Alcoy, the city of bridges - authentic and historical - what to see in Alcoy?

Admin
Mar 20
13 min read

In a valley surrounded by mountains and natural parks 60 kilometers north of Alicante lies a city with a long history. In Alcoy you get a more authentic picture of city life in the Valencian region than you do in the popular coastal cities. The city is known for its many bridges and viaducts that cross rivers, gorges and valleys, but you can also see modernist architecture and eat local dishes in traditional restaurants. The article describes what to see in Alcoy.

Dal med elv i bunnen og bebyggelse langs dalsidene i Alcoy

Alcoy has approx. 60,000 inhabitants. It is located at the bottom of a valley where several ravines and valleys with rivers meet. This leaves its mark on the city. In this article we describe the most characteristic things about Alcoy:

the old town
the history
the architecture
the churches
the parks
the bridges
the nature

The old town

The original medieval town has not been preserved in its entirety as can be found in many other Spanish towns and villages. Since the industrial revolution came early in Alcoy, factories were built inside the town itself and not outside as has been done in many other places in the country. There are still areas with narrow streets built for pedestrians and horses, but they have a mix of new and old buildings and are not as picturesque as in the well-preserved medieval towns.

Kryss med smale bygater og avrundet bygg i Alcoy

Smal gate med fabrikkbygning i Alcoy — When the Industrial Revolution came, Alcoy was an early adopter. This led to the construction of small factories and commercial premises within the original settlement without doing anything to the street structure, which is still characterized by narrow streets that are not very suitable for cars.

Smal bygate som med fjell i bakgrunnen i Alcoy — It is possible to drive in the narrow streets, but cars cannot meet.

Placa de España de Alcoy is located in the middle of the old town. It is a good starting point for exploring the city. There is a Tourist Information Office, which you should visit to get maps and directions to important sights. Most of these are within walking distance from this square.

Stor åpen plass med kirke med blå kuppel Placa España i Alcoy — Placa de España with the Catholic church Iglesia de Santa María straight ahead, built with the Tourist Information Office on the right and the Town Hall on the left.

Nærings- og boligblokk på Placa España i Alcoy — Building Commercial and residential buildings on the west side of Placa de España

Skulptur med fontene på Placa España i Alcoy — Sculpture with fountain at Placa de España

Stor murbygning med portal Rådhuset i Alcoy — The Town Hall on Placa de España. By going through the portal in the middle, you enter the courtyard where there are restaurants with good food.

Kvinne går i gang gjennom rådhuset i Alcoy — Passage between Placa de España and the courtyard of the Town Hall

Portal inn til bakgård ved rådhuset i Alcoy — Portal and buildings in the backyard of the town hall

Svalegang med portaler og søyler i rådhuset i Alcoy — Columned corridor in the backyard of the town hall

Restaurant med mennesker i bakgården til rådhuset i Alcoy — Restaurant in the backyard of the town hall in Alcoy

The history

The area where Alcoy is located has been inhabited since 60,000 years ago, when Neanderthals dominated. In historical times, it was first a military camp for Islamic forces, hence the Arabic name Alcoy, meaning camp. After the Romans conquered the area, a group of houses were built that developed into a small urban community. However, the city itself was not established until 1256.

Gammelt firkantet tårn og gammel bymur fra middelalderen i Alcoy — In several places in the city you can see remains of the old city wall that once surrounded Alcoy. The photo shows the Torre de Navalcora, which was part of the fortifications.

Firkantet tårn med utvendig trapp og gammel mur fra middelalderen i Alcoy — Next to the Puente de San Jorge is a preserved section of the medieval city wall and a watchtower. Next to this is a street leading down to hiking trails in the valley and next to the river that flows under the Puente de San Jorge bridge.

Alcoy has an interesting industrial history. In the Middle Ages, water power was the only source of energy. In Alcoy, mills could be built along several of the rivers, and these could be used to operate equipment and facilities required to produce woolen cloth (filling machines, spinning machines, looms). Sheep farming was an important part of agriculture, and there was therefore good access to wool. Since the climate was both cooler and wetter than on the coast, they got wool with better fiber quality. In addition, the workers had good working conditions. These competitive advantages meant that Alcoy quickly developed into one of Spain's most important textile cities. Later, both the paper industry and the chemical industry came, both of which depended on access to water and energy. In the 19th century, Alcoy was ready for the industrial revolution. The city had the labor force, expertise, infrastructure and capital needed to develop a dense, efficient industrial society.

