It’s a city of manageable size, with a population of 800.000, and a historic town centre ranking as one of the largest in Europe, in which each stone seems to pay testimony to a cultural, artistic and architectural lineage that reaches back over 2000 years of history.

	A stroll round the Cathedral complex provides an initial taste of history, with the Cathedral, the Miguelete belfry, the Basilica of the Virgin Mary and the 15th century seat of today’s regional government, Palau de la Generalitat. All of which line the attractive Plaza de la Virgen named after the city’s patron saint, Our Lady of Forsaken.

In a combination of attractive architecture, pleasing aromas and good-natured cordiality, the Mercado Central has a special atmosphere in a unique modernist building displaying food of all kinds in an incomparably colourful array. The Market is flanked by the church of the Santos Juanes, listed as a National Historic-Artistic Monument, opposite which is the 15th century Gothic style Lonja, or silk Exchange, and its Consulado del Mar, a UNESCO World Heritage Monument.

Two gateways forming part of the town’s Medieval defensive walls have withstood the ravages of time: the Torres de Serranos, built in the late 14th Century and the Torres de Quart, study example of the majestic Gothic Levante Style. A beautiful alabaster-facaded Baroque building called the Palacio del Marqués de Dos Aguas houses a fine display of sumptuous art. Also recommendable is a visit to the harmonious cloister of the Iglesia del Patriarca, and the ancient University of Valencia, an impressive building having served as the city’s cultural and artistic focal point for many centuries.

The sophisticated Baroque Santa Catalina church belfry offers a pleasing panorama when seen from the end of La Paz street. The bullring or Plaza de Toros brings to mind a classical Roman amphitheatre, shoulder to shoulder with the modernist central railway station, the Estación del Norte, decorated with glazed ceramic tiles representing Valencia’s fertile agricultural production. In the city hall square, Plaza del Ayuntamiento is the handsome city hall building housing the Municipal History Museum.

Valencia has a wide choice of first-class museums: the San Pío V Fine Art Museum, considered one of the finest museums in Spain – the ancient Convento del Carmen housing the 19th Century Museum serves as stopover between the Fine Arts Museum and the Valencian Institute of Modern Art, IVAM, which is displaying some of today’s finest modern art. The Valancian Centre of Mediterranean Culture (the former Beneficancia) which houses the Prehistory and Valencian Museum and the Sala Parpalló art gallery, offering travelling exhibitions of contemporary art; the Centre del Carmen with a Renaissance cloister and lots of space for contemporary exhibitions. The Bullfighting Museum focuses on tauromachy and related paraphernalia, and is also a centre for research and promotion of subjects related to bullfighting. The MUVIM is a museum that concentrates on contemporary times, offering a tour to the age of enlightenment, with its history and relevant thinkers, up to the scientific and architectural avant-garde. The City Museum or Museo de la Ciudad contains archaeological collections illustrating the city’s pre-Roman period, foundation and Christian epoch. The Almudín or Reales Atarazanas, ancient buildings converted into venues for travelling art exhibitions; the Museum House of José Benlliure with an interesting array of artworks complemented by typical household utensils; the Crypt of San Vicente Mártir, archaeological treasure near the cathedral showing the distant past of the city.

Just as interesting is a visit to the Museo de Historia, an educational and leisure space offering an overview of Valencia’s past, with information on the events that have forged the city’s history, its culture and customs that have become part of the mindset of people today.

The Monastery of San Miguel de los Reyes, a masterwork of Valencian Renaissance architecture houses the Valencian Library, comprising a thousand printed books and manuscripts from various collections. The Museo Fallero, or Fallas Museum, entirely unique in the world, enables you to see all the skills and craftsmanship that go into the papier-mâché figurines saved from the flames of the Fallas each year.

Crossed by a park that runs along the old Turia riverbed, Valencia is proud of its excellent sports installations, recreational facilities and green zones. The traditional Viveros gardens or Jardines del Real are located nearby, full of plants and flowers, sculptures and fountains. Other gardens to visit are the sumptuous Neo-classical Jardín de Monforte, and the Botánico, first opened in 1802 by renowned Cavanilles.

Film festivals, dances, exciting exhibitions, theatre, audio-visual shows...throughout the entire year countless cultural activities make life that much more interesting in Valencia.

The Palau de la Música music auditorium, ideal for concerts and musical events, offers a non-stop programme attracting thousands of music lovers, a true cultural force in the city.

As for theatre, you will find excellent classical and avant-garde programmes at the Rialto and Moratín halls, at the traditional main theatre or Teatro Principal, and the Teatro Olympia as well as at the newly restored very intimate Talía. Throughout the town there are more than sixty public and private art galleries. The city’s Mediterranean Film Festival, Mostra de Cinema del Mediterrani and Dance Festival Dansa Valencia also form part of the impressive cultural line-up the city has to offer.

Valencia is preparing for the future with new leisure and entertainment complexes. The conference centre Palau de Congresos, a landmark building in the city’s architectural line-up, is Sir Norman Foster’s brainchild, combining light, harmony, elegance, functionality and aesthetics. This unique centre offers space for staging all kinds of congress and convention events.

The other large-scale project proving that the city is on the way to the future is la Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias, conceived as the scenario for cultural and scientific activities, entertainment, shows and leisure and containing four areas: the Palacio de las Artes, dedicated the scenic arts; the Museo de Ciencias Príncipe Felipe, designed to house permanent and travelling theme exhibitions related to new advance in science and technology; L’Hemisféric planetarium, conceived to provide you with the latest sound and light technology in its planetarium, IMAX cinema and laser shows;

and L’Oceanográfic, the place to see marine life in an extensive line-up of submarine ecosystems.

