Valencia - General Impression
Valencia is the capital city of Valencia province and is located comfortably on the sunny Costa Blanca about 300 kilometers south of Barcelona. It is a pleasant and exciting town with a beautiful historical centre, lovely parks and promenades and last, but definitely not least a great location on the Mediterranean Sea.
The historical centre, called Seu-Xerea barrrio (cathedral neighborhood), with its many narrow winding streets is full of beautiful sights such as the Cathedral, the (recently renovated) Mercado Central. It is also home to the trendy Barrio del Carmen neighborhood where all the nightlife is situated. A special sight is the newly opened Aquarium, which is part of the City of Arts and Sciences - an architectural miracle - and in fact is the largest in Europe.
As Valencia is the orange capital of Spain you will notice that this fruit is on sale everywhere. In addition, Valencia is home to the world famous dish ‘Paella’ so make sure to try these famous delicacies during your stay.
A great time to visit Valencia is during the famous Fallas Festival which is held every year on the same dates: March 15 to March 19. During this festival massive papier-maché puppets, which are hand build and take many months to construct, are displayed on the streets of Valencia. During these festivities massive fireworks shows are held daily and on the last day of the festival the puppets are set to fire. I’s a great spectacle and as it’s one of Spain’s most famous festivals it attracts hundreds of thousand of visitors each year.
Even if you’re not able to visit during the Fallas festival the city definitely is among Spain’s most attractive destinations and makes a perfect weekend trip.
Recommendations