The LUCI, an international entity that is dedicated to evaluating the most beautiful, spectacular, sustainable and artistic light projects in cities, has determined that the best illuminated city in Europe is Valladolid. In the historical case of the city you can admire about 35 monuments adorned with surprising illuminations. In addition, it is important to clarify that they use low consumption lights, so they achieve a saving of 40%.
The “Ríos de luz” project connects different areas of downtown Valladolid, creating a new night vision of the city , which has had a great impact on citizens. Valladolid’s most important historical squares and monuments have come to life with light: some dressed in a new, more comfortable and elegant light, while others emerge from the darkness.
The best lit city in Europe is Valladolid, especially at Christmas
Valladolid shows that lighting has become more than just a means of ensuring safety and visibility: it is now seen as an essential component of a city’s cultural identity.
The initiative is intended to give visitors and citizens of Valladolid a wonderful aesthetic touch so that they can enjoy the bustling center of the city, where people go to meet their friends, try ‘tapas’, relax in a cafeteria or simply stroll through its streets.
The old imperial city has managed to get the title due to the restructuring of its lighting. It was in 2008, coinciding with the Centennial of the City Council , when the Consistory decided to create a commemorative project that would value the great attraction of the city’s monuments, comparable to that of other European cities.
The Millennium Dome , the Cathedral , the Calderón Theater , the City Hall itself, are many of the buildings that turn light when night falls. If you are thinking of visiting Valladolid , you are in luck. On weekends the City Council has organized a walking tour to admire this original lighting that it boasts. From the Cathedral , the Plaza Mayor, the School of Cavalry , the Casa Cervantes, the Gutiérrez Passage , and many more historical buildings of the capital show off their beauty when the night begins. Each monument has a different light shape that allows us to identify whether it belongs to the Church (green) or to the Public Administrations (violet burgundy).
In addition, in the Christmas period, the Playa Mayor de Valladolid houses another of the most interesting monuments with light, the well-known Tree of Wishes , as well as the Christmas lights that are installed in the streets of the center.
Such must be how beautiful the city is and what artists are able to appreciate, that the well-known aerial photographer Jason Hawkes, who contacted the Valladolid City Council in 2014 to request permission to take bird’s-eye photos of it at night. The Londoner came to classify her as “one of the most beautiful” that he had been able to frame throughout his profession.
There are those who like it more and those who like it less, but its recognition as the best-lit city in Europe has remained over time.
