A walk in the old city center is very pleasant, and what is enjoyed the most is being able to walk on the narrow streets and observe the beautiful old buildings everywhere. There are abundant sights to see as you make your way through the city, but here are some of the highlights:
The North Station (Estació de Nord) is the main train station in Valencia, a beautiful modernist building with lot of details in its facade. These details are mostly dedicated to the agricultural activities around Valencia, related to their most famous product, the delicious Valencian orange. Just around the bend, you cannot miss the City Hall, which is an impressive building, presiding the main square of the city.
The Central Market of Valencia occupies a beautiful building, and you will have a great time just getting lost amongst the stands selling fruit, vegetables and meat. Just next to the market you can find the most spectacular building of the old neighborhood, the Lonja, one of the most impressive examples of Gothic civil architecture. It was built during the golden century, and well represents the commercial prosperity of the city in that era.
The extraordinary Cathedral in the Plaza de la Virgen square is also a majestic piece of Gothic art and on the border between the old medieval town and the new town of Valencia stood the medieval wall of the city. Today, only the towers remain from this wall, the Torres de Serrano and Torres de Quart, both of them are impressive and you can enjoy a nice view from the top.
Today you will be off to two of Valencia's main attractions!
The first is the Bioparc, which is a new-generation zoo, quite different from those we had seen before. In the Bioparc, different ecosystems of Africa has been recreated, like the Savannah, Madagascar or the Jungle, and the animals seem to be almost free. Instead of cages there are natural borders, like artificial rivers or lakes that separate the animals from each other. This kind of zoo permits an immersion of the visitors to the natural living space of the animals. It’s especially great for families, since in the zoo they propose loads of special activities, mostly for kids.
The City of Arts and Sciences is one of the most iconic places to visit in Valencia, in just a few years since its opening at the end of the last century, it has become one of the main symbols of the city. In this modern complex designed by the Spanish architect Calatrava, you can find the Museum of Sciences, the Palace of Arts, the Planetarium/IMAX (Hemisfèric) and the biggest aquarium in Europe (Oceanogràfic).
n the Museum of Sciences, you will find an infinite selection of interactive activities to understand different aspects of Science in an entertaining way. In the Hemisfèric you can enjoy fantastic 3D documentaries about Nature or Science, and probably the most impressive part of the museum complex is the Oceanogràfic. Your visit to Valencia can’t be complete without spending a few hours in this fantastic aquarium. It’s like finding yourself in the middle of an underwater documentary. The aquarium is divided into different sections according to the different habitats of marine species, such as the Mediterranean, tropical seas or the Red Sea amongst others.
The most spectacular part is the 35 meter long tunnel, where big sharks basically swim over your head. Just sitting there and observing these enormous sea animals was one of our favorite things to do in Valencia without any doubt!
The activity for the third day is related to the dish Valencia is famous about, the PAELLA!
Although it might seem odd that eating a paella in a restaurant can be a full-day activity, but you will discover that eating a paella in the Barraca de Toni Montoliu is much more than just tasting the famous Valencian rice dish.
