Thisis... get to know Valencia in a couple of hours walking tour.

There are numerous ways to tour Valencia city, by tourist bus, which starts at the Plaza de la Reina (you can jump on and off for 24hrs after buying your ticket), by horse & cart, bike or scooter, or by foot.

This suggested tour is best done on foot as you can stop and start as you wish.

A couple of tips first, Please do not forget your sun-cream and do drink lots of water! Also, as you walk around, always remember to look up! There are lots of amazing things to see above you.

Ready then!

First walk:
This is our lovely, easy city walk, a two- hour amble through the city center, Names are in Castellano then Valenciano and finally English to make it all clear, the following is a list of the famous buildings you will cover.
1. Estacion del Norte - Estacio del Nord - North (main) train station - Start here especially if coming in by metro to Xativa station.
2. Plaza de Toros - Plaça de Bous-- Bullring
3. Plaza del Ayuntamiento - Plaça de l´Ajuntament - Town hall square
4. Correos - Correus - Post office
5. Mercado Central - Mercat Central - Central Food market
6. La Lonja - La Llotja - Silk Exchange
7. Plaza Redonda - Plaça Redonda -Round Haberdashers Market - now selling tourist gifts too
8. Plaza de la Reina - Plaça de la Reina - Queen's Square
9. Catedral y El Miguelete - La Seu i El Micalet - The Cathedral and the Miguelet Tower
10. Plaza de la Virgen - Placa de la Verge - Virgin Square
11. Basilica de la Virgin de los Desamparados - Basilica de Mare de Deu dels Desamparats - the Basilica of Our Lady of the Forsaken

Ready to begin?
Start at the main train station, Estacion del Norte, (Xativa metro stop). Looking inside as well as out is a must! When you have had a good look around and taken in the great mosaics, turn right and check out the Plaza de Toros (the bullring), a beautiful building (also gorgeous to look at at night when it is lit up).

Now cross over the main junction of the Calle Xativa, into the Avenida Marqués Sotelo which leads you to the Plaza del Ayuntamiento (the Town Hall Square). On your immediate left as you enter the square is the Town Hall and on your right you'll see Correos, the main post office of Valencia, which has just been beautifully renovated and looks like a wedding cake with a small Blackpool Tower on top. Walking through to the other side of the Ayuntamiento, take the left fork towards the Mercado Central, Central Market (catch it open between 9-2 Monday to Saturday), to see native Valencians busily shopping for luscious fresh foods, vegetables, fish and a multitude of seafood and even live eels ..

Directly in front of the Central Market is La Lonja, which was built in the early cXV as a Silk Exchange - it now has World Heritage Status and is used at the weekends as a coin and stamp market, go inside and marvel at the tall barley twist pillars and the Orangerie. Walk back down the street until you reach Calle del Trench on your left, turn down here and amble on until you reach Plaza Redonda, on your right. All through here you will find small windy streets with little shops and bars. The Plaza Redonda, which is in dire need of renovation (finally about to happen), are haberdashery stalls selling lace and pinnies, and ceramics and gifts. Now on to Calle San Vicente, the main street leading up to La Plaza de la Reina, a large beautiful green square dominated by Valencia's wonderful Cathedral and Miguelete. Walk up to the Cathedral, enter if you wish, it is worth seeing. To the left of the cathedral is a pretty, wide passage which leads you to the Plaza de la Virgen. This marbled square has a lovely fountain and the Basilica. At the top of the square is a pedestrian street (with lots of sweet shops) which leads you to the river bed. Take a calming walk down the Río Turía river -bed park and enjoy!

This Tour should take you a couple of hours and give you a taste of Valencia!

A final word of warning - all museums and galleries close on Mondays, but the good news is they are free on Sundays

Thisis.. how to amuse your children in the land of Valencia!

There are always plenty of things to do in Valencia with your kiddly winks, being such a green city with so many parks and and gardens, there is always a children's playground close by. However, the very best playground for children of all ages, has to be the unique Gulliver Park in the old riverbed between the bridges Angel Custodio and the Camino de la Moreras. This very special park is based Swift's Gulliver, as he wakes up tied to the beach of Lilliput. This 70metre long and 6 metre high attraction is made so that your child pretend to be one of the Liliputians climbing up and sliding down his clothes and body.

Next to Gulliver is another garden with two giant chessboards and a skate park. A trip to the City of Arts and Sciences can take up to a couple of days, the architecture by Valencia born Santiago Calatrava is astounding! It houses an Imax cinema, a hands on science museum and the marvellous Oceanogràfic - Europes largest Aquarium.
Fascinating for children and adults alike.

Valencia's Galleries & Museums, though not expensive to visit during the week, are free to the public on Sundays. Many of them have brilliantly organised hands on activities for children, check the Beneficiencia especially as they have an extensive calendar of events for younger visitors every weekend.

Valencia's
major art galleries
and exhibition venues
This list does not aim to be definitive - just to give Valencia's major art exhibition spaces. If you would like to get in touch with us to request we add a venue or to report a broken link,please email us here
For venues outside Valencia , click here