Discover Valencia
Valencia is a beautiful city and third largest city in Spain with a population of approximately 1,5 million people, with its Mediterranean landscape and temperament, mild climate all year round with an annual average temperature of 18ºC. and 322 days of sunshine per year.
The City boasts excellent connections with the rest of the country and with Europe. By the High Speed Train you easy can visit other Cities as Madrid (Train Alaris: 3h.30 min, at the end of 2010 the same trip will takes you only 57 minutes), Barcelona (Train Euromed 3 hours).
Its port, one of the major ports in Spain, invites you to short escapes to the Balearic Islands: Ibiza and Mallorca by the ferryboats.
It also boasts a variety of monuments of various artistic styles such as, gothic, baroque and modern. This 2000-year-old city has been enriched by the presence of Iberians, Carthaginians, Romans, Muslims, and Christians.
You can enjoy discovering local history, breathtaking monuments presenting past civilizations, a historic town centre, ranking as one of the largest in Europe. Cultural, artistic and architectural lineage that reaches back over 2000 years of history.There is plenty of sightseeing to do and more than 20 museums to visit.
Valencia offers you the ideal conditions to know the country and its culture, to meet its friendly people, Its affordable prices, atmosphere, its festivals, wonderfull beaches, cafes and terraces offering music, a vibrant nightlife under the midnight moon, its incomparable and well known gastronomy and excellent wines, hospitality and outgoing character of the Valencian people, makes Valencia a passionate City.
On the shores of the Mediterranean there is a beautiful land, according to a famous pasodoble by Padilla, Valencia is the land of : “flowers, light and love”.
WHAT TO SEE IN VALENCIA:
- The Cathedral and its tower.
- Virgen Square and the Catedral Complex.
- The Miguelete (Valencia’s emblem).
- The Marques de Dos Aguas Palace (National Ceramic Museum).
- The city doors, Serrano’s Tower and Quart’s Tower.
- The Holy Grail Chapel.
- The Palau de la Generalitat.
- Basílica of Our Lady of the Forsaken.
- City Hall.
- The Church and Belltower of St. Catherine.
- The Plaza Redonda.
- The Central Market.
- The Bullring.
- Lladro Museum.
- The Patriarch’s Seminary, The Old University.
- La Almoina Archaeological Precint.
- Valencia History Museum.
- Natural Science Museum.
- House of Las Rocas.
- Holy Week Maritime Museum.
- Monastery of San Miguel de los Reyes.
- The Crypt of St Vicente the Martyr.
- The Valencia Exhibition Centre.
- The City of the Arts and Sciences of Santiago Calatrava (biggest in Europe).
- La Lonja. The old Silk Exchange gallery (one of Europe’s most representative gothic buildings, declarated World Heritatge by UNESCO) gives testimony to Valencia’s varied influences.
- Blasco Ibañez Museum-Birthplace.
- IVAM Valencian Institute of Modern Art.
- Fallero Museum
- Palau de la Musica
- The Exposicion Palace
- Bioparc Valencia
WHERE TO STROLL:
- The Gardens of the Ancient Turia riverbed.
- The City Arts and Sciences.
- The Paseo de la Alameda with the Palau de la Musica in the background.
- The Royal Gardens, the Glorieta and the Parterre.
- Plaza del Ayuntamiento.
- The Maritime Promenade full of terraces and cafes, bars and restaurants.
- The Historic City Centre, ranking as one of the largest in Europe.
- Seafront Promenade and Beaches.
- Juan Carlos I Royal Marina.
- La Albufera, natural park and lagoon.
Shopping:
a combination of tradition, craftsmanship, innovation and avant-guard design has converted Valencia into a cosmopolitan city with an intense commercial offer. You cannot lose:
- Historical Centre * Nuevo Centro
- Poeta Querol-La Paz * Centro Comercial El Saler
- Colon and Eixample
Leisure: Valencia has a vibrant and intensive nightlife with many leisure zones, remember that the action starts around midnight and carries on until dawn.
