VALENCIA grew alongside the river Turia for many years until the devastating flood of 1957.
It was then decided that living alongside the river imposed a huge risk and the river was diverted. Today, the Turia’s old riverbed is the largest urban garden in Spain.
The old riverbed is now a verdant sunken park that allows cyclists and pedestrians to traverse much of the city without the use of roads. The park, called the ‘Garden of the Turia’ (Jardí del Túria/Jardín del Turia) boasts numerous ponds, paths, fountains, flowers, football pitches, cafés, artworks, climbing walls, an athletics track, a zen garden and more. The many bridges overhead carry traffic across the park.
Towards the park’s eastern end is the Gulliver Park (Parc Gulliver/Parque Gulliver), a children’s adventure playground featuring a huge fibreglass model of Lemuel Gulliver tied to the ground with ropes. The model is constructed such that the ropes are climbable. In addition, Gulliver’s clothes form slides and ladders on which to play.
Towards the eastern end of the river course is the Valencian Music Palace (el Palau de la Música Valenciana). Marking the park’s eastern extreme is Valencia’s new City of Arts and Sciences.
This is an amazing space! Whether you want to sit and watch people go by, have a bite to eat in one of the cafés along the river bed (or drink for that matter), play sport, ride a bike, also available to hire, or walk the full length and finish at the CAC.