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Museums and Art Galleries
On everyones’ “must see” list is Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias (City of Arts and Sciences) which attracts around 4 million visitors every year. The futuristic development houses interactive exhibits, an Imax cinema, numerous galleries, a concert hall, a science museum, oceanographic park (walk through flexi-glass underwater tunnels and see sharks swimming past) and Europe’s largest aquarium. Choose your day to visit carefully – on public holidays and weekends the queues can be horrendous.
One of Spain’s most outstanding collections of modern art is in the Instituto Valenciano de Arte Moderno which opened in 1989 providing a showcase for modern paintings, photography and sculpture.
If modern art isn’t to your taste then try the Museo de Belles Artes de Valencia San Pio V for a magnificent Fine Art collection, one of the best in Spain, with examples of hundreds of artists’ work, including Caravaggio, El Greco, Goya, Velasquez and Hieronymus Bosch.
For ceramics and a chance to see many treasured examples of Valencia’s traditional tile-making industry visit the Museo Nacional de Cerámica.
Two museums reflecting the vibrant Valencian lifestyle are dedicated to the world famous Las Fallas festival. The Museum of the Fallas houses a collection of the elaborate papier-mache figures or ‘ninots’ which have managed to evade the traditional bonfires which end the week of celebrations. The Museum of the Fallas has a unique display of sketches, plans, photographs and posters – as well as a smaller collection of ninots.
If that’s not enough then the City Museum, Museum of Bullfighting, Natural History Museum, and even the Rice Museum are also well worth visiting.
Gardens, Parks and Beaches
Valencia boasts some of the most glorious landscapes in the whole of Spain, as well as a vast stretch of gorgeous coastline. Just outside the city is the nature reserve of L’Albufera, a protected environment of lakes and pine forests – boat trips are a great way to see the myriad species of wild birds. The beaches and resorts along the Valencian coastline are hard to beat – Canet d’En Berenguer, La Malvarossa, Levante, Cullera, Gandia and Oliva are all waiting to be explored, there are superb coastal walks to be discovered, as well as a vast array of watersports to enjoy. In Valencia City there are plenty of landscaped gardens to stroll through. One which has particular appeal for children is built on the dried up riverbed of the Turia which once flowed through Valencia – Antiguo Cauce del Río Turia – here you will find Gulliver’s, Adventure Park. Nearby are Jardines del Real / Viveros Municipales where the royal palace once stood. Now there are beautiful landscaped gardens, a play area and the City Zoo. The Botanical Gardens and Monforte Gardens are also lovely places to spend a quiet morning.
Valencia’s Architectural Heritage
Don’t miss Valencia’s Cathedral (which has yet another museum!) which dates back to 1262 and claims to have one of the three Holy Grail chalices. Its Miguelete tower – a landmark of Valencia – is 51 metres high and offers magnificent views over the city. La Lonja de la Seda is the ancient silk traders’ exchange and a Unesco World Heritage Site – you can easily spend a day here wandering the many impressively decorated rooms. Two of the gates from the city’s original medieval walls survive – Serranos and Torres de Quart, if you visit the latter in the early evening you can see the exodus of thousands of bats from inside this ancient tower. Elsewhere in the region of Valencia you will discover fantastic historical buildings – visit the castle at Sagunto, only 25 kilometres away; and the monasteries of Porta Coeli and Sancti Espiriti in the gorgeous Sierra Calderone mountains. The papal city of Xativa is just 50 kilometres away.
Shops and Markets in Valencia
For a major fix of designer shopping (at considerably cheaper prices than the UK) take a walk down Calle Colon, Valencia’s trendiest shopping thoroughfare and find boutiques like Camper, Mango and Zara. The central market – Mercado Central – covers 8000 square metres and has over 1000 stalls selling every kind of food and drink imaginable. Finding somewhere to eat will never be a problem either, with tapas bars everywhere.
Fiestas and Festivals
As well as Las Fallas, Valencia region plays host to La Tomatina – another exuberant festival where the residents of Bunol go mad with truckloads of tomatoes. There are fiestas and festivals throughout the year all over Valencia, each with its own unique flavour.
Why Valencia?
Valencia is a region with much to offer the discerning property buyer – culture, shopping, gorgeous beaches, superb countryside, a rich history, excellent amenities and infrastructure.
