Few cities offer such vibrancy as Valencia. With its year-round attractions such as its climate, long sandy beaches, lively bar terraces and an irresistible programme of activities in store for spring, the City is the ideal destination to welcome in the summer.
Valencia offers a combination of avant garde style, culture and Mediterranean spirit, bound to captivate any visitor. Its 300 days of sunshine and average temperature of 19º C make Valencia an ideal destination at any time of year.
VALENCIA BY DAY
Valencia is an amazing city to visit at daytime. It contains influences from Roman, Visigoth, Moorish and Medieval cultures that it had interacted with in its past 2000 years of history. This is evident in many of its iconic monuments and buildings, such as the Lonja de la Seda (Silk Exchange, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site), La Almoina (Roman remains of the city), the Serranos and Quart Towers and the Cathedral.
The city has seven kilometres of perfect beaches. Choose from the various city beaches, which you can get to by metro or tram, or the more unspoilt beaches, such as El Saler in the Albufera Natural Park.
The city converted the former bed of the River Turia, which used to run through the city, into an enormous nine kilometres long park. Today it is a green lung in which you can walk, cycle, play sports, go to cafés, etc. Valencia is a bike-friendly city that is perfect to pedal around thanks to its size. It also has one of the oldest Botanical Gardens in Europe and a unique and fascinating nature area&mdashthe Albufera Natural Park. The Huerta de Valencia extends over a surface of about 23,000 hectares that constitute a green agricultural landscape with a rich heritage of rural architecture.
Additionally, you have the city&rsquos cutting-edge architecture with its great 21st-century buildings, such as the City of Arts and Sciences designed by Santiago Calatrava, The Conference Centre by Norman Foster and the Veles e Vents building by David Chipperfield.
Valencia will fascinate you with its charming little spots that do not appear in guidebooks but that you will discover during your visit. The mansion houses and plazas of the Barrio del Carmen, the Plaza Redonda, the Santa Catalina Church&mdashin whose square you will find the narrowest building in Europe&mdashthe frescoes in the San Nicolás Church, the clock of the Santos Juanes Church, San Vicente&rsquos baptismal font in the San Esteban parish church and the alligator over the door of the El Patriarca Church are just some examples of the many hundreds of such surprises that Valencia&mdashhas in store for tourists.
The range of activities on offer is completed with a network of modern facilities, allowing visitors to enjoy the sport of their choice (athletics, basketball, football, spaces for tennis lovers). For motorsport fans, we recommend a visit to the Circuit de la Comunitat Valenciana Ricardo Tormo, in Cheste. If you prefer open-air sports, why not try the Turia Gardens
Something that you shouldn&rsquot miss to complete your journey is shopping. Amongst the wide range of possibilities, don&rsquot forget the souvenirs, food products, fashion designs, exclusive porcelain and shoes designed and manufactured in the region.
VALENCIA BY NIGHT
The coolest nights out, the most romantic sunsets, the tastiest paella and the most original festivities all await you in Valencia&mdashtraditional, radical, always Mediterranean.
Valencia&rsquos pleasant climate invites people to go out to dinner or participate in one of the many leisure activities on offer in the city&mdashcinema, theatre, dance and music, bars, cafes, restaurants, night clubs, etc. that make up a wide choice of things to do to suit all tastes and pockets, all under the charm of the unmistakable Valencian moon. Mentioned beneath are some of the most exciting reasons for you to come and see it by yourself.
At Valencia, there are lots of different kinds of scene in the various nightlife areas, from the hotspots in the old town, to those by the sea or in the student areas.
In Valencia there is always something to celebrate. Its most important festivals include Las Fallas, during which the city is filled with gigantic sculptures that are burned to mark the arrival of springtime. Other festivals include Maritime Holy Week, the procession of Our Lady of the Forsaken, Valencian Corpus Christi and the July Fair. Valencia celebrates its first Jubilee Year of the Santo Caliz and will be the silk city of 2016.
A vibrant local music scene is evidence of a Valencian musical tradition that goes back centuries, a passion that has been passed from generation to generation. The City has a variety of concert halls, auditoriums and smaller venues where all kinds of musical styles can be enjoyed throughout the year&mdashfrom large concert halls to intimate jazz clubs, from classical to flamenco. Palau de la Música stands out amongst the city&rsquos concert halls, auditoriums and theatres as a symbol of and synonym for Valencians&rsquo interest in music. This interest increased with the opening of the Palau de les Arts, located in the City of Arts and Sciences of Valencia and the Berklee School of Music, whose European venue is in Valencia.
The city has a rich and varied Mediterranean cuisine whose key ingredient is rice prepared in a variety of ways, with paella as the signature dish. In addition to rice dishes, foodies will also find a whole range of innovative culinary creations in Valencia. A culinary revolution that has occurred in the city in recent years is reflected in its Mediterranean signature cuisine. The high quality of restaurants in Valencia is undeniable and ought to be frequented by travellers. The fruit and vegetables of this fertile land, as well as fresh fish and seafood, provide main ingredients of an exquisite Mediterranean cuisine.
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