Yesterday: Valentia. Today it’s a growing metropolis. Tomorrow: A Third Millennium City. Valencia awaits you with open arms on the shores of the blue Mediterranean.

La catedral
The cathedral is situated on the place where the first temple of Valencia was built. This temple was reconstructed into an Arabic mosque. The construction of this Gothic temple lasted from 1267 to 1426. However, the temple was not finished until 1703, nearly 4 centuries after the successful re-conquest of Spain by the Christians.
In the 18th century, during the neo-classical period, the inner and outer designs were adjusted to each other very much. But those were not the last changes at the cathedral because in the 1960s the administration decided to retain the original style. The cathedral was reconstructed and all neo-classical elements were removed and so it got back its original uneven appearance.
Every Thursday at 12.00 p.m. you can observe the “Tribunal de las Aguas” (la puerta de los apóstoles),

a water court that tries to solve problems or to arbitrate quarrels between the farmers concerning the irrigation of their fields.

Miguelete
This is the belfry of the cathedral that was built between 1376 and 1429. However, concerning his style and his appearance it does not fit to the simple temple. It is almost 60 metres high and has an octagonal shape. After you have taken the 207 steps of the spiral staircases you reach the top and can enjoy a marvelous view over the city and its surroundings. The tower has got the name “Miguelete” because it was consecrated on the day of “San Miguel”in 1418. At the moment it has got 12 bells of different sizes and weights.

Visiting hours: from 7’30 to 13’00 h and from 16’30 to 20’30 h.
Attention: Closed during lunch hours!

Bullfight ring (16.000 plazas)
The bullfight ring of Valencia is one of the biggest in Spain. It is situated in the city centre, next to the “Estación del Norte”. The ring was built in a classical style between 1850 and 1860. It has got 4 galleries, decorated with columns and 384 round arches. Its appearance corresponds to the Collosseum in Rome.

La Lonja de Seda
The “Lonja de Seda” was built between 1482 and 1492, in Gothic style. In former times it was one of the most important places for trade and exchange in Europe. It consists of two parts clearly separated from each other and a garden.

In the middle of the ‘Lonja’ is the “Salón Columnario” which is 35.6 m long, 21.39 m wide and 17.4 m high.

In the upper part of the consulate there is a great fresco with 40 nice pictures in the Renaissance style.
The building was already used for different purposes so far, e.g. it served as a storehouse for grain; during the war in 1707, it was used as a prison and the garden was the kitchen for the troops. In the 19th century, in the days of cholera and plague it served as a hospital. Attention: Closed on Mondays.

Mercado Central

The ‘Mercado Central’ was built in 1928 and has a surface of more than 8,000 m_. This modern building represents a safe place for trade. For one century, fruit, vegetables and fish have been sold here. The flag of the ‘Cotorra del Mercat’ which blows on one of the towers embodies the life, the smells and the feeling of this market. Standing in the middle of the market you will see the impressing dome of iron and glass.

Monday to Saturday 7.00-14.00 h, Friday also in the afternoon.

Torres de Quart
At the very beginning, during the war of independence, they served defense purposes. But actually they were part of the medieval city wall and replaced the old entrance to the city by a route through the village Quart del Poblet.
They were built in 1444 by the masterly stonemason Pere Bofia. Until the last century they even served as a prison for women.

Torres de Serrano
The ‘Torres de Serrano’ are the witnesses of a big city and were part of the city wall. They were built for purpose of defense by Pere Balaguer in 1391.

The towers are called ‘Torres de Serrano’ because they were the entrance to the city by the inhabitants of Serranía. They provisionally housed prison cells and served as a triumphal arch on many festive and solemn occasions.

Estación del Norte
The ‘Estación del Norte’ was built between 1906 and 1917. Lots of ornaments represent the prospering industry in town. Besides it has become the symbol of the Republican age (about 1930).

Plaza Redonda
This is a very small market where birds and other animals, souvenirs and handmade things are sold. It was built between 1839 and 1856 in order to unite the numerous little markets of this quarter.

Jardín Botánico
In 1802 the botanical garden in Valencia opened with the purpose to explore and settle unknown species of plants. Of course, the restaurants profited by these explorations of plants like potatoes, peanuts or soybeans. It is the oldest garden in town and was laid out by the naturalist Cavanillas.
In the tropical garden, surrounded by iron and glass, you will find 3,000 different species of plants and more than 7,000 species of shrubs, trees and palms from all over the world. It is really a paradise for biologists and all who like plants.

The city of arts and ciences (CAC)
The City of Arts and Sciences (La Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias) in Valencia is a spectacular and imposing space designed by the architect Santiago Calatrava. This centre for leisure and culture, with its avant-garde architecture, is set firmly within the 21st century. At the Hemisfèric one can see the very latest Imax films; there is also a planetarium and an innovative laser show.

The Príncipe Felipe Science Museum is located in a spectacular building and offers exhibitions where touching is permitted and where visitors can run all sorts of fascinating hands-on experiments.

The Oceanográfico reproduces all the ecosystems on the planet, with an astounding diversity of flora and fauna. The Palau de les Arts, with its spectacular oval-shaped design, is the place for seeing the best operas, concerts and stage performances.