Places to See in Valencia |
Old, new, traditional, futuristic, flamboyant, demure ... Valencia has it all so there is plenty to see and do. A walk around Valencia’s picturesque old historical centre, the ‘Ciutat Vella’ (Old City) provides a number of beautiful sights and an infinite number of good excuses to sit down and enjoy the best of Valencian food and drink. A maze of narrow alleyways and a bohemian atmosphere characterise the ‘El Carmen’ district, where beautiful medieval monuments are interspersed with the trendy bars and cafés that make up the hub of the city’s nightlife. This area houses the 13th century Carmen church and convent, the latter now a major arts museum, and is set amidst the pedestrianised ‘Plaza del Carmen’, adorned with its orange trees and fountains. Valencia Cathedral (La Seu) is situated in ‘Plaza de la Reina’ on the site of a former Arab mosque and is held to be the resting place of the mythical Holy Grail. The Cathedral combines a mix of Romanesque, Gothic, Baroque and Renaissance architectural styles, its St. Francis Borgia chapel contains two Goya originals and its famous bell tower, the ‘Micalet’, one of the city’s most emblematic monuments, offers spectacular views over the city and agricultural lands beyond. A curious custom has been observed outside one of the cathedral’s doors every Thursday for the past thousand years. This is where local farmers gather to discuss their land irrigation problems in the improvised ‘Tribunal de Las Aguas’ (water court). A reminder of Valencia’s Golden Age prosperity, the ‘Lonja de la Seda’ (silk exchange) is a UNESCO world heritage site and considered to be one of Europe’s best-preserved examples of Gothic civil architecture. Located in the ‘Mercat’ district, an area that arose as a result of the city’s intense trading during the 16th century, the exchange features spectacular spiralling colonnades and a blend of architectural solemnity and extravagance that impress all who enter it. The ‘Sala de Contratación’ (contracting hall) is used on Sundays for a coin and stamp market. The splendid Art Nouveau building of the ‘Mercat Central’ (central market) is situated opposite the ‘Lonja de la Seda’ and offers an irresistible array of fresh produce, earthenware goods and cooking utensils from its over one thousand stalls. Numerous bars in and outside the market provide a wonderful opportunity to sit down and sample some of the renowned, freshly made Valencian ‘tapas.’ Historical architecture and the latest in avant-garde urban design are splendidly juxtaposed in Valencia, where a short distance separates the old historical quarter from the ultimate in futuristic landscape - the City Of Arts and Sciences, an urban complex devoted to the arts and sciences. Designed by Valencian architect Santiago Calatrava and one of the city’s emblematic new symbols, the City of Arts and Sciences attracts approximately four million visitors every year to its magnificent aquarium, IMAX cinema, planetarium, laserium, concert hall and science museum. |