Nedlagte og forfalne fabrikkbygninger i bunnen av en dal i Alcoy — On the east side of the city, groups of abandoned and partially destroyed factory buildings can be seen in the valley floor along the riverbed where they were able to exploit the access to water. Many of the buildings we see today have replaced earlier buildings on the same site.

There are marked trails through cultural and natural areas near the Molinar River where you can practically walk through the city's industrial history. You can see ruins and remains of textile factories, paper mills and mills, canals, water channels and locks, foundations for water wheels and old factory buildings that are now partly hidden by vegetation, but which used to stand in rows along the riverbed. Unfortunately, these trails are currently (2026) difficult to access because the road at the El Molinar roundabout where the trails start is being rebuilt so that you cannot get down to them.

Today, much of the industry has closed down, and on the west side of the city, old factories have been replaced by a modern polytechnic university.

Modernisert fabrikkbygning i Alcoy — Former factories have been converted into modern buildings for the Universitat Politécnica de Valencia, Campus D'Alcoy

Skulptur i jern på en åpen plass med kirke i bakgrunnen ved Polyteknisk universitet i Alcoy — Art in the large open space in the university area

Inngangsparti til Polyteknisk universitet i Alcoy

Skulptur i jern av hånd med sprikende fingre i Alcoy

One of the historical sights worth seeing is the Refugio Cervantes. Alcoy became a priority bombing target for the Germans during the Civil War because the many textile factories were important for supplying the garrison with uniforms and other materials. The shelter was built inside the mountain to provide protection to the surrounding population. It now functions as a museum. Refugio Cervantes is located about 15 minutes on foot from Placa de España.

Modernisert gammel fabrikk Refugio Cervantes i Alcoy — The old factory is part of the Refugio Cervantes museum, where you can buy tickets.

Liten murbygning Refugio Cervantes i Alcoy — This building housed one of the entrances to the shelter.

Jerndør i steinmur inngang til Refugio Cervantes i Alcoy — The entrance door to the Refugio Cervantes shelter

Saler og korridorer i tilfluktsrommet Refugio Cervantes Alcoy — The shelter, now a museum, displays wartime artifacts and posters. Sounds of radio broadcasts, air raid sirens, and bombings are played as you walk through the halls and corridors that once could accommodate 130 people.

Gammelt gevær i monter i Refugio Cervantes Alcoy

Gammel radio fra andre verdenskrig i monter i Refugio Cervantes Alcoy

Gassmaske fra andre verdenskrig utstilt i monter i Refugio Cervantes Alcoy

Plakat fra nazismen i Refugio Cervantes Alcoy

The architecture

Alcoy is one of Spain's most important modernist cities. You can see traces of this when you walk through the oldest parts of the city, where you will find, among other things, the famous buildings Casa del Pavo (Turkey House) and Círculo Industrial. The latter was a cultural institution founded on January 1, 1868. These and other modernist buildings were built on plots where there had previously been buildings from the Middle Ages. Today, therefore, there is a mixture of old buildings, modernist buildings and buildings from our time in the narrow streets that were made in the time when horse and cart were the prevailing means of transport.

Gammelt vakkert murhus i modernismestil i Alcoy Bomberos — The old fire station Edificio del Parque de Bomberos is one of the modernist/art nouveau buildings in Alcoy. It was built in 1915.

Husfasader med smale bygninger i forskjellige farger i Alcoy — Many of today's houses are narrow and tall, just as they were in the Middle Ages.

Høyt og smalt hus i modernismestil Caso de Pavo i Alcoy — Casa Pavo is one of the modernist buildings designed by the architect Vicente Pascual Pastor. He also designed a number of other modernist buildings in Alcoy. Casa Pavo was a typical combined residential and commercial building. The upper floors were the residence of a wealthy family, while the ground floor was used for business and offices. The upper class in Alcoy was important for the Industrial Revolution. They were able to provide the capital needed to establish new businesses and jobs.

