Valencia has a history of over two thousand years. The former Roman colony first experienced Arab rule, and then turned into one of the largest centers of the Habsburg empire. Located by the Mediterranean Sea, the city attracts millions of tourists wondering what to see in Valencia.
Valencia has preserved medieval city fortifications, including several powerful gates. In the center of the city there is a huge cathedral, a masterpiece of Spanish Gothic. Another outstanding Gothic building in Valencia is its "Silk Exchange", known as La Longha, where a museum now functions. In addition to the old buildings, Valencia also has many colorful Art Nouveau buildings of the 20th century.
Valencia is famous for its huge modern cultural center, the City of Arts and Sciences, built on a drained river bed. This architectural ensemble consists of an opera house, a planetarium and a science museum. Surrounded by parks and restaurants, this place is especially popular with tourists.
TOP 10 attractions in Valencia
Cathedral
Cathedral
The Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary is a masterpiece of Valencian Gothic. Its construction took several centuries, but the main work was completed in the 15th century. Its exterior features a monumental dome and a graceful main facade, made already in 1703 in the Baroque style and decorated with stucco. Also worth noting is the cathedral's elegant bell tower, known as Miguelete.
The main shrine of the Cathedral of Valencia is the legendary chalice, which Jesus Christ used during the Last Supper. The knights of the Middle Ages have been looking for this mystical Holy Grail for many years. The copy in Valencia was found to be genuine. Now this shrine is kept in the lavishly decorated Chapel of the Grail. The cathedral also features antique frescoes and paintings from the 15th century.
City of Arts and Sciences
City of Arts and Science
The cultural center "City of Arts and Science" is located on the drained bottom of the Turia River. This modern architectural complex consists of several amazing buildings:
- L'Hemisfèric is an elliptical structure that resembles an eye. It houses an IMAX cinema and a planetarium. This building stands out for its acoustics, glass floor and transparent roof.
- El Museu de les Ciències Príncipe Felipe is an interactive science museum. The building itself is remarkable in that it is shaped like the skeleton of a huge whale. The museum collection is especially loved by schoolchildren and students - most of the exhibits are allowed to be touched, and individual exhibitions are devoted to space, the human gene and even the world of superheroes from popular Marvel comics. Curiously, one floor of the museum building is reserved for a sports hall owned by a local basketball team.
- L'Umbracle is an open gallery with contemporary sculptures, through which you enter the cultural center. It also functions as a greenhouse with a variety of flowers and shrubs, including honeysuckle, rosemary and lavender, which fill this gallery with a stunning scent.
- L'Oceanogràfic is the largest oceanarium in Europe, moreover, it is located in the open air. There are more than five hundred species of marine animals, including funny seals and dolphins, popular with children.
- El Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía serves as an opera house and is a masterpiece of modern architecture made of glass and concrete.
- L'Àgora is an outstanding indoor venue hosting concerts and sporting events, including the Valencia Open tennis tournament.
La Longha Silk Exchange
La Longha Silk Exchange
La Longja is a symbol of Valencia and attracts millions of tourists with its unusual appearance. This building was built at the turn of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries in the late Gothic style and for a long time served as the economic center of the entire region - there was a stock exchange, a bank and a commercial tribunal. Now this building functions as a museum, where visitors can admire antique furniture and amazing ceiling paintings. In the interior of the main trading floor, slender, elaborate columns and multi-colored marble floor stand out. The graceful windows of this spacious room are adorned with a variety of gargoyles. It is worth going up to the central tower of the exchange, which served as a debt prison. And in the courtyard of La Longha, there is still a shady orange garden.
Central market
Central market
Valencia's Central Market is located near the La Longha Silk Exchange. It is a colorful building, in the appearance of which several styles are mixed at once: neo-Gothic, eclectic and modern. The façade of the market overlooking Plaça del Mercat stands out - it is triangular in shape with graceful stained-glass windows. When erecting the roof, the latest architectural techniques of the 20th century were used - it is a mixture of glass and concrete, and is also crowned with a dome. Valencia's bustling and cheerful central market is particularly popular with tourists for its many souvenir shops.
