Valencia travel tips: top 10 spots

If you are planning your next holiday to Valencia, check this “Valencia top 10 spots travel guide”: it will help planning a great stay in the city. Probably Valencia is less touristic and famous than other great Spanish destination (such as Barcelona or Madrid) but it is a really nice city that you have to visit. The City of Arts and Science, the port, the museums, the Cathedral… there are so many things to visit in Valencia!

1. Monasterio Sant Miguel de los Reyes – its facade is built in Renaissance style and the building is framed by two great towers with Baroque columns.

2. Museo Nacional de Ceramica – dedicated to “Gonzalez Marti”, inside the museum you may find a great collection of tiles made in the Royal Ceramics Factory. The buildings has been renewed on rococo style (1740).

3. La Catedral - the Cathedral has three great gates in different styles. The Iron gate is in Baroque style, the Apostle gate in Gothic and the Palace gate in Romanesque.

4. La Playa y el Puerto – Valencia hosted in 2007 the 32nd America’s Cup: its nice port became famous worldwide. Don’t miss also a walk at the promenade facing the seafront and the great beaches.

5. El jardí botánico – this spectacular green spot was founded to study medicinal plants in 1567. It is located since 1802 in l’Hort de Tramoyeres and it has been restored in 2000.

6. La ciudad de las artes y las ciencias – it’s one of the city most important city symbols, thinking of Valencia, you are probably thinking of this spot. The complex includes four interesting buildings. You can visit: L’Hemisferic (a Planetarium, IMAX Cinema and Laserium), the Science Museum, an interactive exposition; the huge marine park, l’Oceanographic and the Palau des arts (an Opera House).

7. Iglesia de San Juan del Hospital – this church dates back to 1261, one of the oldest in Valencia. You can contemplate the Santa Barbara great chapel and other Gothic ones.

8. Torres de Serranos – probably the biggest Gothic city gateway in Europe. The Torres de Serranos has been constructed at the end of the 14th century. The architect is the Valencian Pere Balaguer.

9. Museo des Belles Artes San Pio V – located in a recently renewed Baroque building, you have to consider the Museo des belles Artes San Pio V as one of the greatest painting collection in Spain. Inside, you can admire a broad collection of Valencian painters and other important works by Goya, El Greco, Murillo and Velázquez.

10. Plaza del Mercado - declared as a “World Heritage Site” by UNESCO, the Plaza Mercado hosts 3 wonderful buildings. Don’t miss especially the Silk Market, a great example of Gothic civil architecture in Europe.