Nedre del av fasaden til Casa de Pavo i Alcoy — Above the entrance doors to Casa Pavo (the Peacock House) is an iron sculpture of a peacock with its feathers spread out.

Jernstøpt påfugl over dør i Casa de Pavo i Alcoy

Gate med vakkert hus i modernismestil i Alcoy — City street with modernism building in Alcoy

Hjørne av fasade til modernisme bygning Casa d'Escaló i Alcoy — Casa d’Escaló was built in 1906 as a private luxury residence for textile industrialist Enrique García Peidro. The architect was also here Vicente Pascual Pastor. The building is currently used by the Conservatorio de Musica y Danza Juan Cantó.

Grønn fasade av modernismebygg Circulo Industrial i Alcoy — The Edificio del Circulo Industrial is one of the most famous modernist buildings in Alcoy. It is located next to Casa Pavo, just 100 meters from Placa España.

Dekorert murbygning med søyler kulturhuset i Alcoy — The neoclassical building in the photo above was built in 1927 for a branch of the Central Bank of Spain. When the branch closed in 1982, the building was transferred to the municipality, which used it as a cultural center.

The churches

Alcoy, like most Spanish cities, has beautiful churches. The most famous are the Iglesia de Santa María, Iglesia de San Mauro y San Francisco, Santuari de Maria Auxilladora and Iglesia de San Jorge. All are within walking distance of Placa de España.

Kirke med blå kuppen Iglesia de Santa Maria i Alcoy — The original Iglesia de Santa María was built between 1725 and 1767. However, it was demolished during the Civil War in 1937, and the one that stands there today was built between 1940 and 1955. It is inspired by the original church building, but is designed in a more classical style.

Baksiden av kirkebygning for Iglesia de Santa Maria i Alcoy — The back of the Iglesia de Santa María

Forsikden av Iglesia de San Mauro y San Francisco i Alcoy — The first Iglesia de San Mauro y San Francisco in Valencian Baroque style was built in the 18th century. It was destroyed during the Civil War, and the church that stands there today, which is in the Classicist style, was built between 1942 and 1955. It is located next to Parc La Glorieta.

Gammel steinkirke Santuari de Maria Auxilladora i Alcoy — The Santuari de Maria Auxilladora was built in 1931. It was confiscated during the Civil War and was then used as military barracks and industrial warehouse. The sanctuary is known for the large murals by Ramón Castañer Segura and David Pastor Corbí in the lateral chapels. The paintings depict local themes such as San Jorge, Moros y Cristianos and the industrial history of Alcoy.

Forsiden av Iglesia de San Jorge i Alcoy — The Iglesia de San Jorge was built between 1917 and 1921 in the Neo-Byzantine style. It replaced an old Baroque church that was demolished in 1913 after standing on this site since 1317. The church is dedicated to San Jorge, the city's patron saint.

The parks

Alcoy has many small parks, but the most famous is Parc La Glorieta. It was created in 1836 in the orchard of the San Francisco Monastery and is the oldest park in Alcoy. The park as it stands today was designed by the same architect who designed many of the modernist buildings in Alcoy, Vicente Pascual Pastor. It was completed in 1899 and has remained largely unchanged since. Below are pictures of some of the parks.

Liten park med grønne trær i Alcoy — Jardin de los Reyes Magos is a small park next to the old bank building which is now a cultural center

Nærbilde av hvite blomster på tre i Alcoy — Flowering tree in Alcoy

Detalj fra liten park med steinbelagt bakke, benker og trær i Alcoy

Bred avrundet trapp opp til port i Parc La Glorieta i Alcoy — The entrance to Parc La Glorieta, the oldest park in Alcoy

Hul, stor gammel trerot i Parc La Glorieta i Alcoy

Lysthus i Parc la Glorieta i Alcoy — Gazebo in Parc La Glorieta

Bred, lav murbygning med portaler i Parc La Glorieta Alcoy

Gammel vannkilde i Alcoy — Water source at Parc La Glorieta

The bridges

Alcoy is known for its many bridges. Some of them are centuries old, others are new. Some are interesting architectural structures, others are simple and featureless. Some are for railways, others for cars and some only for pedestrians and cyclists. Together they make an important contribution to the city's character. It is difficult to state exactly how many bridges Alicante has, as it depends on the definition used. The largest and most famous bridges are:

