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Learning Spanish in Alcala de Henares. The tourist guide to study your Spanish course.
General Information. 205,000 inhabitants. 23 kilometres to the east of Madrid. Alcala de Henares is the third most populated town in the Madrid Community. It is situated in the Henares basin and its name means ‘castle on the Henares River'. Alcala ´s origins date back to Celtic times, but it was not until the arrival of the Romans that the town known as ‘Complutum' began to take shape. Its 16th century university is one of the oldest in Spain; the main centre and vice-chancellor's office are currently housed in the old hall of residence building of San Ildefonso. With some 20,000 degree students and an additional 10,000 postgraduate or students receiving other kinds of training, this Madrid Community university is what gives the town its uniquely student-oriented atmosphere. Nowadays, it also boasts the second main office, after Madrid, of the Instituto Cervantes; it is used as a teacher training college and can be found in ‘King's College' (Colegio del Rey), in Calle Libreros. Alcala de Henares is a very attractive place to study Spanish with many language schools offering a wide range of courses.
Surrounding Areas. Within easy reach of the town, you can visit Prehistoric, Roman and Visigothic archaeological sites. Madrid (30 kilometres). Chinchón (60 kilometres): a picturesque medieval town with cobblestone streets and a porticoed main square (Plaza Mayor), where bullfights and theatrical events are held. Aranjuez (75 kilometres): named as a Royal Seat by Philip ll in 1560 and famous for its Royal Palace and gardens, which were declared a World Heritage Site in 2001.
Common Heritage of Mankind. Alcala de Henares was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1998, thanks to the university and the historical precinct.
Main Sights. Cisneriana University. Corral de Comedias de Alcala (1601), one of the oldest open-air comedy theatres in Europe. Juan Carlos I Royal Botanical Garden. Bullring. Puerta de Madrid, an 18th century city gate in the walled enclosure, which appeared in Stanley Kubrik's film "Spartacus". Birthplace of Miguel de Cervantes (16th century). Storks can usually be found atop the monuments and have now become a symbol of Alcala de Henares. The Tourist Office has created ‘The Route of the Storks', which has become an excellent way for tourists to discover Alcala de Henares. The species is the white stork, known for the huge nests it builds at the uppermost reaches of church roofs and which is easily seen at any time of the day. The monuments are a major attraction for the many students who decide to study Spanish in Alcala de Henares.
Culture. La Semana Cervantina, a week commemorating the death of Cervantes, is celebrated every year on 23rd April in Alcala de Henares, and here the king and queen of Spain present the Cervantes Spanish Literature Prize in the Paraninfo Cisneriano auditorium. Holy Week, involving over 5000 people from eight religious brotherhoods, is a tourist attraction in the region. The Festival of Classical Theatre is held during the month of June.
Shopping. The town centre boasts shops and boutiques selling a full range of products. In La Garena, a neighbourhood on the outskirts of the town, there is a Corte Inglés shopping centre, as well as other commercial and leisure areas. There are two other shopping centres: El Val and Alcala Magna.
Gastronomy. In the old quarter there are numerous restaurants where you can enjoy a variety of typical Castilian dishes, as well as an enormous range of open air restaurants and tapas bars. In Alcala de Henares the typical dishes are based on broths, roasts and vegetables. There are famous sweets and pastries such as sugared almonds (almendras garrapiñadas), chocolate crumbs (migas con chocolate), ring-shaped biscuits (rosquillas de Alcala ), Costrada cake (costrada de Alcala), made with meringue, cream and puff pastry and penitentes, hood-shaped pastries which are traditionally eaten during Holy Week.
Sports. Alcala de Henares has a wide range of swimming pools, sports halls and municipal sports centres, where you can play or learn almost any sport.
Fiestas. Cervantes Day (9th October) celebrates the birth of the writer with cultural events such as the book fair and Spain's largest medieval market. Alcala's fiestas and main fair are held during the last days of August and coincide with the Saint Bartholomew festivities.
Transport. Alcala de Henares has excellent transport links to Madrid thanks to commuter trains that operate like a metropolitan service, with a constant flow of trains arriving and departing. The town also has urban and regional bus networks. It is easy to get from Alcala de Henares to other Spanish cities by train or by using the various coach services.
