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Top 10 really cool places to visit Valencia Part 2

Top 10 really cool places to Visit Valencia

Visit Valencia and dont miss some of the most special corners of this beautiful city. This is the second part of our previously published article. There are many more places to enjoy in Valencia and we invite you to find them and discover for yourselves (more info).

6. The Turia Garden (old river) Jardín del Turía

For an alternative to the bustling city streets, a perfect place to rest in your visit to valencia is The Turia Garden, a garden covering 9 km and situated on the old bed of the River Turia. This is a green area, stretching from the west of the city to the east, reaching as far as the City of Arts and Sciences.

Explore by bicycle pausing to enjoy the unique bridges which cross it from north to south. A total of 18 bridges still cross the riverbed, the oldest dating back to the middle ages, and are now just another part of the unusual scenery in the park.

This astounding park brings you fresh air and relaxation right in the middle of the city. It came about in the 20th century after the River Turia burst its banks in 1957 causing great damage to the city, the river was diverted and in the 80s its riverbed in the city was turned into nine kilometres of verdant green space.

And now stand as a peaceful haven in the center of a lively city. The Turia Gardens can make for a great day out in themselves, complete with a jungle gym and even a quirky Gulliver’s Travels inspired playground.

 

7. Historic old-town (Casco Histórico)

This thousand-year-old city neighbourhood grew between two walls, the Muslim and the Christian. A walk through its labyrinthine cobbled streets flanked by imposing medieval buildings takes us to back to other times in history.

Entering its palaces, going through the medieval gates of the Quart and Serrano Towers, enjoying the impressive frescos of the Church of San Nicolas and strolling around its most singular spots are itineraries not to be missed.

The northeast side of the old-town is the youngest and most bohemian part of the city. El Carmen took shape in medieval times, situated outside of the 11th-century Moorish walls but within the Christian ones that went up in the 14th-century.

What’s great about this place is the way the palaces next to these cool, shaded alleys have been converted into hip boutiques, bars, restaurants and nightclubs as Calle de Caballeros, which begins at Plaza de la Virgen. Amazing Old city center in this beautiful seacost city.

 

visit valencia old town

 

8. Biopark

Bioparc is Valencia’s own 10 hectare zoo. This unique and innovative zoo has only been open since 2008, and gives the impression of no barriers between visitors and the animals, unlike traditional zoos.

Bioparc is home to a wide range of exciting and fascinating animals, including leopards, giraffes, gorillas, elephants, and lions, as well as beautiful African flora and fauna for zoo immersion, and learning, this is the place.

The visit becomes a journey that allows us to contemplate the nature and wild animals that live there. and we enjoy a unique experience that changes every day and every moment. If you like animals, visit valencia and enjoy this unique Zoo.

 

biopark's Giraffes

 

9. Silk Exchange (La Lonja de la Seda)

One of the most iconic examples of Gothic architecture in Europe, the Lonja de la Seda, majestic late-15th-century building declared an Intangible Cultural Heritage site by UNESCO.

La Lonja de la Seda is the finest a monument to Valencia’s golden age, when the city was one of Europe’s main centres for trade and culture.

The name means “Silk Exchange”, where traders from far flung pats of the Mediterranean would meet and make deals.

Inside you can marvel at the dainty twisting columns of the main hall and look up at the incredible detail of the vaulted ceilings. Its tough-looking crenellated outline sits right in front of the city’s central market.

Silk Exchange

 

10. “The Albufera” Natural Park

The Albufera is one of the most important wetland areas in the Iberian Peninsula. It is a place of great ecological interest with rare species of wading birds and a rich variety of wildlife.

The Albufera meaning “lagoon” in Valencian, “small sea”, is a freshwater lagoon and estuary on the Gulf of Valencia coast of the Valencian Community in eastern Spain. It is the main portion of the Parc Natural de l’Albufera de València (“Valencian Albufera Natural Park”), with a surface area of 21,120 hectares (52,200 acres).

The natural biodiversity of the nature reserve allows a great variety of flora and fauna to thrive and be observed year-round. Though once a saltwater lagoon, dilution due to irrigation and canals draining into the estuary and the sand bars increasing in size had converted it to freshwater by the seventeenth century.

The Albufera Nature Park will transport you to a world of untouched, pure nature where the only sounds you’ll hear are the birds singing and the sound of the water.

It is an excellent place to try classic dishes such as Paella, Arroz a Banda, or All i Pebre made with eels freshly caught from the lake. After the meal, there is nothing more relaxing than a boat trip on the Albufera lake contemplating the red and amber tones of the setting sun dancing across the water.