Church of Santos Juanes
Church of Santos Juanes
The Church of St. John the Baptist and St. John the Apostle, or simply the Church of Santos Juanes, complements the ensemble of Plaça del Mercat, where the La Lonja silk exchange and the central market of Valencia are also located. This amazing building combines elements of both Gothic and Baroque styles. The main facade of the building is more austere; only the old rose window, which has been preserved since the 13th century, stands out in it. But its rear facade is a masterpiece of baroque art and strikes the imagination with its elaborate stucco molding. In its central part, the Madonna and Child is depicted, surrounded by angels and cherubs. On the roof of the temple there are various statues of saints, including the main patrons of the church - John the Baptist and John the Apostle. A bell tower rises above the temple. The interior decoration of the church is made mainly in the Baroque style, especially the most interesting sculptural group depicting the 12 tribes of Israel, as well as the unique ceiling painting, are worth noting.
Museum of Fine Arts
Museum of Fine Arts
The Museum of Fine Arts is housed in an old building that formerly belonged to the College of St. Pius V. The appearance of this monumental structure is dominated by two symmetrical towers located on the sides of the façade. The museum itself was opened in 1913. Its collection consists of medieval religious art from the 14th century, masterpieces by Spanish masters, distinctive Valencian paintings and curious graphic works by the Italian “paper architect” Piranesi. Among the selected paintings, it is worth noting the self-portrait of Diego Velazquez, "John the Baptist" by El Greco and the Madonna and Child by the master of the Italian Renaissance Pinturicchio. The museum also has special sections that display arts and crafts, sculpture and archaeological finds.
Museum of ceramics
Museum of ceramics
The Gonzalez Martí Museum of Ceramics is housed in an amazingly beautiful Rococo palace, formerly owned by the Marquis of Dos Aguas. Especially worth noting is its main facade, decorated with elaborate carvings and topped with an elegant statuette of the Virgin Mary and Child. Four symmetrical towers rise above the palace, and its walls are covered with rich stucco, reminiscent of marble.
As for the museum itself, it is named after its founder, the historian Manuel Gonzalez Martí. The exposition of the museum shows the history of the development of the art of ceramics in Spain. Here you can see medieval Arab ceramics, court porcelain of the 18th century, and skillful majolica by folk craftsmen. In addition, the museum is well worth a visit for the preserved interiors of the former palace, including the authentic old-fashioned cuisine. The covered courtyard of the museum houses a variety of carriages from the 18th century.
Fortress gate Torres de Serranos
Fortress gate Torres de Serranos
The Torres de Serranos gate served as the main entrance to the city and was part of the now defunct network of fortifications. This powerful defensive structure is made in the Valencian Gothic style and dates back to the end of the 14th century. It is curious that until the 20th century there was an "elite" city prison, where only noble people could get.
The exterior of this gate is breathtaking: the tiny arch contrasts sharply with the two massive side towers with jagged tops. The Torres de Serranos gate now functions as a museum. You should definitely go to the top of one of the towers, which offers an amazing view of Valencia.
Bullfighting arena
Bullfighting arena
Valencia has one of the most beautiful bullfighting arenas in all of Spain. It was built in the middle of the nineteenth century and is a synthesis of neoclassicism and Moorish revival. The semicircular arena itself resembles an ancient Roman amphitheater, like the famous Colosseum. Now there is a Bullfighting Museum, where curious tourists can get acquainted with the equipment and weapons of the matador. Moreover, bullfights still take place in this arena - in July and March, during the colorful Fallas Festival, a festival of fireworks and papier-mâché dolls.
Bioparc Valencia
Bioparc Valencia
Valencia is famous for its unusual zoo, located, like the City of Arts and Sciences, on the territory of the drained bottom of the Turia River. The biopark concept assumes full immersion in wildlife. In this unique place, there are no barriers between animals and visitors - even bloodthirsty lions are not kept in cages. The zoo is fully represented by African and Mediterranean flora and fauna.