- Barrio del Carmen
- Canovas, Juan Llorens, Aragon and Blasco Ibañez.
- City Arts and Sciences
- Marina Real Juan Carlos I.
Valencian Scenery and sorrounding areas combines the natural with its rich cultural heritage. From sandy beaches to windy mountain peaks, the Land of Valencia is full of contrasts with an exceptionally varied range of scenery reflected in vegetation, sea and mountains in coexistence, orange orchards and citrus fruit plantations, vegetable gardens and rice paddies, small hilltop villages, monasteries in distant valleys, lovely cities, castles, mountains for climbing and walking tours, the nature areas simply waiting your visit. You are sure to be pleasantly surprised and relaxed.
Discovering the charm of Valencia Countryside. Beauty’s on the inside, so the popular saying goes… The same is true in the region of Valencia, which although it is better known for its City, extensive coastline, beautiful beaches and the most cozy Old City.
Valencia’s inland areas also offer some real treasures to be discovered as the historical City of Sagunto and the monumental city of Xativa, cosy and nice cities with wonderful beaches as Cullera and Gandia.
Delightful villages unexpected landscapes, cultural and historic itineraries… if you like adventure, peace and quiet, or are simply looking to discover new and attractive places, discover with Living Spanish Culture the Valencia’s inland areas.
Experience the adventure of feeling all the charm of the Region of Valencia from a different perspective, through the traditional flavours of its gastronomy, the cultural and artistic legacy left by ancient civilisations, and the serene beauty of its natural parks, which will make your visit here quite an experience.
LA ALBUFERA NATURE PARK AND LAGOON
Sand dunes and plant life, canals, rice paddies, and the broad lagoon.. La Albufera is an attractive mosaic of landscapes south of the city of Valencia. The Albufera Nature Park, dominated by the largest lake in Spain, is a natural paradise for migratory birds and a quiet parkland for the nearby city and surrounding towns.
The lagoon called “The Lluent”, meaning that which shines the most. Moorish poets coined the name of the Albufera, calling it the sun’s mirror.
Don’t miss the spectacular sight of the sun setting over the waters as seen from a typical fishing boat guided by old-time fishermen who know the area very well, or stroll through the extensive pine forest and dune formations that separate the lake from the Mediterranean Sea. www.albufera.com
THE FESTIVALS YOU CANNOT MISS:
THE FALLAS: Without a doubt the Fallas festivals (15th-19th March), a unique and universal festivity that no one should miss, International Fiesta of Tourist Interest, The Fallas are a high point of the year.
Everyone who has to see the Fallas at least one in a lifetime -an extraordinary fiesta held in the streets to the sound of marching bands and fireworks, the smell of gunpowder mixed with hot chocolate and fritters, and countless parades with everyone in traditional costumes.
Art and humour coincide in hilarious-looking “ninots”, of Fallas figurines that diringly criticize current customs, traditions and fashions.
Finally, on the night of March 19 th, the purifying fire ends the short-lived beauty of the Fallas, provoking a few tears at the end ot another natural cycle and the beginning of spring. Don’t miss click on “Las mascletas en directo” on www.fallas.com to see this spectacular fiesta (a rhythmic symphony comsosed using gunpowder) everyday from 1st to 19th March at 02.00 p.m.
Experience The Fallas and get all the information about History, Pictures, Program and Homestay prices in our Section: Fallas in Valencia
MARITIME HOLY WEEK: Holy Week takes on a special flavour in Valencia. Discover this world-renowned celebration, which was started by fishermen and sailors continues today with a unique Mediterranean charisma.
THE BATTLE OF FLOWERS IN THE JULY FAIR: with many events programmed as part of this July Fair: Concerts, festivals, international music competitions…
LA TOMATINA DE BUNYOL -VALENCIA- Declarated International Fiesta of Tourist Interest, the tomato festival is one of the most popular crazy festivals in the world.
Get all the information with nice pictures in our Sections:
* Festivals and Leisure
* Cultural Activities in Valencia
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