Gijon
Located on the centre of the Asturian coastline in northern Spain, Gijon is the regions largest city. The city can be easily distinguished by the point of Cimavilla, where the original settlement in the town was made. This peninsula separates the largest beach in Gijon (San Lorenzo) in the east from the Poniente beach, shipyards and main port (El Musel).
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The town itself has a surface area of approximately 14 kilometres squared and a population approaching 280,000. A population increase of around 235,000 has taken place since the beginning of the 20th century.
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As Gijon is situated on the bay of Biscay, the climate can be somewhat temperate and oceanic in nature. Gijon is divided into six districts, and during our stay we resided in the "L'arena" section of the city.
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There have been signs of habitation in and around Gijon for thousands of years and the territory has been occupied by many different regimes such as the Roman Empire. Many conflicts have caused Gijon to be destroyed many times over and completely rebuilt.
In more recent times, the 19th century brought a lot of development to the city and Gijon can be described as the industrial centre of the Asturias region.
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During the Spanish civil war, Gijon sided with the republican front which ultimately yielded to General Franco who was the leader of the nationalist movement.
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Locally, the port in Gijon has been the catalyst for much trade and therefore economic growth for centuries and the fishing industry remains important to the city. Ferrous metallurgy has been the biggest industry around Gijon for decades and even though it may be in decline, companies involving steel and iron remain in abundance.
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Gijon possesses many landmarks and museums along with numerous recreational possibilities such as the local football team Sporting Gijon who as of the 17/18 season are in the Spanish second division.
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The Gijon Polytechnic School of Engineering is situated east of the city centre and is where the project took place. The engineering campus is part of the university of Oviedo and has an enrolment of around 5000 students.
Asturias
The region in which Gijon is situated is known as Asturias, located in the north west of Spain. Asturias is an autonomous community, one of 19 in Spain. Oviedo is the capital city of the region.
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Asturias falls within "green Spain" and is therefore one of the more picturesque regions of the country with some stunning mountain ranges and coastline. Being so close to the Atlantic ocean, Asturias experiences a lot more rain than other parts of Spain.
Much of the regions wealth came from the steel and mining industry to the point where Asturias was considered one of the more prosperous regions in Spain during the 20th century.
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Due to the decline of particularly the mining industry, the region is no longer one of the wealthiest in Spain and economic development within the region is amongst the worst across the country.
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Regarding gastronomy, the region is especially famous for its apple cider (sidra) and is poured in a particular manner known as el escanciado. The cider is poured from a height to the glass beneath, allowing for additional carbonation. Cheese is very prevalent in Asturias, especially cabrales and in some cases is stored in mountain caves while the cheese matures.
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There are many attractions in the region, some beautiful scenery and architecture from Roman occupation etc. Some monuments have achieved world heritage site status.
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Asturias has been the birthplace of some very famous individuals including; Queen Letizia of Spain (married to current King of Spain Felipe VI), Fernando Alonso (world champion formula one driver) and David Villa (Spanish football international).
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In the gallery at the bottom of the page, some sights which Asturias and Gijon have to offer are displayed.
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