Hello all,
Welcome to my story about Valencia!
Welcome to my story about Valencia!
Valencia remained in my heart as a favorite city, a mixture of new and old, of fascinating places and lovely people.
I traveled in May, which is a great period.
Advice: During summer months, especially in July and August it gets very hot, the temperatures can exceed 40 degrees Celsius.
Advice: During summer months, especially in July and August it gets very hot, the temperatures can exceed 40 degrees Celsius.
The town has a wonderful beach, not very crowded and is a port at Mediterranean Sea.
There are 2 official languages spoken: Valencian and Castelan. You will be OK if you understand and spoke some basic Spanish, but with English you will be ok also.
Accommodation:
I`ve chosen to stay at Ibis Valencia Palacio de Congresos. For me, this is one of the best Ibis hotels I stayed in. you know i prefer Ibis hotels because they are not expensive, have good locations and are clean.
It is perfectly located near Beniferri metro station, and from here you can arrive in 10-15 minutes to the city center.
More info you can find here:
View from the hotel:
Transportation:
Air: there is an international airport where low-cost flights are also landing, so you could find good prices with Ryanair or Vueling
You can also take the train from Madrid or Barcelona.
As I stayed 4 days, I opted for Valencia Tourist card for 72 hours, and bought few other tickets for the rest of the time.
With the tourist card you have free city transportation and lots of discounts that are very helpful.
I traveled mainly by Metro and i choose the bus only in order to arrive to Ciudad des Artes (City of Arts and Sciences). There are also night buses, but few and that are not going in all the areas of the city.
More info here:
Food:
Valencia is famous for its traditional rice dish: Paella. There are many variations: with chicken, sea food, rabbit, vegetables, etc. Tapas are wonderful also and plenty to choose from.
Try it with a glass of Sangria: delicious!
The sweets are also very good and I discovered that the ice-cream is wonderful!
In the summer try also Orxata or Horchata. It is a drink made from chufa. It is cold and sweet.
Places to see:
In Valencia you can visit a lot or you can relax on the beach. It is up to you what you prefer.
I will share with you the places I`ve seen. I admit, my number one was Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias, but about this i will write a little bit later.
Here, you can find parks, gardens, places for kids to enjoy. During this walk you will see many of the city bridges. Some of them have a really beautiful architecture. Stop now and then and try one of the many valencian bars for tapas.
The Barri del Carmen is in the old center. Here you can find many cafes and shops.
Plaza del Carmen has as point of interest the church of Carmen and the fountains. You can arrive here from different points of the town, most famous way being from Calle Serrano.
Plaza del Carmen has as point of interest the church of Carmen and the fountains. You can arrive here from different points of the town, most famous way being from Calle Serrano.
Plaza de la Reina - The Seu( The cathedral) — A beautiful cathedral situated in Plaza de la Reina. For me, one of the most beautiful places in Valencia. The Cathedral has 3 doors, all of them with different styles. You can climb up to Micalet tower to have a great view of the city.
The Llotja — It is part of UNESCO monuments. La Lonja functioned as a silk exchange. You can arrive with buses 7, 27, 28, 81
The Mercat Central (Mercado Central) — you can find lots of product.You can arrive by Metro: Line 3 and 5, stop Xativa or Àngel Guimerà
Adress: Avenida BARÓN DE CÁRCER
http://www.mercadocentralvalencia.es/Mercado/WebMCV.nsf/principal.html
http://www.mercadocentralvalencia.es/Mercado/WebMCV.nsf/principal.html
Torres de Quart and Torres de Serrano
The first ones are found at the end of Calle Quart. The tower was part of the ancient wall that surrounded the old city.Torres de Serrano are also part of the defense wall. From the tower you can see part of the city and the river Turia.
The first ones are found at the end of Calle Quart. The tower was part of the ancient wall that surrounded the old city.Torres de Serrano are also part of the defense wall. From the tower you can see part of the city and the river Turia.
The Town Hall
The National Ceramics Museum Gonzalez Marti- a very beautiful building, one of my favorite. It is close to Plaza de Ayuntamiento and Carrer de la Pau.
Lladró Porcelain Museum and Factory you can arrive by bus 16 which you can take from city center to Lladró Porcelain factory. The entrance is for free. Also you can arrive by metro: take the red line to Alboraya and then walk for about 15 min.
Plaza de Toros: dedicated to bull fights. Nearby is exists a museum dedicated to bullfighting.
IVAM (The Valencian Institute of Modern Art) - one of the most famous Spanish Art Gallery.