Puente de Penáguila - the oldest bridge in Alcoy, built in 1712 on the foundations of a medieval bridge
Puente de Cocentaina - one of the oldest bridges from 1780 built on the ruins of previous bridges dating back to the 17th century
Antiguo Pont de Sant Roc (Puente de Sant Roque) - old stone bridge from 1861 that crosses a small river in the Barranco de Soler
Puente de María Cristina - a historic bridge from 1828-1838 that crosses the Barxell/Riquer River, impressive engineering
Puente de San Roque - 19th century stone bridge at Barranco de Soler
Puente de la Pechina - old stone bridge from 1863 over the Benisaidó River with five arches high above the terrain
Puente de San Jorge (Pont de Sant Jordi) - the city's most famous bridge, a monumental Art Deco structure from 1931 that crosses the valley of the river Riquer/Serpis
Puente de Fernando Reig - a modern cable-stayed bridge from 1987
Pont de les Set Llunes (Puente de las siete lunas) - a tall, old viaduct (bridge over a valley) with large arches that was built for a railway line that never came into use.
Ponton del Terrer (Ponton de San Jaime) - a 53-meter-long concrete city bridge from 1933 that connects districts in the city center, not spectacular, but historically important
Viaducto de Canalejas - a large, monumental viaduct (bridge over a valley) from 1907 consisting of a long iron structure on concrete pillars, one of Spain's most outstanding engineering works.

In addition, there are newer, urban bridges such as Francisco Aura, Rafael Terol and Batoy and lesser-known, but old bridges such as Tossal (1712), Alcázares (1780), Cadedesigne (1790) and several others. In total, it is stated that there are more than 20 bridges and viaducts if you also count the smaller ones.

Bro i jern som hviler på fundamenter i betong Viaducto de Canalejas i Alcoy — The Canalejas Viaduct was built in 1907. It is one of the most famous bridges in Alcoy and is considered a masterpiece of Spanish engineering. It consists of an iron structure resting on concrete foundations.

Stor bro med høye betongelementer Puente de San Jorge i Alcoy — The Puente de San Jorge crosses the Serpis River. Built in 1931 in the Art Deco style, it is also a piece of impressive engineering.

Detalj fra brokonstruksjon for Puente de San Jorge i Alcoy

Gammel brokonstruksjon Puente de Maria Christina i Alcoy — The Puente de María Cristina crosses the Barxell River. It is located close to Refucio Cervantes

Gammel steinbro ved liten dam i Alcoy — One of the many small bridges in Alcoy

Lang bro med syv pillarer Puente de los siete lunas i Alcoy — The Puente de las siete lunas was built between 1927 and 1929. It was a 230-metre-long and 46-metre-high railway bridge that was to be part of a new railway line between Alcoy and Alicante. Infrastructure for the train line was created with tunnels and bridges over a distance of 16.3 km all the way to the town of Ibi. However, construction work was stopped in the 1930s, partly due to financial problems related to the general economic crash of the 1930s, partly because the work turned out to require more expensive tunnels and bridges than initially expected, and partly because of the Civil War. After the war, transport needs had changed, and work on the line was therefore not resumed. This amazing structure was therefore never used for railway purposes. Today, however, it is part of a very popular hiking route, the Via Verde de Alcoy, and is therefore widely used, although not for the purpose it was originally intended.

Nærbilde av konstruksjonen for Puente de los siete lunas i Alcoy

Moderne kabelbro i Alcoy — Puente de Fernando Reig

The nature

The old town of Alcoy is located on a plateau raised above the intersection of the three valleys of Riquer, Benisaidó and Molinar. The steep slopes down to the rivers gave the city a natural defense that was reinforced by a city wall at the top. As the city grew, however, it became necessary to build bridges over these rivers and valleys in order to create new districts on the outside. This peculiar urban formation can be seen clearly from the Puente de San Jorge or the Puente de María Christina. There, you get a good view of the valleys and factory areas along the rivers.

