Valencia tends to get less mention than other Spanish cities like Barcelona, Madrid, or Malaga but is definitely a very fascinating and intriguing city to visit. It’s a port city with just under 800.000 inhabitants making it the third largest city in Spain, based in the region of the ‘Comunidad Valenciana’, right on the Mediterranean coast.
It’s a modern city, yet with wonderful old town quarters and it is also the birthplace of the Spanish ‘paella’ dish. The river Turia flows through it, and it’s got 34 different museums, one of Europe’s largest planetariums, a fine Oceanographic Aquarium, and a whole ‘City of Arts and Sciences’. It is also the home of the world-famous ‘Fallos’ festival, an extraordinary celebration of Valencia’s history with silk, that takes place every year in March. It’s city with parks, wetlands, bio parks and even though Valencia is not particularly known for it, it’s got a whole series of nice beaches close to the city.
If you like markets and to experience fresh local products, The Central Market of Valencia is definitely the place to go. It’s the biggest market for fresh produce in Europe and got the smell of wonderful Mediterranean products all over it. The Cathedral is a site
to see, so is the Miguelete Tower from where you can get a magnificent 360 degrees view of the city.
The Old Town and the neighborhood of Barrio del Carmen is a great places to walk the cobblestone streets and a wonderful combination of history and leisure. The city center neighborhoods of Ensanche and Ruzafa are excellent for shopping and gastronomy. The Ceramics Museum is among the city’s 34 museums and definitely, worth a visit, and so is ‘La Lonja’, Valencia’s old Silk Exchange that can bring anyone up to date on the city’s long history with silk trading and commerce, a very impressive historic building to visit built in the late 13th century.
Valencia has its own international airport (VLC) though the well-connected Alicante Airport also could be an option for some European connections. Train travel is good and fast with direct high-speed trains to Madrid and Barcelona and good connections to Seville and
Granada.
Do we need to say that Valencia has an excellent subtropical climate with mild winters, long hot summers, and 300 days of sunshine a year? Come and surprise yourself with a visit to this maybe lesser-known– but awesome Spanish city by the sea.