Nightlife. Students who decide to study Spanish in Alcala de Henares will discover a very active nightlife, thanks to the city's university atmosphere. A great number of bars and pubs can be found around the Calle Mayor area, all of which stay open until three in the morning. Thanks to the university, there is a mix of student and international atmospheres. Some of the most well-known bars include El Casco Antiguo, La Paloma and Continental. More recently established areas with their own nightlife can be found outside the town centre. The Garena-Plaza entertainment complex has the most exclusive selection of bars, pubs and discos. Once the bars have closed, there are late night establishments called "after hours", which can be found in the El Val shopping centre, as well as discos in La Esgaravita, an industrial estate. In a club called Ego you can listen to indie music, pop-rock and DJs. until six in the morning. Thanks to its proximity, you can also take advantage of Madrid's nightlife and clubs.
Surrounding Areas. Within easy reach of the town, you can visit Prehistoric, Roman and Visigothic archaeological sites. Madrid (30 kilometres). Chinchón (60 kilometres): a picturesque medieval town with cobblestone streets and a porticoed main square (Plaza Mayor), where bullfights and theatrical events are held. Aranjuez (75 kilometres): named as a Royal Seat by Philip ll in 1560 and famous for its Royal Palace and gardens, which were declared a World Heritage Site in 2001.
Common Heritage of Mankind. Alcala de Henares was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1998, thanks to the university and the historical precinct.
Main Sights. Cisneriana University. Corral de Comedias de Alcala (1601), one of the oldest open-air comedy theatres in Europe. Juan Carlos I Royal Botanical Garden. Bullring. Puerta de Madrid, an 18th century city gate in the walled enclosure, which appeared in Stanley Kubrik's film "Spartacus". Birthplace of Miguel de Cervantes (16th century). Storks can usually be found atop the monuments and have now become a symbol of Alcala de Henares. The Tourist Office has created ‘The Route of the Storks', which has become an excellent way for tourists to discover Alcala de Henares. The species is the white stork, known for the huge nests it builds at the uppermost reaches of church roofs and which is easily seen at any time of the day. The monuments are a major attraction for the many students who decide to study Spanish in Alcala de Henares.
Culture. La Semana Cervantina, a week commemorating the death of Cervantes, is celebrated every year on 23rd April in Alcala de Henares, and here the king and queen of Spain present the Cervantes Spanish Literature Prize in the Paraninfo Cisneriano auditorium. Holy Week, involving over 5000 people from eight religious brotherhoods, is a tourist attraction in the region. The Festival of Classical Theatre is held during the month of June.
Shopping. The town centre boasts shops and boutiques selling a full range of products. In La Garena, a neighbourhood on the outskirts of the town, there is a Corte Inglés shopping centre, as well as other commercial and leisure areas. There are two other shopping centres: El Val and Alcala Magna.
Gastronomy. In the old quarter there are numerous restaurants where you can enjoy a variety of typical Castilian dishes, as well as an enormous range of open air restaurants and tapas bars. In Alcala de Henares the typical dishes are based on broths, roasts and vegetables. There are famous sweets and pastries such as sugared almonds (almendras garrapiñadas), chocolate crumbs (migas con chocolate), ring-shaped biscuits (rosquillas de Alcala ), Costrada cake (costrada de Alcala), made with meringue, cream and puff pastry and penitentes, hood-shaped pastries which are traditionally eaten during Holy Week.
Sports. Alcala de Henares has a wide range of swimming pools, sports halls and municipal sports centres, where you can play or learn almost any sport.
Fiestas. Cervantes Day (9th October) celebrates the birth of the writer with cultural events such as the book fair and Spain's largest medieval market. Alcala's fiestas and main fair are held during the last days of August and coincide with the Saint Bartholomew festivities.
Transport. Alcala de Henares has excellent transport links to Madrid thanks to commuter trains that operate like a metropolitan service, with a constant flow of trains arriving and departing. The town also has urban and regional bus networks. It is easy to get from Alcala de Henares to other Spanish cities by train or by using the various coach services.
Nightlife. Students who decide to study Spanish in Alcala de Henares will discover a very active nightlife, thanks to the city's university atmosphere. A great number of bars and pubs can be found around the Calle Mayor area, all of which stay open until three in the morning. Thanks to the university, there is a mix of student and international atmospheres. Some of the most well-known bars include El Casco Antiguo, La Paloma and Continental. More recently established areas with their own nightlife can be found outside the town centre. The Garena-Plaza entertainment complex has the most exclusive selection of bars, pubs and discos. Once the bars have closed, there are late night establishments called "after hours", which can be found in the El Val shopping centre, as well as discos in La Esgaravita, an industrial estate. In a club called Ego you can listen to indie music, pop-rock and DJs. until six in the morning. Thanks to its proximity, you can also take advantage of Madrid's nightlife and clubs.
© TEXT: SPANISH IN TOUR.
VIDEO: Concejalia de Turismo de Alcala de Henares
VIDEO: Concejalia de Turismo de Alcala de Henares
