What to see and do in Valencia in 3 days?

What to see and do in Valencia in 3 days?

I recently returned to Valencia, I stayed a few days. Here I tell you what to see in Valencia in 3 days. Almost everything I did walking, except the visit to the Albufera that I did by car.

The first day we arrived late, so we went around the center, had dinner and had a drink. We went to sleep early, so the next day I had it whole to visit the city of Valencia.

Day 1. Walk through the Turia Gardens and Historic Center of Valencia

We stayed at the Holiday Inn which is near the city of Arts and Sciences, this day I got up at a decent hour and I went to walk through the Jardines del Turia towards the Cathedral of Valencia.

Turia Gardens (Jardines del Turia)

The Turia Gardens are located in the old bed of the Turia river, which was diverted to avoid the continuous flooding that the city suffered. At present it is an urban park of more than 9 kilometers passable, that crosses great part of the city.

Throughout the park there are 18 bridges of different ages and styles, also along the route you will reach different museums and points of interest of the city such as the Palacio de la Música, there are bars and cafes, ponds, children’s area, etc.

Square of the Porta de la Mar

I took a detour to enter the city through the Plaza de la Porta de la Mar, it is a square in the Ciutat Vella of Valencia, it is a triumphal arch of imperialist style. Next there is a park with millenary trees, which is good for resting a bit, especially on hot days. Then, I cross the park and continue on Carrer de la Pau.

I loved this street, I was walking and wandering among its perpendiculars, since you looked left and right and there was some interesting corner, square or museum and as this day I was alone, I did it completely to my roll, so it took a few hours to get there to the Cathedral, which was the goal with which I left the hotel that morning.

Plaza de la Reina and Cathedral of Valencia

At the end of Carrer de la Pau you arrive at the Plaza de la Reina, where in front you have the Church of Santa Catalina with a beautiful bell tower, it is one of the Gothic churches of the city of Valencia, it was built on an old mosque in the neighborhood of the Cathedral.

To the right of Carrer de la Pau, crossing the Plaza de la Reina is the Cathedral of Valencia, whose full name is “Cathedral Church-Metropolitan Basilica of the Assumption of Our Lady of Valencia”, although it is known as the Seu, Cathedral in Valencian. It is mostly of Gothic style and was built on an old mosque, which in turn was built on the old Visigothic cathedral, which had been built on a temple to Jupiter or Diana. You know, the one who won converted it as he wanted …

Square of the Virgin

Surrounding the Cathedral on the left you arrive at the Plaza de la Virgen, the origin of this square dates back to Roman times and here you can see 3 important buildings of the city: La Seu, the Generalitat building and the Basilica of the Virgin of the Desamparados. We can also see the Fountain of the Turia that was inaugurated in 1976, in which we see Neptune surrounded by 8 naked women, representing the 8 acequias of the Vega de Valencia.

Torre de Serranos

From here I continue to the Torres de Serranos. Serranos Towers is one of the best preserved monuments of the city of Valencia, dating from the fourteenth century, is Gothic and was one of the 12 entrances to the city. It has had several uses throughout the centuries and thanks to having been a prison it was saved from its dismantling in the 19th century, when it was ordered to remove the walls of the city. Nowadays you can visit and go up to the top and contemplate the city.

Day 2. City of Arts and Sciences of Valencia

The City of Arts and Sciences is, without a doubt, a place that you have to know about Valencia. Although you can not or want to pay the entrance to the different facilities, it is a place that you have to visit for its architecture, its modernism. It is a symbol of Valencia.

The City of Arts and Sciences is a complex that is made up of 3 buildings, the Oceanografic, the Science Museum and the Hemiferic.

I leave you a photo day and night so you can see it It is worth a visit at any time of the day !!!

The Oceanografic

The Oceanografic is the largest aquarium in Europe. Honestly, I have never entered, because I don’t like aquarium and I prefer see the animals in their natural habitat. But the building on the outside is very cool.

The Science Museum

This museum has interactive exhibitions and has become a world reference, teaching “Science and Technology” in a fun and entertaining way for all audiences. It is located in a building designed by Santiago Calatrava and has more than 26,000 square meters of exhibitions. You have to go without hurry!

Hemisferic

The Hemisferic was the first of the three buildings to open the doors to the public, it was also designed by Santiago Calatrava. It is a projection room with a concave screen of 900 square meters!

Valencia. Day 3. Market, Lonja de la Seda and Albufera

I do not know what the markets have, but whenever I go to a city I like to visit it, to see the life that takes place there. It is a form of the city doing everyday things.

Central Market of Valencia

The Central Market began to be built at the beginning of the last century, and has an area of more than 8,000 square meters. It is the largest center in Europe dedicated to fresh products. I left it for the last day so I could buy some things and take them home. The schedule is from Monday to Saturday from 7 to 15 hours. We also took advantage of a delicious paella to eat in the area 🙂

Lonja de la Seda de Valencia

The silk market of Valencia was built in the 15th century. It is of European civil Gothic origin and it is a very beautiful building, especially the Hall of the Columns. The whole set will have about 2000 square meters. It is located a few meters from the central market and in the historic center of the city.

In 1996 it was declared by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

The fish market was a symbol of the city’s commercial power and prosperity. It is said that in the mid-fifteenth century the Valencian mercantile prosperity had reached such a level, that the General Council of the City considered insufficient the Market they had at that time, so they ordered to build the most beautiful, magnificent and sumptuous market that was the honor of the city.

That has arrived to our days and we can visit it from Monday to Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. (€ 2 the entrance) and on Sundays and holidays from 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. (free admission).

Also visit the Museum of the Silk to know a little more about Valencian history.

Church of Saint Nicholas

Known as “the Valencian Sixtine Chapel”, San Nicolás is one of the most attractive temples in the city. It has nearly 2,000 square meters of perfectly restored fresco paintings that leave visitors breathless.

The spectacular paintings that decorate the vault are twice as large as the frescoes in the Sistine Chapel in Rome. With more than 700 years old, San Nicolás, which was already a place of worship in Roman times before being a mosque and a Christian church afterwards, is a clear example of a perfect coexistence between a Gothic structure temple and a splendid Baroque decoration.

The visit is a sensory experience that allows you to travel through this space both with specialized guides and more independently with the use of audio guides in several languages.

It is located at number 35 Caballeros street, in the heart of the old town, it is accessed by a corridor between two buildings that does not imagine the treasure that is behind the access doors.

Albufera Natural Park

To end the day we go to the Albufera de Valencia. It is a Natural Park that you can visit and see its flora and fauna. As a curiosity, it has the largest lake in Spain. It is located a few kilometers from Valencia and you get there very well by car and bus. You can also take a boat trip that costs € 5.

Are you from Valencia or have you been to Valencia? What do you recommend for our next visit?