Elche is the third largest city in the Comunidad Valenciana region in terms of population size and resources. A stroll through the city’s streets will reveal an interesting historical centre, a silent witness to its glorious past. Between the 8th and 9th centuries it was a walled city of Al-Andalus, falling to the Christians in 1265.
This glorious past contrasts harmoniously with all of the elements characteristic of a young, dynamic city with a unique townscape due to its location in Europe’s largest palm grove. The Palm Grove, legacy of the Andalusí farming culture, has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
Elche also boasts a second cultural asset that has been declared World Heritage by UNESCO: the Elche Mistery Play. This Masterpiece of World Oral and Intangible Heritage, a religious lyrical drama, is the last surviving example of European medieval religious drama and is performed every year during the month of August.
Moreover, Elche is the Spanish footwear capital, a modern town with a booming services sector, making it a dynamic, open and welcoming city.
