Must-see attractions in Valencia

  • Square of Saint Mary's and Valencia Cathedral Temple in old town. Every year, Valencia (third size population city in Spain)welcomes more than 4 million visitors.

    Catedral de Valencia

    Valencia

    Valencia’s cathedral was built over a mosque after the 1238 reconquest. Its low, wide, brick-vaulted triple nave is mostly Gothic, with neoclassical side…

  • Back entrance to Iglesia de San Nicolas.

    Iglesia de San Nicolás

    Valencia

    Recently reopened to the public after a magnificent restoration, this single-naved church down a passageway is a striking sight. Over the original Gothic…

  • Museo Del Patriarca, Valencia, Spain.

    Museo del Patriarca

    Valencia

    This seminary was founded in the late 16th century by San Juan de Ribera, a towering Counter-Reformation figure who wielded enormous spiritual and…

  • "The slender gothic columns and renaissance vaulted ceiling the the Lonja de la Seda, the Silk Exchange, UNESCO World Heritage Site in the heart of Valencia's old town, Spain. ProPhoto RGB profile for maximum color fidelity and gamut. NB: Slightly grainy ISO 800 image."

    La Lonja

    Valencia

    This splendid building, a Unesco World Heritage Site, was originally Valencia’s silk and commodity exchange, built in the late 15th century when the city…

  • Valencia free rental city bicycle "Valenbisi" in front of the Museum of fine arts  in Valencia, Spain

    Museo de Bellas Artes

    Valencia

    Bright and spacious, this gallery ranks among Spain’s best. Highlights include a collection of magnificent late-medieval altarpieces, and works by several…

  • Valencia, Spain - july 2022: Interior Spaces, People and Architecture of the Mercado Central, the principal Food Market in Valencia, Spain.

    Mercado Central

    Valencia

    Valencia’s vast Modernista covered market, constructed in 1928, is a swirl of smells, movement and colour. Spectacular seafood counters display…

  • The Jardí del Túria (Túria gardens), a public park with cycle ways, footpaths, sports facilities as well as the futuristic City of Arts and Sciences in the background.

    Jardines del Turia

    Valencia

    Stretching the length of Río Turia’s former course, this 9km-long lung of green is a fabulous mix of playing fields, cycling, jogging and walking paths,…

  • Museo Nacional de Cerámica

    Valencia

    Inside a striking palace, this ceramics museum celebrates an important local industry. Downstairs (which also features a decadent hand-painted 1753…

  • Entrance of the Art Center "Bombas Gens" in Valencia.

    Bombas Gens

    Valencia

    This conversion of a handsome art deco factory that once made hydraulic pumps has created an intriguing space for modern art. There's a particularly good…

  • Inside Monforte Gardens

    Monforte Gardens

    Valencia

    These under-the-radar ornamental gardens designed in the mid-19th century are a peaceful spot to escape the city. Marble statues, sculpted hedges and a…

  • Palace of the Marques de Dos Aguas at dusk.

    Palacio del Marqués de Dos Aguas

    Valencia

    Quite a sight from outside, this immoderate palace has a pair of wonderfully extravagant rococo caryatids curling around the main entrance. The exterior…

  • Puente de las Flores view from Plaza d'America.

    Puente de las Flores

    Valencia

    In a city full of impressive bridges, Puente de las Flores is one of Valenicia's most spectacular – and undoubtedly its sweetest smelling. Designed by…

  • Outside entrance of L'Almoina including water feature.

    La Almoina

    Valencia

    Beneath the square just east of Valencia’s cathedral, the archaeological remains of the kernel of Roman, Visigoth and Islamic Valencia shimmer through a…

  • Ayuntamiento from Plaza de la Ayuntamiento.

    Ayuntamiento

    Valencia

    Valencia’s handsome neoclassical town hall dominates the square that takes its name. Within is the Museo Histórico Municipal, a repository of items…

  • Bell at the top of El Miguelete.

