Ourense is the capital city of the province with the same name, which is placed in the North West of the Iberian Peninsula, within the region of Galicia, bordering on Portugal.
The city of Ourense was founded by the Romans, who called it Aqua Aurente (Waters of Gold or either Golden Waters), a name from which the current one is derived.
With 110,796 inhabitants, Ourense has an outstanding historical richness due to its Roman and Medieval roots.
Millennium Bridge
Established besides River Minho, Ourense is crossed by many bridges. Millennium Bridge is the newest one, built in 2000. The oldest one was the Ancient Bridge, settled on a previous Roman one. Its original Medieval structure is perfectly conserved nowadays.
The presence of a large number of thermal water springs gave rise to the city's core. As Burgas Fountain, located in the ancient part of the city, is the most traditional and well-known one: its waters flow at a temperature of 70º. These qualities made possible the appearance of many spas in the city and in the outskirts.
< Video: Festival Party at Outariz Spa
The Cathedral, built between Romanesque and Gothic times, has the Gates of Paradise (13th century), a version of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela's "Gates of Glory" whose excellent preservation allows to see the sculptures' original polychromy.
Recently, the restoration of the ancient part of the city and the new infraestrucutres are helping Ourense to recover its architectural roots and traditions. The restoration of Saint Francis' Monastery (14th century) and its surroundings, concluding in the building of the new Auditorium, the Film Festival headquarters, is the symbol of Ourense's new spirit of innovation, modernity and respect for tradition.
OURENSE, THE PROVINCE
The province of Ourense is an extraordinary sampler of natural landscapes scattered with towns and villages that keeps up the original charm of our agricultural, cattle farming culture. It has a cultural heritage of more than 750 churches, monasteries, sanctuaries, chapels and hermitages of Romanesque and Medieval styles.
The Ribeira Sacra area, not far from the capital, is one of the most beautiful landscapes in Galicia. There, a lot of monasteries are spread all over a sheer canyon created by river Sil where the Romans began to cultivate in terraces one of the finest Galician wines.
Due to its extraordinary landscapes, Ourense has been a location for many film productions. Its ever-changing light and its green hills have inspired the directors' and producers' ideas for cinematography and settings.
CONNECTIONS
Ourense is a railway junction with the Iberian Peninsula. The Ourense-Madrid railway route takes 5 hours (450 km).
The Iberian road and highway network grants access to Ourense from the main cities in Spain and Portugal.
Ourense has two nearby airports, one in Santiago de Compostela (150 km) and the other in Vigo (100 km). In Portugal, Oporto International Airport (200 km) has very cheap air connections to most of European cities.
UNIVERSITY
Ourense has a university campus, providing the city with a young, enthusiastic audience that takes an active part on the Festival activities. Hundreds of students cooperate wih the Festival as volunteers during the event. Communication and Audiovisual students get credits for their careers for attending workshops, screenings and debates.
ACCOMMODATION
For the visitors' accommodation, the city offers a wide range of hotels with a great diversity and rates.
THE FESTIVAL
The Ourense International Film Festival is the Galician oldest and main cinema event for professionals.
