Long Weekend In Valencia ~ Day One

by Tsvete Popp
Valencia from Above

With an old history, unique architecture, a variety of museums, amazing beaches, palm trees lined streets, a great climate, nice locals, interesting culture, lovely food, amazing markets, and buzzing nightlife … Valencia has it all! But for all that, the city is often overlooked in favour of its more famous neighbouring cities, Barcelona and Madrid.

It is the third largest city in Spain, and has a lot to offer to its visitors! A long weekend won’t be enough if you want to explore every juicy corner of the city. Valencia has something for every single traveller and foodie – from great architecture to the best paella; from exotic drinks to the best beaches in Europe! The city vibe is unique. The atmosphere – chilled out! And the weather – never-failing … with an annual average temperature of 23°!

During my first of all three full days in the city, I decided to explore the Old Town and all its Plazas, small streets, churches, small shops and other hidden jewels. After several “turn lefts” and “turn rights” I was kind of lost, but that’s hows the magic happens! The city is colourful and vibrant. So better put your “to see and do” list aside and let the street vibe guide you 🙂

Valencia, Spain from above

Valencia, Spain from above

Valencia, Spain from above

Plaça de la Reina

Getting Around

Valencia is the ultimate city to walk! Walking, as well as biking (you can rent a bike everywhere in the city), is incredibly easy. You can use the Bus and metro System too. Especially if you travel from the airport to the city centre I recommend you to take the Metro Lines 3, 5 or 9. You can choose between single tickets, combined tickets, and monthly passes.

Notice: there is no UBER in Spain! MyTaxi or Cabify are kind of similar apps that are available to download and use their service during your visit. MyTaxi is the better option if you want to pay via credit card.

What we also did is go for option Number 3: Valencia Card! You can buy Valencia card for 24, 48, or 72 h. The card offers the free use of all public transport, as well as discounts on some sites and attractions in Valencia (Oceanographic Aquarium Ticket, Oceanografic Valencia Aquarium Ticket, and many others)


Plaça de la Reina in Valencia

Plaça de la Reina in Valencia


Plaça de la Reina

Plaça de la Reina

Plaça de la Reina, Valencia

Where to Stay

Well, the city is definitely a city where I would recommend you book a hotel or B&B somewhere near the Old Town! Pretty everything from here is within walkable distance – the most interesting Plazas, shopping centres, the City of the Arts and Sciences and a bunch of pubs, bars, and restaurants.

If you are flying to Valencia, the airport is situated 8 km west of the city. There are many options to get to the city centre from the airport, but the best one is to take the Metro Line 3, 5 and 9 to the Station Colon or Xativa (takes about 45 minutes).

Our Hotel “Vincci Palace” had the perfect location! Only 5-minute walk to Xativa Metro station and 5 min to Plaza de la Reina.

Torre del Micalet, Valencia

Plaza de la Reina

We started our city tour from Plaza de la Reina. This place is literally the heart of Valencia! It marks the Kilometre Zero which means that all distances are traditionally measured from here. The History of Plaza de la Reina goes back 130 years as it was named after the beautiful wife of Alfonso XII.

Plaza de la Reina is not only packed with numerous cafes, tapas bars, shops, and restaurants but it’s also home to many tourist attractions. It hosts one of the most interesting and important attractions of Valencia – its Cathedral, as well as the El Micalet bell tower.

El Micalet is located right behind the cathedral and is a must-visit for many visitors. The tower is more than 50 m high and you can climb to the top thanks to its spiral staircase with 200 steps. From here you can enjoy the amazing views of the city and even the sea.

The centre of Plaza de la Reina hosts a lot of flowers, orange trees and numerous benches, from where most locals watch the world go by.

What else:

Horchateria de Santa Catalina, a two-hundred-year-old café, is also one of the must-see attractions and the most renowned cafeteria in the city! Here you can enjoy Horchata – the sweet local drink from Valencia!

Horchata
Horchata is THE drink in Valencia. The sweet masterpiece is made from tiger nuts (chufa). You can find the best horchata in Horchateria Daniel or at Horchateria Santa Catalina in the city centre. (Sorry, Valencia, but I don’t like the Horchata Now I know how the tourists in Bulgaria feel when they drink Boza for the first time and try not to spit it out … )

Plaza de la Reina is the perfect starting position for exploring the Old Town of Valencia called El Carmen. From here you can easily “get lost” in order to explore the small boutiques and beautiful architecture and ancient vibe of Valencia! The cobbled streets of El Carmen are very beautiful, unique and easily walkable. In only 10 minutes you can get to Plaza Redonda, Plaza de la Virgen, Plaza del Ayuntamiento, Barrio del Carmen, and many other attractions.

Cathedral of Valencia

Saint Mary’s Cathedral in Valencia

The first must-see attraction of the city is located between Plaza de la Reina and Plaza del Virgen at the beginning of the Old Town. Thanks to the tower of El Micalet, the church can be seen from all over the city. It’s absolutely the best spot in Valencia to start any walk – so did we!

The Cathedral of Valencia, also known as the Basilica of the Assumption of Our Lady or Saint Mary’s Cathedral, was the city’s largest church for almost 800 years. Later on in the history of Valencia, the Majestic Building was converted into a Mosque during the Moorish occupation. The cathedral, which you can visit nowadays, was consecrated in the 12th century by the first bishop of Valencia Pere d’Albalat, Archbishop of Tarragona.