    El Miguelete

    Valencia

    Turn left as you enter the main portal of the cathedral for the climb up to El Miguelete, the emblematic octagonal tower. It's apparently 51m high,…

  • Front entrance to Estación del Norte.

    Estación del Norte

    Valencia

    Trains first chugged into this richly adorned Modernista terminal in 1917. Its main foyer is decorated with ceramic mosaics and murals – and mosaic ‘bon…

  • Museo de la Seda

    Valencia

    This visually elegant modern museum makes the most of its lovely location in the 15th-century (with baroque additions) palace that was the seat of the…

  • Museo Catedralicio Diocesano

    Valencia

    Newly reopened, this cathedral museum is a good-looking blend of the modern and venerable. There are some excellent religious paintings here; it's…

  • Almudín

    Valencia

    The 15th-century Almudín originally served as the city’s granary, storing wheat brought in from the surrounding countryside. Writing high up on the…

  • Plaza de la Virgen

    Valencia

    Busy Plaza de la Virgen, ringed by cafes and imposing public buildings, was once the forum of Roman Valencia. The reclining figure in its central fountain…

  • Valencia CF Stadium

    Valencia

    The guided visit to Valencia's famous Mestalla stadium takes you to the press room, the changing rooms and out onto the hallowed turf. Hours change by…

  • Luis Adelantado

    Valencia

    This stylish spot is a local reference point for high-quality, carefully selected contemporary art exhibitions. There are often some real gems on display,…

  • Jardines del Real

    Valencia

    Reaching down to the riverbed are the Royal Gardens, a lovely spot for a stroll, with plenty of palms and orange trees as well as a small aviary. Once the…

  • Centro Cultural Bancaja

    Valencia

    High-quality temporary art exhibitions, often featuring major international names, are the main offering at this bank-run centre, which also has other…

  • Plaza de la Virgen wide shot.

    Nuestra Señora de los Desamparados

    Valencia

    The Real Basílica de Nuestra Señora de los Santos Inocentes Mártires y Desamparados, to name it fully, is Valencia's central spot for active Christianity…

  • Outside Public Library of Valencia.

    Public Library of Valencia

    Valencia

    Obscured by palm trees in the gardens of a former psychiatric hospital, the city’s main public library is in a grand 16th-century building. The Gothic…

  • Palau de la Generalitat and Calle de Caballeros.

    Palau de la Generalitat

    Valencia

    This handsome 15th-century Gothic palace, much amended over the years, is the seat of government for the Valencia region. Its symmetry is recent: the…

  • Espai Vert

    Valencia

    An astonishing sight, this '80s architectural project looks like the mothership has landed on the edge of Benimaclet. A riot of unusual angles, protruding…

  • Centro Instructivo Musical

    Valencia

    This centenarian institution in the heart of the Benimaclet barrio doesn't look much with its big, bare interior, but in many ways it's the soul of the…

  • Palacio de los Borja

    Valencia

    Built in the late 15th century as a residence for the Borja family, this imposing palace has late-Gothic and Renaissance features and now serves as…

  • Baños del Almirante

    Valencia

    These Arab-style baths, constructed in 1313, functioned continuously as public bathing facilities until 1959. It's worth dropping in if you're passing by…

  • Puente del Mar

    Valencia

    One of the most attractive of the Turia's old bridges, this elegant stone Renaissance span was commissioned in 1591 to replace a wooden bridge that had…

  • Iglesia de Santa Catalina

    Valencia

    This church, badly knocked about in the civil war, is starkly impressive inside. It’s dwarfed by the striking late-17th-century hexagonal baroque bell…

  • Sporting Club Russafa

    Valencia

    Not by any means a football club, this offbeat gallery space is run by a cooperative not-for-profit arts organisation. Its exhibitions are often worth a…

  • Centro Cultural La Nau

    Valencia

    Long the headquarters of the University of Valencia, with a harmonious cloister-courtyard that's worth popping into. It's lined with plaques of notable…

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