Authored by Veselina Dzhingarova
Valencia was once the capital of the Valencia kingdom and is currently the third largest city in Spain. It is close to the Mediterranean Sea, right on the Rio Turia bank, in Huerta De Valencia. Visitors flock here to enjoy the bustling streets, beautiful churches, and a local climate which is milder than many expect from a town in Southern Spain.
There are plenty of amazing tourist attractions to see in Valencia, though you will want to consider the following options first, as these are the attractions not to miss. It’s easy to book a taxi in Valencia, to make sure you get everything in.
Fallas
A lively spring festival celebrated in March, during this month, a traditional celebration is held in commemoration of St Joseph.
Valencia is given over to a carnival of bonfires, fiesta, fireworks and a healthy dose of satire known as Las Fallas, the fires. Figures made out of rags and papier-mâché often reaching 20 feet tall are paraded through the city streets and then burned during the midnight of the fiesta’s last day. The five days and nights of Fallas are a continuous party!
The original custom appeared during the Middle Ages as craftsmen burned leftover wood scraps during the St. Joseph feast.
Las Fallas, the fires. Fallas in Plaza del Ayuntamiento. Photo CC by Alessandro Loss
The Town Hall & Plaza Del Ayuntamiento
You haven’t visited Valencia unless you have paid a visit to the Town Hall. It is similar to what you would expect to find in Barcelona, with a Spanish heritage which is quite strong.
Casa Consistorial is located directly west of Plaza Del Ayuntamiento, being home to the popular Municipal Historical Museum and the Municipal Library. The Plaza Del Ayuntamiento is always full of life; surrounded by offices, cafes and hotels, this is also the site of Valencia’s most popular musical fountain. The square also holds a highly colorful flower market, one you definitely want to visit!
Both these locations can be included in the same travel day since they are so close together and offer so much to see. You will love everything that is offered here.
Photo credit: fourthandfifteen via Flickr
The Bullfighting Museum – Bullring
The Bullfighting museum is a popular attraction in Valencia, and, founded in 1929, it is one of the oldest and most important in Spain. It contains historical objects from the XVIII, XIX, and XX centuries and seeks to give as much projection as possible to its bullfighting exhibits.
It is located in the center of the city, in the southern region of Plaza Del Ayuntamiento, close to Estacion Del Norte. Make sure you walk in to see Plaza de Toros, the largest bullring in the country, featuring an impressive 18,000 seating. The Museo Taurino is attached right to it.
The main bullfights take place during Fallas (March) and at the July Fair. Travel Tipsor lists the Bullring as one of Valencia’s most premiere tourist destinations.
Valencia Bullring. Be sure to visit the Bullfighting museum right next-door. Photo CC by Juanedc
Calle De San Vincente
This is the main street of Valencia. All visitors should make time to take a walk, as it has a highly vibrant day and night scene. The northern side is the most busy.
Lonja De La Seda
To the west of the Valencia Cathedral you will see Plaa Del Mercado with its Lonja De La Seda. This is the old Silk Exchange, a location where Valencian silk was sold all across Europe.
An incredibly beautiful historic building with a late Gothic architecture, it appeared in 1498 and features windows and doorways that are richly decorated, together with impressive gargoyles.
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Photo Credits: Featured Photo by Christian Jiménez. Featured Pinterest Photos by Juanedc.
22 Comments
You really should add Ciudad de las Artes y de las Ciencias as attraction. Loved visiting this place!
http://www.wirwollenreisen.de/valencia-gastbeitrag/
Greetings, Michael
Hi Michael!
Thanks for your suggestion. Yeah, it is a must if visiting Valencia. I would encourage everyone to check it out there!
Greetings, Veselina
I would love exploring the ins and outs and The Plaza Del Ayuntamiento all day long! Especially that musical fountain!
Doesn’t it look amazing! I’ll meet you there!
Awesome, another thing definitely worth trekking across Valencia for is la Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias, even if you just go to see the awesome architecture. Plus it’s in an old river bed that used to run to the sea, where you can find an outdoors gym and all sorts.
Thanks for the tip Sammi! A number of people have recommended that as well since posting, so will be sure to add it to my list when I do get the chance to visit Spain!
you have clearly never been to Fallas and very probably have never been to Valencia
Hi Torrens! Not sure why you would assume that as I fact check each guest blog submitted to my site for accuracy before publication, and I certainly did so for this post as well. All of Veselina’s points and attractions check out as far as I can see, though if you have anything to add or would like to expand upon an attraction having been there yourself feel free to do so.
Wow, Valencia seems like a fun place to visit. Have you ever been to the flower market at the town hall & plaza? I bet it gorgeous with the surrounding architecture everywhere! Thanks for a great post! :-)
I bet it is! I can’t wait to get to Valencia – Vesi’s post has inspired a pretty sever sense of wanderlust. The flower market does sound amazing!
Ah I want to see Las Fallas so badly! I learned about it in a university Spanish class and every year love scanning through all the photos. Maybe next year :)
Maybe I’ll meet you there next year! Group trip!
It looks like an awesome place to visit with lots of really neat things to see! :) It’s on the ol’ bucket list of course :)
Doesn’t it! Definitely not going to miss a visit when we do head to Spain!
I’ve heard nothing but good stories about Valencia – definitely a must-visit for us in the near future!
I hope you manage to make a visit happen soon!
I loved Valencia! Such a beautiful city and not overrun by tourists!
Not overrun by tourists is the biggest one for me – I’m really disappointed every time I get to a town I’ve been dying to visit and it’s just packed to the hilts with crowds. Can really ruin a city!
By now I have visited Valencia 10 (!!) times and still find something new.Ok, won’t mention la ciudad de ceienas, enough already said by my fellow commentors, but I might add that people there are exceptionally friendly and helpful.
Wow that’s awesome Inka! Glad you love Valencia so much :) Thanks for mentioning it’s amazing local community – that’s definitely something which appeals to a lot of travelers when heading overseas and discovering a new town, so thanks for the tip!
For us, one of the joys of travelling is trying new food & regional specialities. Paella originates in the Valencia region, so when we were there last October we decided to a Paella making experience. We spent a fun half day with a paella master learning the secrets of authentic Paella Valenciana.
Now we’re hooked and look to do at least one cooking experience in each city we visit. Recently in Barcelona we did two. It’s so much fun, and you get to meet some really fab people.
Sounds like a fab experience – I just finished reading your post, and totally agree that local cooking classes are an awesome way to immerse yourself into local culture and everyday life.
A great way to combine incredible food with meeting fabulous people, and exotic recipes are always the best souvenirs right!