tel: 0161 772 9999
email: grant@avianova.co.uk
The third biggest city of Spain is renowned far beyond the national borders for the Las Fallas spring festival with its giant papier-mâché figures. But the travelogues suggest that a stroll through Valencia is well worthwhile not just during the festival. Especially in the historic quarter, there are many attractions to be discovered, such as Valencia Cathedral. The Silk Exchange, which according to the travel guides was constructed between 1482 and 1533, is regarded as one of the most important examples of the secular Gothic style in Europe. In 1996 this monument was even declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Travel writers enthuse above all about the architectural diversity of the cityscape. On this account the modern examples of urban development in this city of the arts and sciences are definitely not to be missed.
Valencia lies roughly midway between Barcelona and Granada, on Spain's Mediterranean coast. To the north of the city are the small-scale beach resorts of the Costa del Azahar; to the south, beyond the nature reserve (and paella paradise) of La Albufera, are the hedonist havens of the Costa Brava.
The city's historic center (better known as Old Town) is defined by a ring of heavily trafficked avenues that follow the course of Medieval-era former walls. Inside is a tight web of lanes, where several of the city's best museums are located (including the Modern Art Museum), along with markets, hotels, restaurants, and horchaterías. Just outside the central ring, to the southeast, lies the19th-century shopping and restaurant district of L'Eixample.
Between Old Town and the city's coast (with its beaches, port, and America's Cup marina) are about two miles' worth of modern suburbs linked by straight-as-an-arrow Avenida del Puerto. But the best way to reach the port, unless you're in a hurry, is to get away from the traffic by walking (or cycling) along the former route of the river, now the verdant Jardínes del Turia. Two thirds of the way along, you'll find Sergio Calatrava's iconic City of Arts and Sciences.