Old Town, Castellón de la Plana

Hello everyone from the center of Castellón de la Plana, the capital of the Castellón province in the Valencian Community. I had not written a blog about neighborhoods for a long time, so last month I decided to make up for it and went for a walk in the part of the city known as the Casco Histórico, in other words the historic center. I followed maps and street signs and the first place I reached was Avenida Rey Don Jaime. King James is known for reconquering the Valencian region from the Moors and for his military campaigns. This avenue is lined with cafés on both sides. There are trees too, they are not very noticeable during the colder months, but in summer they are a real blessing, because it gets very hot.

The historic center is not only about historic buildings, which we do see, but also about ordinary homes. Some of these houses are for sale and prices vary a lot. For example, I saw places around 100.000 euros that need a full renovation, around 120.000 euros there are slightly better options, but they still need work. Of course, prices go higher as well. Apartments are usually around 130.000 to 150.000 euros and up. There are cheaper options too, but they usually come with an issue. For instance, the listing says the property is rented, which likely means someone is living there and possibly not paying rent.

When I visited, the area was getting ready for the Christmas season and I could see decorations on the houses. I came across a very beautiful building, if I am not mistaken it used to be a casino and was later restored. It looks very harmonious next to the bank building beside it. This is a small intersection with a little fountain. In general, the streets in the center, as in most cities and especially in a provincial capital, are filled with public buildings, shops, pharmacies and various services like insurance offices and lawyers.

I passed by the cultural center, where different exhibitions are held and soon reached an area close to the main square. I saw the cathedral and the square itself and there is also the market building there. In the evenings, the lighting here is really beautiful. I visited before Christmas last year as well. When I was there this time, it was a Saturday and there was an event in the square, a concert was taking place.

I then headed toward the church. It was built in the 10th century and of course has been restored many times. The last restoration lasted about 60 years and was completed only at the beginning of this century. The bell tower stands a bit apart in an interesting way. They even call this bell tower a bachelor, because it is separate from the main building. By the way, you can climb the bell tower, there are 200 steps and it is open from Monday to Saturday between 12 and 1 pm.

I also took a look at the event happening there, it turned out to be the 40th anniversary of a language school. You can learn foreign languages there. It is a nice school, they exist in every province. It is affordable and useful in any case. After that, I passed by the central market building, which was last restored in 1985. Inside, it is a classic market. Prices feel a bit high to me and in general, markets like this in Spain seem a bit more expensive. The best option is street markets, like temporary fairs, where products are fresher and cheaper. These permanent markets feel a bit more tourist oriented now.

The building next to it is also historic, the second floor was added by a French man who bought the building when it was in very poor condition. This used to be the hemp exchange. Hemp played an important role in Castellón’s economic history for a long time. Of course, this refers to hemp used for textiles and similar production, not in the modern sense people often think of today.

I also saw a modern sculpture. Castellón has many examples of modern art like this and most of them are quite interesting. We then reached the end of the Casco Histórico. After this point, you mostly see apartment buildings from the 1970s. Some are newer, some older. There is a green area here with a playground, a fountain further ahead and palm trees, a very pleasant spot. If you keep going straight, you can reach the Mediterranean Sea in a few kilometers.

The view of the church from here is also very nice, with an interesting architectural style. I then returned to the narrow streets of the old center. This is Calle Mayor. Despite its name, it is narrower than the streets near the city hall and the church. There is an art studio here where they sell paintings and also offer lessons.

I walked around watching the historic houses with their solid doors. The balconies are beautiful. The streets look similar to each other, with low-rise buildings. We reached the other end of the historic center, where the building stands in which Castellón’s representatives meet and local decisions are made. Nearby, there is another piece of modern art. Castellón has many of these and you can spot them while walking around the city.

And then we came back to Avenida Rei En Jaume, the street I mentioned at the beginning of the post. This was a walk through the very center, the Casco Histórico. I wish you all the best and hope to see you on new trips.

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