Valencia is the third biggest city in Spain, which welcomed approximately 1.8 million tourists in the year 2015. The city is located on the Costa de Valencia, which is just north of the Costa Blanca and has a pleasant Mediterranean climate with short mild winters and very long hot summers.
Whether you are interested in history, architecture, culture or you feel more like tasting typical Spanish dishes, Valencia is the place to be! Today in this blog, we will give you some tips which you can use when you are planning your next trip to this beautiful city.
From history to modern
The historic centre of Valencia is one of the biggest of Spain. You will find yourself in narrow streets surrounded by old buildings. The UNESCO listed La Lonja de la Seda de Valencia, an old silk market, is one of the most beautiful buildings within the city limits. El Mercado Central de Valencia, which is close to the central station, is another great place to visit. Here you can buy all the fresh products from the region such as fruits, vegetables and all kinds of fish and meat.
Because of the history of Valencia you see a lot of buildings from various centuries with each its own story. An example is the “Ciudad de les Arts y las Ciencias” which means the City of Art and Sciences and was designed by the local hero Santiago Calatrava. The City of Art and Sciences is an entertainment-based architectural complex and contains a planetarium, an opera-house, an IMAX and a scientific museum. This complex is frequently visited by tourists and is also known as one of the 12 Treasures of Spain. It’s definitely a must-see when you go to Valencia!
If you are interested in art you should check out the museu de Belles Arts de Valencia. This museum houses over 2.000 works, most dating from 14-17 centuries. If modern art is more your thing the Institut Valencia d’Art modern is the place to go for you.
Las Fallas
If you like to experience a real Spanish cultural festival, then Las Fallas is the festival to go to! There is always a lot to see and do in Valencia, but during Las Fallas the city offers even more. The city showcases hundreds of colourful statues made of paper-maché and wood. Some of which can be up to 20 meters tall.
Las Fallas always begins on the last Sunday with an opening party called ‘La Crida’. The big celebrations are from the 15th until the 19th of March. You will find live music, shows, paella cook-offs and a lot of drinking and partying on the streets. From the beginning of March, there will also be firework shows during the day which are called ‘Mascleta’. These firework shows are different than all the shows you have ever seen or heard. After hearing and feeling all these loud salvos, you perfectly understand what we mean!
During las Fallas, there are also great light shows in different streets, who are competing to be the best of the year. This experience is truly amazing and therefore attracts a great number of visitors. During the last night the statues will be burned on the streets. This event, called ‘La Crema’, can last for hours. Traditionally, the most beautiful statue will be saved from the fire and showcased in the Fallero Museum in the city.
‘La comida’ de Valencia & España
One of the most typical dishes of Spain, which originates from Valencia, is the ‘Paella’. This original paella, which is cooked on wood fire, is made with chicken, rabbit and snails. Nowadays you can find Paella on every corner of the street in Valencia, but lots of the “authentic” Paellas that are sold are not made according to the original recipes and are just for the tourists. We highly recommend that you look for a real authentic Paella restaurant, like restaurant Casa Clemencia located at Avinguda del Primat Reig, 179, 46020 València. This to guarantee that you will not overpay and have the best dish possible.
Besides that there is still a variety of choice, but the best known is of course the tapas. Tapas are a wide variety of appetizers. This can be from a little serving of olives to a bit of Spanish ham, to deep-fried potatoes (Patatas Bravas) or different kinds of meat or fish. These little dishes can be served either hot or cold and can be eaten as a little snack with friends or as a complete meal when you order several different tapas.