A Guide to Life in Valencia

Plaza del Ayuntamiento
The Plaza del Ayuntamiento is the largest and probably most important plaza in Valencia.
Home to the city hall (ayuntamiento) and the magnificent central post office (edificio de correos), the Plaza del Ayuntamiento also serves as the centre for the Fallas celebrations
The triangular shape of the plaza is amazing. At its southern end, [...]

Monasterio de San Miguel de los Reyes
The Hieronymite monastery of San Miguel de los Reyes (San Miguel of the Kings) rose in 16th century on the site of the old mercedaria abbey of Sant Bernat de Rascanya, thanks to the patronage of Duke de Calabria, Virrey of Valencia.
The building started in 1546 in the [...]

The Museum of Beautiful Arts of Valencia, also known as the Painting Museum of the Carmen, Provincial Museum of Beautiful Arts, or more recently the Museum San Pío V from the building that hosts it, is one of the most important in the Valencian Community as far as historical paintings go.
It is formed by [...]

Prince Felipe Museum of Science is part of Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències.
The building was designed by Santiago Calatrava and was built in a joint venture of Fomento de Construcciones and Contratas and Necso. It was opened on 13th November 2000.
The building was designed in 1991 and construction began in 1996. It is [...]

The Central Market of Valencia is constructed in a modernist style and was built in 1914.
The designers, Francisco Guard Vial and Alexander Soler, both trained at the School of Architecture of Barcelona and worked closely with Domènech i Montaner, an architect who characterized himself as a modernist.
There is great beauty in the architecture as well [...]

The Oceanografico is a marine structure located in the eastern part of Valencia.
Spread over an area of 100,000 m2, it is home to hundreds of marine water and fresh water aquatic species.
The whole area is amazingly constructed under water. This underwater aquarium holds 45,000 aquatic creatures of 500 species. These include invertebrates, reptiles, birds and [...]

The church of San Juan del Hospital is one of the most interesting monuments in the city.
The historical place of San Juan Hospital has in its interior the oldest church of Valencia. It was founded in the 13th century (1238) by the Sovereign Military order and San Juan de Jerusalem.
Jaime I then made a donation [...]

The Towers of Highlands (or Door of Highlands) were constructed at the end of 14th century.
Their initial function was to serve as fortification, a fact that testifies to their heavy walls and their solidiness, but they were generally used for ceremonies and official entrances for important personalities that visited the city, the main reason why [...]

The Bioparc is a huge expanse covering over 25 acres, home to many of species of animals.
It is a zoo, but with a twist – a safari-like experience for the visitor, as the animals are in enclosures rather than cages, many without glass or fencing keeping them at bay.
For example, one of the zones you’ll [...]

The Hemisfèric is part of Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències.
The Hemisfèric was the first building in the City of Arts and Sciences to open its doors to the public in 1998.
This spectacular construction was designed by the Valencian architect Santiago Calatrava, with an ovoid roof spanning over 100 metres that contains the large [...]