Murcia

Accommodation in Murcia

Instituto Hispanico helped me a lot and I am sure they will help me again during my studies next semester. I know how hard it is to find a good apartment and nice roommates and, of course, a nice owner of the apartment. They are reliable and they always helped me with everything. Even finding new friends in Murcia. So you don't have to be worry about reservation before your arrival.

Source

Spanish courses

They are mainly an Spanish school so you can also learn Spanish from them. There are always a lot of Erasmus students taking courses with them. They have the best teachers I have ever met. Also you can participate in their activities with their students and also parties, visits to museums and trips.

Enjoy your Erasmus. :)

Petra Halikova

The Royal Casino of Murcia is one of the most famous and important buildings in the region of Murcia. It is situated right in the historical centre, a short walk away from the Cathedral of Murcia.

In reality it's a private club, where only the members can make use of its facilities, but it is also open to the public if you pay the entrance fee, or when there's some sort of cultural celebration going on. It's one of the most visited buildings in Murcia, which does not surprise me, as together with the cathedral, it's the best thing in the city.

Thanks to the fact that the whole building was renovated between 2006 and 2009, King Don Juan Carlos I gave it 'Royal' classification. In addition to this, since 1983 it has been considered a site of cultural interest, that is to say, it is categorised as a monument.

The members of the Casino of Murcia are an exclusive and select group that would historically belong to the upper class of the Society of Murcia, although I believe that nowadays this does not have much importance, and every day it becomes more open to a younger audience.

The various parts that you can visit in the casino are:

Entrance hall

Arabic courtyard: Just past the entrance, there is a reception area called the Arabian Courtyard and it is beautiful, all decorated; the musulman style is certainly impressive and I don't think it leaves anyone simply feeling indifferent. There is also the cash register and security in order to get inside.

Pecera: room where there are several armchairs and windows facing the street.

Central Gallery: after the Arabic Courtyard there is a wide hallway which connects the various parts of the Casino.

English Library: This part is small but luxurious and has that feeling of a private library, and the seats seem quite comfortable.

Dressing room: a small but very nice and luxurious room with several oval mirrors. What stands out most is the roof, which is decorated with paintings.

The Ballroom: after the Arabic courtyard this is my favorite part. It is a very luxurious space with several chandeliers to illuminate the room and give that touch of luxury of the old royalty. In addition to this, there was a small Bethlehem scene with large figures.

The Arms room: it's large, but there's hardly anything inside, apart from some paintings and shields hung up on the wall.

Congress room

Assembly hall

Pompeyan courtyard: another one of my favourite places, the style here is more classical thanks to the sculptures it has, and it's more spacious and bright. As it was Christmas time, there was a tree here, which gave a special touch to the room. Here you can also see a portrait of the present King Felipe VI, and a bust of the Lady of Elche.

High room: is located on the first floor, so you have to climb the stairs to access this room from the Arabic Courtyard. It is usually used for artist exhibitions, or at least I think this is the case, since another day I was there there was an exhibition of another artist's work. During yesterday's visit the exhibition was of the work of photographer María Manzanera and you could see photos of nature, as well as Murcian and Arab patios, and they seemed - at least to me - to be of very good quality and the photos were beautiful. In the middle of the room there is a black piano that adds to the artistic feel in the room. When leaving the room towards the stairs, you can admire the Arabic patio from above, which I loved.

The Facade: the facade is not very large, however it is elegant and well known amongst us Murcians.

Thanks to the Catering service provided, the casino can host various events; For example, I worked as a hostess at the Casino for the Board of Shareholders of Santander bank event, which was attended by Emilio Botín; I did not try the food, but it looked very good, and it certainly is one of the most beautiful and luxurious places in Murcia for a big event, such as a wedding. You can also go there at Christmas for the biggest and most important meals and dinners of the year, such as Aperitif, Christmas Day, Three Wise Men and the exclusive New Year's Eve Gala. There is a poster in the Casino where details and pricing for such events is explained, and although I thought it was going to be more on the expensive end, it is in fact affordable to come for these kind of events. As far as the New Years Eve event goes, the entrance to the gala costs € 125 for members and € 150 for non-members and includes a welcome cocktail and dinner, as well as music, 'lucky grapes' (to be eaten at the stroke of midnight), an open bar and chocolate profiteroles.

Another thing worth mentioning, is the Radio program "La Pecera", which is broadcast on the first Friday of each month through ROM Murcia Radio, in the 'Percera' room of the Casino (hence the name). You can go to listen to the recording of the program for free until the space capacity is reached. They talk about the different activities and events taking place in the Real Casino of Murcia, as well as the most important cultural information in Murcia.

The visiting hours of the Royal Casino of Murcia are from 10:30 to 19:00, every day. Normal entry price is 5 euros, and certain people can get a reduced ticket price (students, pensioners, etc... ), groups and family passes are 3 euros. However, thanks to the Open Day that they have at Christmas, my friend from Taiwan and I were able to enter yesterday for free, since the entrance is free on Sunday 21st and on the 28th of December, as well as the Sunday January 4 from 16:00 until 21:00, so you still have the opportunity to go next Sunday for free, do not miss it, it is a very nice place, although I understand if you do not want to pay to enter.

Getting to the Royal Casino of Murcia is very easy, it's best to go from the Cathedral and follow Trapería street towards Plaza de Santo Domingo or vice versa, and you'll easily be able to find the main entrance.