Images of a City - Tourism

From Tuesday I can start my work in the refugee camp and it also looks like I'll get another permit that I wasn't expecting. More about that when I actually have it in my hands. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

At the weekend I want to spend some time in Melilla itself. To get to know the city better, I'm trying to approach it from different perspectives.

As a traveller, I'll start with the most obvious - tourism.

The tourist office offers various brochures, here is an excerpt from the official main brochure:

A city for the senses

Have you ever imagined Melilla as a holiday destination? Often the most unusual destinations have the advantage of being discoverable. Here we bring you closer to Melilla's present, a modern and bustling city that has many tourist attractions to offer its visitors.

The city combines the mystery of Africa and the history of Spain: a small city that opens its doors to discovery and pleasure. The city of Melilla is the window through which two continents can be seen. For over 500 years, it has been an enclave in North Africa bathed by the Mediterranean Sea, offering visitors who are eager to explore a holiday full of exoticism, cultural diversity and outdoor activities.

From the charm of the centuries-old walls of the citadel, to the colourful explosion of Art Nouveau architecture with more than 900 Art Nouveau and "Art Deco" buildings, Melilla offers strolling visitors a multitude of impressions on its streets. The sea and the spirit of the four cultures are reflected in the city's exquisite gastronomy and the diversity of its customs and artistic expressions.

Few people are aware of the many attractions that invite you to visit the city of Melilla. The splendour of this city, which has lived through history as a bridge between two continents, reveals true treasures.

One of Melilla's greatest features, and certainly the most inviting, is the character of its people. Different communities live together here (Christians, Muslims, Jews or Hindus), whose cultural identities fill the city of Melilla with astonishing contrasts and enrich its streets.

This cultural mix also characterises Melilla's gastronomy, which - as a fusion of Mediterranean gastronomy and multicultural history - conquers the palate with its variety of flavours and tasty specialities...

more at http://www.melillaturismo.com

There is also a very nice video that runs all the time in the tourist information centre: