Girona Temps de Flors sets up 22 new spaces and opens a bomb shelter

Girona (ACN).- This year's Temps de Flors will be held from May 13th to the 21st and incorporates some new features. On the one hand, the number of exhibition spaces has increased as well as the floral displays. Thus, the floral displays route will grow from 134 to 156 and the number of projects involved will reach up to 195. Temps de Flors is the result of citizen cooperation, as more than a thousand people work voluntarily in the organization, even children at the school make their own paper flowers. 

Some of the areas added to the itinerary of Temps de Flors have never been seen before. One of them is the bomb shelter in the Jardins de la Infància (Childhood Gardens), which protected hundreds of citizens during the Spanish Civil War. Now it opens its doors and it will show a combination of flowers and mirrors to reflect the historical memory of the city, titled "Through the mirror."

Another novelty will be a green itinerary of more than 3 km from the Archaeological walk to the mountain known as ‘la Muntanya de la O’ (O Mountain). More than a hundred people from fifteen different professions are preparing different sites of this route to discover new views of monuments such as the Cathedral of Sant Pere Galligants.

The Councilor of  Economic Development and Tourism, Glòria Plana, said that they want people to continue enjoying the city by the time Temps de Flors finishes. "We want people to go there and discover new places in the city," she claimed.

Temps de Flors is based on floral arrangements and exhibitions in the city’s many yards. However, the council wants to turn it into a more "crossover" event. "Yards and flowers are the stars but we have been introducing other elements that make Girona Temps de Flors a city project", explained the Mayor of Girona, Marta Madrenas. Moreover, she highlights that each year new improvements and innovations are being incorporated. "It is the time of maximum pride for Girona citizens towards their city", she added.

In this sense, two shows of light and fire by The Musical Fire Kuli and Taller de Magnèsia are planned. On top of it, Girona will also hold the 6th edition of the A Capella Festival, will open museums during special times and will offer menus where flowers will have a main role in over 40 restaurants.

Mobility problems

For the 2016 edition, 254,455 visitors came to the city (4% more than the year before), and 14% of them were from outside Catalonia. This year, the council expects to host thousands of visitors once again. Therefore, they have made some recommendations. The Mayor of Girona, Marta Madrenas, asked people from Girona not use their car and to move around on foot. And for those who come from abroad she asked them to do so by public transport.

Train operator Renfe offers discounts of up to 35% in ticket prices throughout Temps de Flors, and the company will offer 100,000 seats to the local rail network. It will also increase by 2,500 the seats on high speed trains.

From the point of view of safety, the council defends the idea that they have an Official Plan of Protection to deal with the crowds. Madrenas said that measures will be taken in relation to the current terrorism alert situation, but she has not given any details yet.

More than a tradition

This year will be the 62nd edition of Girona Temps de Flors since a group of women decided to decorate different little spaces of the city with flowers. What started as a small exposition in the hall of the Municipal Theatre evolved to become the huge attraction of the spring season in Catalonia. Now, Girona Temps de Flors is known worldwide for its colours, its light and its welcoming atmosphere.