Palau de la Musica
Botanical garden: near Paseo de la Pechina and Carrer de Turia.
The National Ceramics Museum Gonzalez Marti- a very beautiful building, one of my favorite. It is close to Plaza de Ayuntamiento and Carrer de la Pau.
Lladró Porcelain Museum and Factory you can arrive by bus 16 which you can take from city center to Lladró Porcelain factory. The entrance is for free. Also you can arrive by metro: take the red line to Alboraya and then walk for about 15 min.
Plaza de Toros: dedicated to bull fights. Nearby is exists a museum dedicated to bullfighting.
IVAM (The Valencian Institute of Modern Art) - one of the most famous Spanish Art Gallery.
Palau de la Musica
Botanical garden: near Paseo de la Pechina and Carrer de Turia.
Beaches
There are several city beaches, and three major beaches outside of Valencia.
Playa de Malvarrosa and Playa Las Arenas are the most popular city beaches. Take the metro or tram to Eugenia Vines or Arenas station, or take the metro to Maritim Serreria and continue with the tram to Nept.
Bus: 1, 2, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 32
Bus: 1, 2, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 32
El Saler is the most famous beach outside the city of Valencia.
Devesa is less crowded. At Devesa and Playa Pinedo there are nudist sections. To reach them, take the Yellow Bus (operated by "Herca") from Calle Alicante near the train station, in direction "Perello". The trip takes about 30 minutes; the train runs hourly 7am - 9pm.
http://www.valenciavalencia.com/beaches-in-valencia/bus-beach-valencia.htm
Devesa is less crowded. At Devesa and Playa Pinedo there are nudist sections. To reach them, take the Yellow Bus (operated by "Herca") from Calle Alicante near the train station, in direction "Perello". The trip takes about 30 minutes; the train runs hourly 7am - 9pm.
http://www.valenciavalencia.com/beaches-in-valencia/bus-beach-valencia.htm
Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias
It is probably one of the most fascinating places in Europe, a place that you cannot miss.
You have 2 possibilities: either visit all in one day or split in 2 or 3 days. I opted for the second part as you need lots of time to see it all and enjoy it`s beauty.
Try to come as early as you can, as it gets very crowded.
Here is their website: http://www.cac.es/home/
The City is made up of the following buildings:
L'Hemisfèric — an Imax Cinema, Planetarium and Laserium.
When buying a full ticket you can choose to what presentation to attend at the Planetarium. I selected a movie about Fishes life, which was really great. You have some helmets in order for you to choose the language you want hear the presentation. It is a 3D presentation, so your eyes can suffer a little after it finishes.
El Museu de les Ciències Príncipe Felipe — an impressive science museum. It can take you more than one day only to visit this Museum. It is interactive and especially for kids it is very interesting.
You can choose to participate at different short movies, which are very funny. Really, a very good museum.
L'Umbracle — it is a landscaped walk. You can find different species of plants, depending on the period of the year. In its interior you are able to find The Walk of the Sculptures, an outdoor art gallery.
L'Oceanogràfic — an open-air oceanographic park. It is the largest oceanographic aquarium in Europe. It is very impressive.
Of course, you cannot miss the show of the Aquarium. It is really nice. There are few restaurants inside this area. Besides the Aquarium, there are several other areas to visit inside the Oceanography. They are describing the zones of the world.
El Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía — an opera house and performing arts center. It contains four large rooms: a Main Room, Magisterial Classroom, Amphitheater and Theater of Camera. It was closed inside when I visited, but the second day I saw it held a concert.
L'Àgora — a covered plaza in which concerts and sporting events. This one was closed also inside. It is open only for special events.
How to arrive:
EMT buses to the City of Arts and Sciences: 1, 13, 14, 15, 19, 35, 95 and 40
There are 2 metro lines close to the City of Arts and Sciences: nb. 3 and nb. 5. You can use the Alameda stop, which is the closest to the City of Science.
Other tips:
A very famous festival is held in March: Las Fallas.
Also, La Tomatina, is an annual tomato fight which is held in a nearby town of Buñol in August.
If you are staying more than one week try one of the following places:
Albufera — A natural park with freshwater lagoon.
El Saler — Beaches. You can arrive by bus or by taxi: http://www.visitvalencia.com/en/what-to-visit-valencia/valencia-beaches/el-saler-beach
Manises- important place for pottery: http://www.manises.es/manisesPublic/manises/ciudad/Ruta-de-la-Cer-mica.html
Ferry to Balearic Islands
Shopping!Ferry to Balearic Islands
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