Valencia is perfect for combining a city trip with a beach holiday.
A must-see city for architecture fans, a lively old town, beautiful beaches and promenades, countless shops and restaurants. Valencia is a city you can fall in love with and still an insider tip.
- Travel period: 5 days
- Best time to travel: May to September
- Main dish: 10 €
Arrival
From Flughafen Aeropuerto de Valencia you can easily reach the city centre by metro in 20 minutes.
Hotel
The luxury hotels in Valencia offer one night in a double room from 180 euros, such as the beach hotel Las Arenas* and the historic Hotel Caro* * in the city centre. We recommend the 3-star hotel Petit Palace Plaza de la Reina*. It is located in the middle of the old town, has a great breakfast and rents out bicycles free of charge.
Places of interest
For a city trip we recommend spring and autumn months with mild temperatures. Valencia is great for a combination of city trip and beach holiday, so that you can also enjoy the fantastic beaches. The best time to visit Valencia is then June or September.
The central Plaça de la Reina, the Queen's Square, is a good starting point for your stroll through the old town. Here, the cathedral stands on the foundations of an old mosque, which even stood on a Roman temple. From its bell tower El Micalet you have a panoramic view over the city. Further observation towers are the Torres de Serranos at the old city wall.
Worth seeing is the church of St. Nicholas, which is also called the "Sistine Chapel of Valencia". Behind the cathedral there is a Roman excavation site with a glass floor, the Almodí granary and the favourite place of the Valencianos with the Túria fountain.
The silk exchange Lonja de la Seda is one of the most important buildings in Valencia and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Mercat Central is one of the largest markets in Europe. Here you can buy fresh food and regional specialities.
Because of its artistic freedom, the era of Modernism (Art Nouveau) is very important in Valencia. Worth seeing and freely accessible buildings are the town hall with a small exhibition about the city history, the post office, the central station and the Mercat de Colón. In the Horchatería Daniel you can drink a traditional tiger almond milk and eat fartons . The large shopping zone, begins also on the town hall square.
Discover the city by bike. We especially recommend a ride through the Túria Garden. The park is nine kilometres long. It is best to start directly at the zoo. You can spend a whole day in the futuristic city of art and scienceLa Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciènciesdesigned by the famous architect Calatrava . The Oceanogràfic is the largest aquarium in Europe. There is also a natural science museum and a planetarium. We recommend the space exhibition.
After the sightseeing you can enjoy an afternoon on the beach, which is only 20 minutes away from the centre by bike. The city beach Playa de las Arenas is up to 135 metres wide. This is where the six kilometre long beach promenade begins, with many small restaurants serving inexpensive tapas and traditional menus.
Valencia is the home of the paella. These rice pans are offered in many variations. Typical is also All-i-pebre, an eel stew with chili. Delicious are the Clóchina valenciana from the city's own mussel farm. But they are only available from May to August. A true cult drink is Agua de Valencia, a cocktail of freshly squeezed orange juice, sparkling wine, gin and vodka.
Valencia also has a very well developed public transport network. The metro takes you to almost every corner of the city.
By bus or rental car you can go to the Albufera nature reserve. In El Palmar you can go by boat through the rice fields. The ceramic city of Manises is only a few metro stops away from Valencia. We recommend the Museu de Cerámica. The entrance is free.
Our book tip
Our book tip for your trip: Valencia - cultural metropolis between rice fields and orange trees (available in German) Here is the link to the book.