Saint Mary’s Cathedral refers to many styles as Romanesque and Baroque. Anyway, the Gothic is the predominant architectural style.

Opening Hours: 01.01.xx – 19.03.xx (Monday to Saturday) 10:00 – 17:30, Sunday Closed; 20.03.xx – 31.10.xx (Monday to Saturday) 10:00 – 18:30, Sunday 14:30 – 18:30; 01.11.xx – 31.12.xx (Monday to Saturday) 10:00 – 17:30, Sunday Closed;

Tickets: Adults 3 €, Children and Students 2 €

The Holy Grail, Valencia's Cathedral

The Holy Grail, Valencia’s Cathedral


The Holy Grail, Cathedral of Valencia

The Holy Grail, Cathedral of Valencia


Architecture of Valencia

Architecture of Valencia


The Tower of Esglèsia de Santa Caterina

The Tower of Esglèsia de Santa Caterina


Horchateria Santa Catalina, Valencia

Horchateria Santa Catalina, Valencia


Horchata- the sweet drink made from tigernuts (chufa)

Horchata- the sweet drink made from tigernuts (chufa)


Bertal Snacks, Valencia

Bertal Snacks, Valencia

Paella in El Clot, Valencia

The Paella Drama

Where did the Paella come from? If you ask Valencians and Catalans, you’ll get at least two answers. But actually, the original paella comes from the Valencian region. Traditionally, the paella Valenciana was made with vegetables, beans, chicken, rabbit, and snails (well, snails are not on my “to-do” list for this life) … plus whatever was to hand around the rice fields and countryside. Paella is traditionally eaten straight from the pan as each person is using his own wooden spoon.

Interesting to know is that the name “paella” or “la paella” is the name for the cooking pan itself and not the dish! In Valencia, the people have their own local language (as the Catalans in Catalonia). La “paella” comes from the old word “patella” which means pan.

And if you don’t exactly know how to pronounce the word “paella” – the right pronunciation is “PA-E-YA”!

Where to eat Paella: El Clot at Plaça Redona in the old city is a perfect choice!


The Central Market of Valencia

The Central Market of Valencia


The Central Market of Valencia

The Central Market of Valencia


The Central Market of Valencia

The Central Market of Valencia

The Central Market of Valencia

Central Market in Valencia

If you are a foodie like me – Valencia, and especially the Central Market (Mercado Central), is your place to be! They are many more markets in Valencia than I could explore within a long weekend. But especially this one had the flair of a market I was searching for.

The Mercado Central has been declared as a ”Heritage of Cultural Interest” site by the Spanish Ministry of Culture. It is also one of the oldest in Europe! The central market was designed in 1914 by Francisco Guardia and Alejandro Soler and was inaugurated by King Alfonso XIII in 1928. Over 8000 m² inside are home to 900 stands who are selling many different types of food, seasonal fruit and vegetables, cold meats, seafood, fish, cheeses, baked goods, sweets, drinks, olives, spices,  and lots of wine. There is also a snail stand (as many locals prefer their paella with snails instead of chicken or seafood…).

You have to go inside the market in order to feel it … and to smell it too! Mercado Central is an explosion of colours and flavours. My favourite “fruits” of all were the cured hams and Valenciana sausages. Jamón, or the ham obtained from the hind legs of the authentic Iberian pigs, is a big thing in Valencia! You can find hundreds of different types of Jamón varying in price and quality. The best and most expensive ham called “pata negra” comes from special black pigs who live freely somewhere in the wild nature of Iberia.

Other interesting worth-visit markets are the Modernista Ruzafa Market and Mercado Colon.

The Central Market of Valencia

The Central Market of Valencia


The Old City of Valencia

The Old City of Valencia


La Lonja de la Seda, Valencia

La Lonja de la Seda, Valencia

The Beauty of Valencia

La Llotja de la Seda in Valencia

What you can also visit in the middle of the Old Town is the Silk Market also known as La Llotja de la Seda. The Silk Market has absolutely lovely and unique architecture that was designed to show off Valencia’s medieval rich society. Nowadays La Llotja de la Seda is a UNESCO heritage site since 1996.

The Silk Market was built during the golden age of the city in 1482 by the architect Pere Compte. But why they named it the Silk Market? Because this place really acted as a market where exclusive tradesmen and merchants used the 2000 m² area for selling and reselling silk during medieval times.

Opening Hours: Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00 to 14:00 and 16:30 to 20:30; Sunday and Public Holidays from 10:00 to 15:00

Tickets: Adults 2 €, Children and Students 1 €

Placa del Marcat, Valencia

Placa del Marcat, Valencia

Architecture of Valencia  Architecture of Valencia  Architecture of Valencia  Architecture of Valencia  Architecture of Valencia

Plaza del Ayuntamiento

Plaza del Ayuntamiento

 

Plaza del Ayuntamiento

Plaza del Ayuntamiento

 

Architecture of Valencia

Architecture of Valencia

 

Plaza del Ayuntamiento

Plaza del Ayuntamiento

 

Plaza del Ayuntamiento

Plaza del Ayuntamiento

 

Plaza del Ayuntamiento

Plaza del Ayuntamiento

 

Modernisme Plaza of the City Hall of Valencia

Modernisme Plaza of the City Hall of Valencia

 

Plaza del Ayuntamiento

Plaza del Ayuntamiento

Have you been to Valencia? Do you have any tips or recommendations for someone visiting this lovely city?
Enjoy the day!

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