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Colloquially
we may understand cultural tourism as a type
of tourism focusing mainly on culture. But
the term “culture” is too broad
and ambiguous. Usually when we talk about
“cultural tourists” we think of
people interested in the heritage, the arts,
museums, music and other similar activities.
This is therefore a non-seasonal, more demanding
type of tourism, although it complements perfectly
other types, i.e. sun and beach or ecotourism.
Cultural tourism provides multiple advantages
for the places where it is developed, mainly
by revaluating the heritage and becoming
a means for its regeneration, i.e. a good
way of co-participating in the (costly)
upkeep and promotion of the cultural and
after all collective heritage.
Over the last few years the public sector
has devoted significant efforts to favour
the cultural offer of Castellón province.
These lands on the other hand already have
great potential in terms of historic and
artistic heritage, cuisine, festivities
and traditions as a consequence of its long,
in fact several thousand years old history
and the creative spirit of its inhabitants.
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As
a result, visitors can embark on an attractive
journey through history thanks to a rich and
extensive artistic and monumental legacy:
from the cave paintings at Valltorta gully
(Tírig-Albocàsser) or at Morella
la Vella, catalogued as World Heritage; the
archaeological remains of the Puig Iberian
settlement which are amongst the most important
within the Valencian community; Roman monuments
such as the arch majestically rising over
Cabanes dated 210 BC; medieval castles and
fortresses in Morella or Peñíscola;
numerous religious buildings covering every
architectural style in Castellón, Jérica,
Morella, Peñíscola, Segorbe,
Sant Mateu... and in general all along the
length and the breadth of this province.
An important collection
of museums
A good part of the history, Castellón’s
past and present is exhibited in over 60 museums,
exhibition halls and historical archives in
the province, especially Castellón
de la Plana’s Museu de Belles Arts Morella’s
museums, Onda’s Natural Sciences Museum,
L’Alcora’s Pottery Museum, Segorbe’s
Cathedral Museum, Vilafamés’
Contemporary Art Museum, Burriana’s
Museum of the Orange, Peñíscola’s
Sea Museum, Valltorta’s Museum, Nules’s
Enrique Giner Medals Museum, etc |
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365
days of the year an extensive programme
livens up Castellón’s cultural
life. The most significant events are Peñíscola’s
International Comedy Film Festival, the
International Independent Music Festival
at Benicàssim and the Francisco Tárrega
International Guitar Contest at Benicàssim,
among other outstanding cultural events.
The art of the people
Another important element nourishing Castellón’s
culture, besides its cuisine and the festivities
which you will find in the corresponding
articles included in this guide, is its
craftsmanship. Of special significance is
its pottery which has outlasted modernity
thanks to a wise combination of tradition,
arts and industry, prime examples of this
being the cities of Onda and L’Alcora
and their Conde Aranda Very Noble Ceramics.
Also in the A lto Palancia region the ancient
walking stick manufacturing tradition has
been zealously kept, and so has hand-made
textile production (fabrics, carpets, blankets…)
of Els Ports, mainly Morella, and the hemp
cloth industry at Castellón, La Vall
d’Uixó or Forcall. The workshops
found in Borriol, Càlig, Castellón
or Cervera are of famous wood experts.
Cultural Castellón
Castellón’s cultural project
is just an example of the efforts devoted
to strengthening this sector. It’s
a hope for the future in the sense that
equipping the city and the province with
infrastructure allows combining the cultural
tradition with the most innovating, avant-garde
artistic trends.
Thus, in a perfect combination of leisure
and show business, visitors can attend performances
at Castellón de la Plana’s
restored Teatro Principal or see ultramodern
exhibitions at Espai d’Art Contemporani,
or enjoy a retrospective of history at the
Museu de Belles Arts. But let’s not
forget the future Auditoriums and Conference
Centres at Castellón and Peñíscola,
among other cultural infrastructures.
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