Valencia lies in Spain, in an industrial area by the Gulf of Valencia, on the Costa del Azahar, which means “orange blossom coast”. It has a Mediterranean climate with hot summers and mild winters. The sun shines here up to 300 days a year. Do you know what to visit and what you must see if you decide to travel to this beautiful city?
Table of contents
Valencia, what to visit?
Valencia has plenty of interesting historical monuments, as well as modern architecture, theme parks and other attractions. Here are a few tips that are definitely worth including when you visit the city.
City of Arts and Sciences (Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias)
This complex dedicated to culture and science has become a symbol of Valencia. It is the work of the architect Santiago Calatrava. Its construction began in 1957, when the River Turia was diverted after a flood and its original riverbed became an open space that was later turned into a park.
L’Oceanogràfic Aquarium
This is the largest oceanographic complex in Europe. It covers about 110 square metres. You will find 500 animal species here, including sharks, dolphins, penguins, walruses, whales, birds, reptiles and invertebrates. The park is divided into several areas: Mediterranean habitats, Arctic oceans, islands, tropics, temperate seas, the Red Sea and wetlands. It also includes a dolphinarium.
L’Hemisfèric Cinema
This cinema was the first building in the complex to be built. Inside is a hall measuring 900 square metres. Screenings use 4 video projectors, 48 slide projectors and a modern sound system. You can watch mainly films on astronomy, history or biology.
L’Umbracle Gallery
This is an outdoor art gallery 320 metres long, made up of fifty-five fixed and fifty-four floating arches. Besides palm trees, orange trees, honeysuckle, lotus, rosemary, lavender and many other plants and shrubs, you will also find sculptures by contemporary artists here (for example Yoko Ono).
Palace of the Arts
This building helps strengthen Valencia’s cultural importance. Inside is an auditorium for 1,300 people, which hosts operas, concerts and ballets. There is also a hall with 400 seats for chamber music, theatre and other performances, and a covered open-air hall with capacity for 2,000 people.
Prince Philip Science Museum
Inside this architecturally striking building is a long exhibition hall devoted to the evolution of life and the latest findings in science and technology. The museum combines education and entertainment, and its exhibitions are based on an interactive approach. The motto of its director Manuel Toharia is:
“It is strictly forbidden not to touch the exhibits.”
Central Market
It is considered one of the oldest and also the largest markets. Its roof is supported by a metal structure reportedly designed by Eiffel. Inside there are around 400 shops, several restaurants and souvenir stalls, and even a fish market.
Llotja de la Seda
Llotja de la Seda is the name of a group of buildings in Valencia where trade, mainly in silk, used to take place. The buildings were built in the Gothic style in the 15th and 16th centuries. Today they are on the UNESCO World Heritage list.
Town Hall on the main square, Plaza del Ayuntamiento
If you want something free, the town hall is ideal. The town hall building was completed in 1763, when Spain was already beginning to lose its prestige. In the middle of the town hall is a huge clock tower, and there is a great view of Plaza del Ayuntamiento from the town hall balcony on the first floor, which you can easily reach.
Valencia Cathedral
The main architectural style of Valencia Cathedral, also known as St Mary’s Cathedral, is Valencian Gothic. However, it also contains elements of Romanesque and French Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and Neoclassical styles. The cathedral houses many paintings from the 15th century. Among its greatest treasures, however, is an alabaster chalice also known as the Holy Grail, from which Jesus Christ reportedly drank at the Last Supper before his arrest.
Church of San Juan del Hospital
This church combines Romanesque, Valencian Gothic and Baroque elements. It was built in 1238. At first it served as a hermitage, a hostel and a hospital. Shortly afterwards, in 1255, construction of the current church began. The San Juan del Hospital complex was declared a museum in 1997. It now also works with the University of Valencia. It also hosts a number of social responsibility activities aimed at improving job prospects for women from various countries (for example Morocco, Syria, Uruguay, Honduras, Venezuela, Algeria, Guinea, Ecuador, Peru, Portugal and Bolivia).
Plaza de la Virgen
Plaza de la Virgen is a historic square in Valencia. In its centre stands a fountain with nine statues depicting Neptune surrounded by eight maidens. They are an allegorical representation of the River Turia and its eight irrigation channels. The square is home to these three well-known buildings:
- Santa María Cathedral
- Basilica of Virgen de los Desamparados
- Palacio de la Generalidad
Plaza Redonda
This unusual circular square was created in 1840 by the Valencian architect Salvador Escrig. It cannot be seen from outside, because it is surrounded on all sides by four-storey houses that form a continuous yellow-painted wall. The main entrance is from San Vicente Mártir street.
Bioparc Valencia
This is a zoo covering ten hectares. The animals live here in groups just as in the wild. Visitors can get close to the animals without visible barriers. Besides herds of antelopes, rhinos, buffalo and elephants, a pride of lions, hyenas or a family of gorillas, you can also see a wide range of African plants such as baobabs and acacias.
TIP: You can see some of the sights mentioned in the article in this video:
Travel for your health?
Travel is one of the most popular hobbies. You may be surprised that it has many positive effects on our health. For example, it can help us fight stress. When we go somewhere unknown, we forget our everyday worries and may realise that they are only small things. It also helps us improve our physical fitness.
Besides health, travel also influences our personal development. For example, it pushes us out of our comfort zone. As a result, we gain many new experiences, skills and knowledge, and we may also improve in a foreign language.
“We only learn when we are surrounded by uncertainty.”
Daeyeol Lee, Professor of Neuroscience at Yale University
It can also help us boost our creativity or feel happier. You can find more interesting articles about travelling around Zlín or about the largest castles in the world here.
