theme. The Turron Museum is located in Gijón (30 km from Alicante). Dedicated to the Spanish Christmas dessert, first prepared in the province of Alicante. Today, turron takes pride of place in the top ten of the most famous dishes in Spain. It is no coincidence that the museum is located on the territory of a confectionery factory.

At first, turron was made from whipped egg whites, toasted almonds and honey. Over time, other variations of the popular dessert arose. Fillers can be fruits, citrus fruits, coconuts, various nuts. Everything related to the preparation of sweets is presented on 3 floors of the building: raw materials and equipment for cooking. Primitive stone crushers, more advanced millstones and modern electrical appliances used in the culinary process are exhibited here.

The original tools for cutting turron are surprising. The showcase displays packages of all varieties of dessert. A film showing the manufacturing technology of the product is shown to visitors. At the end of the inspection, everyone receives a piece of fresh turron. You can buy it at your local store.

Fort San Fernando

The symbol of the city's defenses – the majestic fortress of San Fernando rises next to the central part of Alicante. The fortress castle was built on a hill for 3 years as a defensive object from the attack of the Napoleonic army. The construction was led by military engineer Pablo Sastre, who later led the army of Catalonia. The structure consists of 2 parts, interconnected by transitional walls. The northern bastion is a polygon, the southern one looks like a truncated cone.

In addition to the main structures, 5 protective objects were built on the slopes of the hill, and the foot of the hill was surrounded by a moat. A bulletproof bunker was built inside the fortress. No shelling is terrible in it, stocks of food and water were able to ensure a long stay in it. And today there are large containers for storing water, there are stocks of food, weapons, gunpowder. The soldiers' barracks have also been preserved. Near San Fernando there is a mini-park – a favorite place for the townspeople to relax. It has playgrounds, golf and a football field.

Museums of Alicante on the map