 

albufera

 

This is one of the two articles that we are publishing with the theme of visit valencia, the first part is dedicated to other fantastic sites such as City of Arts and Sciences, Cathedral, LasFallas, Central Market. you can see another post of us “Top 10 really cool places to visit Valencia Part 1“.

 

Top 10 really cool places to visit Valencia Part 1

Top 10 really cool places to Visit Valencia

Has many really cool places to visit Valencia, all in one place, the city has a vibrant old centre that attracts tourists to Spain, and offers a huge range of things to see and do.

Visitors can spend their days strolling and see medieval buildings like the UNESCO-listed Lonja de la Seda, or walking gardens located within the city or  nearby La Albufera National Park.

Valencia’s beaches feature soft golden sand and spectacular views of the Mediterranean, we highly recommend a visit to the expansive City of Arts and Sciences, the fantastic and modern architecture to visiting the older municipal and historical buildings scattered around the city, gastronomy (this is the home of paella), culture (Fallas), people and many more things.

 

1. The City of Arts and Sciences (Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias)

The City of the Arts and Sciences is a staggering ensemble of ultra-modern structures, this is an example of architecture at its most futuristic.

The City of Arts and Sciences is made up of five main buildings: the Hemisféric, which boasts an iMAX cinema and digital projections, as well as Europe’s largest aquarium the Oceanogràfic, that opened in 2003, with 45,000 individual animals from 500 different species, you won’t find another attraction on this scale in Europe.

Elsewhere you can spot sand tiger sharks, penguins, walruses, dolphins and sea lions. It all adds up to a day out adults and little guys won’t soon forget.

visit valencia city os arts and sciences

 

2. The spectacle of the Fallas festival (Las fallas)

Las Fallas is a festival that only happens around March each year, this celebrations that take place in Valencia in the St. Joseph’s Day on the 19th of March could be the noisiest and most colourful of any fiesta in Spain, but is arguably worth planning your holiday times around.

As if the city wasn’t lively enough, when Las Fallas happens, the atmosphere is indescribable. Undoubtedly one of the most unique festivals in the whole of the country, Las Fallas is celebrated in order to welcome the spring.

The streets fill with tradition and art in the form of the most spectacular floats and costumes, in a celebration which lasts around a week. So for fireworks, traditional costumes, and the most amazing floats and atmosphere.

Las Fallas are one of the best reasons to visit Valencia.

 

3. The beaches of Valencia (las playas)

Within minutes of the town you could be sunning yourself on a Mediterranean beach. Malvarrosa and Patacone beaches are a wide strip of golden sand that stretches for a kilometre along the city’s seafront.

El Saler is the way to go: At 2.6 kilometres from Valencia, this beach means peace and privacy as you relax on white sands on the coast of La Albufera Natural Reserve, sand dunes and pine trees and in front moderate waves and a wash that shelves gently into the sea.

Valencia actually offers a choice of more than one beach, with the stunning Paseo Marítimo just a few minutes out of the center, where visitors can relax with a traditional paella.

 

4, Valencia Cathedral (Catedral de Valencia)

The Cathedral is a unique and intriguing building which boasts several architectural influences and treasures. The city’s gothic cathedral dates to the 13th and 14th centuries, with renaissance, baroque and neoclassical modifications.

Twenty-one centuries of history right at the heart of the city, where you’ll find such historical treasures as Valencia Cathedral, the Micalet, the Basilica of the Virgin and the Almoina. Don’t miss the Tribunal de las Aguas (Water Court), a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage.

A true insight into the history and culture to visit Valencia, the Cathedral is a fantastic piece of architecture which demands admiration.

 

5. Valencia’s Central Market (Mercado Central)

Opposite the Silk Exchange (La Lonja de la seda) is one of the oldest running food markets in Europe, the Mercat Central de València, or the central market, has true Valencian style, colorful on the outside and the inside, and complete with beautiful ceramics and mosaics, you’ll love the metal and glass design.

There are 400 small traders at the market, with 959 selling farm and sea-fresh produce at the best prices in the city. A true insight into daily Valencian life, this bustling market not only attracts tourists, but locals doing their weekly fresh food shopping.

Regardless of whether or not you need groceries, you should certainly visit the central market purely to admire the splendor, decoration, and scale of the building, complete with an intricate glass dome standing 30 meters high and adorned with beautiful stained glass.

fruits valencia market

 

This is one of the two articles that we are publishing with the theme of visit valencia, the second part is dedicated to other fantastic sites such as The Albufera, Biopark, Historic old-town. While you wait for the second article, you can see another post of us “Top 10 really cool places to visit Valencia Part 2“.