Vadodara is the third largest city of Gujarat after Ahmedabad and Surat. It is considered as the state's cultural capital with some interesting museums, art galleries and a fine park. The city is mixture of many eras and its reputation as "Cultural Capital" dates largely from the late 19th century, when it was the capital of the princely state of Baroda. The city's Fine Arts College attracts students from around the country and abroad.
Vadodara has large base of industries. Indian Oil Corporation(IOCL), Gujarat State Fertilizers & Chemicals (GSFC), Indian Petrochemicals Corporation Limited (IPCL, now owned by Reliance Industries Limited) and Gujarat Alkalies and Chemicals Limited (GACL) have come up in the vicinity of Gujarat Refinery to fulfill their requirements of fuel and feedstock. Other large scale public units are Heavy Water Project, Gujarat Industries Power Company Limited (GIPCL), Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) & Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL). The city is also known as the a leading engineering centre housing many national and multinational engineering companies.
Vadodara has many places of interest including Laxmivilas Palace, Makarapura Palace, Pratap Vilas palace, Maharaja Sayajirao University, Kirti Mandir, Kirti Stambh, etc. The excursions from Vadodara have many impressive tourist spots including Pavagadh, Champaner, Ajwa, etc.