Dal med tørrlagt elv i Alcoy — View from Puente de San Jorge to one of the valleys around the old town.

Gamle fabrikkbygninger på kanten av elvebredd i Alcoy — Old industrial buildings along the river río Riquer, also called río Barxell

Alcoy is well sheltered, surrounded by mountains and beautiful natural parks. This has given the city a slightly cooler and more stable climate than on the coast. It has also provided a basis for tourism. Alcoy is currently focusing heavily on cultural heritage tourism, but the area around Alcoy is also popular as a destination for hiking and cycling. Some of the tours start from the city, others require you to drive a few kilometers.

Via Verde de Alcoy

Spain has preserved old, disused railway lines and made them accessible to hikers and cyclists under the name Via Verde (greenway). Such "greenways" can be found in many places in Spain where sleepers and dividers have been removed and the route has been converted into a hiking trail. Alcoy's Via Verde is located just a few kilometers from the old town in the Batoi district. It is 16 km long and runs from Alcoy to the small town of Ibi. Unlike the other Via Verde routes in Spain, Alcoy's route has never been in operation as a railway. The route was completed with tunnels and bridges, but never got rails, and the railway was never completed. The project was put on hold after the stock market crash of the 1930s and the civil war in the late 1930s. The route lay fallow until 2001 when work began to convert it into a hiking trail. In 2006, the entire section was completed, and since then the Via Verde de Alcoy has been widely used by both hikers and cyclists.

Inngangsparti til tunnel i Via Verde de Alcoy

Picknickområde med blomstereng ved Via Verde de Alcoy — There are several picnic areas along the route

Personer i tunnel i Via Verde i Alcoy — The Via Verde de Alcoy has a number of tunnels, all of which have a nice road surface and built-in lighting.

Bro som del av Via Verde de Alcoy — You cross several bridges along the Via Verde

Bro med grønne gelendre for Puente de los siete lunas i Alcoy — The second bridge you will reach is the Puente de los siete lunas, one of the most famous bridges in Alcoy

The nature parks

When you drive the motorway down the valley to Alcoy, you are greeted by magnificent scenery with mountains, valleys, gorges and riverbeds. Several of the surrounding areas are protected natural parks. The most famous are:

Parc Natural de Serra de Mariola which is located just outside the city. It has nice hiking trails that are suitable for both short walks and longer mountain hikes.
Barranc del Cint & Racó de Sant Bonaventura is the characteristic V-shaped gorge that you see from the motorway. It has picturesque gorges with small waterfalls and colorful rock patterns. If you look up, you will be able to see griffon vultures soaring above the terrain. Read more about the project to reintroduce griffon vultures and the hike to the breeding station here: (https://www.turideer.com/post/alcoy-griffon-i-barranc-del-cint).
In the Parque Natural del Carrascal de la Fuente Roja you will find one of the best preserved oak forests in the Valencia region. Read more about the popular hike to the top of el Menajador here: (https://www.turideer.com/post/cima-del-menajador-parque-natural-del-carrascal-de-la-fuente-roja-i-alcoy-fottur-i-fjell).

Steinbelagt trapp gjennom pass i Barranc del Cint i Alcoy — The path with stairs up through the V-shaped gorge Barranc del Cint

Nærbilde av gåsegribb i Alcoy — Close-up of griffon vulture near the breeding station

Kvinne på toppen av fjell ser ned mot dal med by Alcoy — View to Alcoy from the top of el Menajador in the Parque Natural del Carrascal de la Fuente Roja

See much in short time

If you want to see a lot in a short time, it is worth starting at Placa d'España in the city center, where the Tourist Information Office is located. From there, it is within walking distance of several of the important sights. Casa de Pavo, Circulo Industrial, Parque de Bomberos and Viaducto de Canalejas are all within a radius of a few hundred meters. Puente de San Jorge is also nearby. When facing the Tourist Information Office, turn left and follow Carrer Sant Tomás. It goes straight to Puente de San Jorge. From this bridge, you get a nice overview of the valleys and industrial areas and the plateau on which the old town is located. You can also take a leisurely walk in the center - many gems appear unexpectedly.

Alcoy has its own culinary culture, the most important dishes of which are: