In a few places like Valencia are able to live so harmoniously the remains of their past, dating from 138 BC, with the most innovative and avant-garde buildings that have been erected in the new millennium. The city is culture, commerce and business; and offers countless leisure options such as cinema, theater or museums.

When you walk around Valencia you can feel their walls and under the pavement, the feeling of many centuries. From the rest of the roman forum, found in the actual Plaza de la Virgen, until the emblematic City of Arts and Sciences, the city has been transformed to the time that has been rescued monuments that nowadays are testimony of the past.

The Cathedral of Valencia sits on the same site where the first temple was built in Roman times and later an Arab mosque. Its construction was realized between 1262 and 1426, although the consecutive reforms have left their mark in an interesting overlapping of styles on the predominant Gothic initial. The tower of its bell tower, popularly known as the Miguelete, rises more than 50 meters and climb the 207 steps leading to its culmination is seen amply compensated with a splendid view over the city.

In the same square we can mention the Basilica de la Virgen de los Desamparados, and very close, the real Convent of Santo Domingo.

In the historical center you can find other churches of interest such as Santa Catalina, San Nicolás or San Martín. Civil architecture occupies an important place in the history of this metropolis. The most outstanding building is the Lonja de la Seda, Gothic style and erected at the end of the 15th century, has been declared a World Heritage Site. Old place of commercial transactions, inside it are true treasures, such as the Hall of the Columns, the Central Tower and the Meeting Room of the Consulate of the Sea.

In the heart of the city is located the Town Hall, integrated in the old set of the Real House of the teaching, of century XVIII. Meanwhile, modernism has its protagonism in buildings such as the Central Market, built in iron, glass and tiles; The Columbus Market or the North Station. Today, one of the symbols of Valencia is the City of Arts and Sciences, a futuristic complex that houses the Cine-Planetarium-L’Hemisfèric, the Palace of Arts, the Museum of Sciences and the Universal Oceanographic Park . In addition, the city has a great variety of museums to visit.

Taking a relaxed walk is one of the best options to discover the multiple streets, the squares with mini markets and the terraces where to have a nice time. It is also the way in which you can see beautiful façades such as the National Museum of Ceramics or the towers of Serranos and Quart, which are the main remains of the wall that surrounded the city.

Outside of it, we can find the Gardens of Turia, mostly green zone and the perfect place to enjoy outdoors, you can walk around or go with the bike, and Valencia has the special charm of the towns that are sea port. The fine sand of their beaches and the transparence of their water, just like the closeness to the littoral mountains that gives the cost a singular attractive.

In the City you can find multiple beaches like the Malvarrosa and Levante, with a lot of restaurants to go to and to enjoy in a night by the season. By the south of the capital, the nature is more present in beaches like the Saler and the Natural Park of L’Albufera, where you can enjoy a day of sun in a singular location.

The Mediterranean weather gives nice temperatures during the whole year, this is why Valencia offers a lot of alternatives to have fun. The most popular zone is the Barrio del Carmen, in the old town, where we can find bars and pubs with a lively atmosphere. The holiday of San José (19 of March) is world know by the Fallas and has become a very important touristic attractive. The origins in from the burning of debris from the carpentry workshops, but the inventiveness of the Valencian people has given characteristics of their own culture and history, until turning it into a feast in which the satirical character of the fallero monuments stands out.

If we are talking about gastronomy, the Mediterranean diet is based in the consumption of orchard products, like olive oil, fishes and sea food from the Coast. Fruit of this alimentation is the world known dish of Valencia, the Paella.

The foundation is rice, even though is complemented with chicken, rabbit, snails and fresh vegetables. In this region you can find a great selection of pastry tradition and between their varieties of cakes and biscuits you can find the fartons which are usually taken with a good glass of horchata, a typical drink that is made with chufas, water and sugar.

If we are talking about drink, another one with sill is the mistela, a sweet wine of high graduation and we can also mention the original cocktail of the city, known like water of Valencia, which ingredients are cava, triple dry liqueur and orange juice of the region, much appreciated product for their quality.

Without any doubts, the city of Valencia offers to their visitors hundreds of possibilities to have fun and enjoy, no matter their tastes or preferences.

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Accommodation: Hotel Hospes Palau de la Mar *****

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