Gijón

Template:Spanish city Gijón (Asturian: Xixón), is a coastal industrial city and its municipality in the autonomous community of Asturias in Spain. Early mediaeval texts mention it as "Gigia". It was an important regional Roman city, although the area has been settled since earliest history. The name was originally applied to a small peninsula presently referred to as Cimavilla, literally "top of village," between two beaches, one of which has a recreational port today. The main port, one of the largest in the north of Spain, is called "El Musel". Gijón has a barely growing population of approximately 277,000 (2006).

City Hall

Geography

The city is situated on the central Asturian coast, from sea level to an altitude of 513 metres at Picu Samartín and 672 metres at Peña de los Cuatro Jueces, bordered on the West by Carreño, the East by Villaviciosa, and to the South by Siero and Llanera

The city is situated along the Asturian coast and is distinguished by the peninsula of Cimavilla (the original settlement) which separates the beach of San Lorenzo and adjacent neighborhoods to the east from the beaches of Poniente and Arbeyal, the shipyards, and the recreational port and the Port of El Musel to the west. It is close to the other main Asturian cities, Oviedo and Avilés.

Districts

Gijón / Xixón districts

As a municipality, Gijón / Xixón is divided in 26 districts or parroquias rurales:

1. Serín 2. San Andrés de los Tacones 3. Fresno 4. Puao 5. Veriña 6. Jove / Xove 7. Gijón / Xixón (capital) 8. Somió 9. Cabueñes 10. Deva 11. Caldones 12. Valdornón 13. Fano 14. Llavandera 15. Samartín de Güerces 16. Leorio / Llorio 17. La Pedrera 18. Ruedes 19. L'Abadía Cenero 20. Porceyo 21. Tremañes 22. Roces 23. Granda 24. Castiello Bernueces 25. Vega 26. Santurio

As a district itself, Gijón / Xixón (numbered 7) is divided in four big areas (Centre, East, West and South) and several barrios and places within each one (Cimavilla, Begoña, Los Campos, La Calzada, El Natahoyo, Pumarín, Viesques, etc.)

Access

Statue of King Pelayo, emblem of the city, at Marqués square

The A-66 motorway (Ruta de La Plata), A-8 (Autopista del Cantábrico) and the AS-1 (Autovía Minera) are the main highway accesses. By train, Gijón has daily service to Madrid, La Coruña, Santander, and Barcelona. Cruise ships call at El Musel, and the Airport of Asturias is located in the not far away municipality of Castrillón with daily flights to major Spanish and European cities.
A subway system, called Metrotren, is currently under construction to improve the public transport in Gijón.
There are 22 regular lines of bus and 4 "night lines" of bus called "Buho" and special lines in special events like the Feria Internacional de Muestras de Gijon (Gijon International Exposition Fair) or the Semana Negra (literally Black Week)[2], the city's famous one-week Festival based on Hardboiled literature.

Climate

Gijón has an Atlantic Humid continental climate, with mild temperatures and high humidity throughout the year. The summers are very warm, with both overcast and sunny days and winters are moderate with significant rains and wind. Weather could change for moments: raining and sunny. Weather is changing in Gijón. It doesn't rain a lot as usually, and green yards are becoming yellow.

The bronze copy of the statue "Augustus of Prima Porta" at San Lorenzo beach.

Culture

 • During the early years of the 19th century the very small town, then, of Gijón was best known for its college or high-school known as the "Real Instituto Asturiano" founded by Jovellanos.

 • Gijón has a wide range of museum options. The Museo de la Gaita (Museum of the Bagpipe) contains bagpipes from around the world, focusing on the Asturian musical heritage and bagpipes. There are also several other museums:

• • • Revillagigedo Palace and Museum (At Marqués square, near the City Hall)
    • Nicanor Piñole Museum (An art museum)
    • Evaristo Valle Museum (Local painter museum placed in a mansion at the outskirts)
    • Museo del Ferrocarril (Railroad Museum, near Poniente Beach)
    • Juan Barjola Museum (A museum about a local painter, also interested in avant-garde art)

 • The City Hall's sports and culture programs for citizens is wide, including the innovative Abierto Hasta el Amanecer (literally From Dusk Till Dawn) nocturnal program, which tries to involve teens in cultural and sportive activities as an alternative to weekend nightlife.

 • Gijon has 13 libraries in its Cultural City Centers, which feature a wide network of swimming pools and gyms.

Palacio de Revillagigedo

Sports

The Sporting de Gijón football team plays in the Spanish National League and is presently in the second division. Gijón Baloncesto team plays in the Spanish third professional basketball league (LEB-2). In the proximities of the city's area, there are several ski resorts in Asturias, the main being Valgrande-Pajares.

Gijón has 13 community centers (in Spanish: Centros Municipales Integrados) with swimming pools, gyms and saunas. Swimming pools are free for children up to age 14.

The city's marina houses an important fleet of yachts and is the base for many water sports.

El Musel, the Port of Gijón

El Musel is the leading port in the Spanish dry bulk traffic, sixth in the general ranking of Spanish ports and the fourth in benefits. It is equipped with the most advanced installations, and it is adequate and suitable for any kind of traffic.

It is connected by the FC de Langreo railway with coal and iron ore mines on the 50km route to Laviana, now subsumed by FEVE.

External links

• Gijon Municipality
• Official Touristic website of Gijón
• Website of Gijón Basket (professional basketball team)
• Official Toponyms - At City Council official website.
• Official Toponyms: Laws - BOPA Nº 229 - Martes, 3 de octubre de 2006 & DECRETO 105/2006, de 20 de septiembre (BOPA Errata corrections)