Spain is the county that I’ve travelled to most in the last 20 years. Those travels have encompassed the far north, Galicia and the Basque Country, the far south along the Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts, and from east to west through the scorching heat of its centre. It is a mystery to me that it has taken so long to visit the absolute gem of a city that is Valencia. What have I been doing for the last 20 years??
It may still be pretty low key in comparison to its big city rivals, Barcelona and Madrid, but it’s not as if Valencia hasn’t been on the radar. Travel articles selling its cosmopolitan charms and Mediterranean climate abound. Let’s just say, now the seal has been broken, it won’t be our last time in this fantastic city. We had a week here, the blue skies and constant sunshine of November in Valencia a stark contrast to grey and damp Belgium.
Valencia has a near perfect mix of a small town feel in a big city with world-class food and culture, ancient history mingles with innovative city planning and modern architecture, and you can go from the medieval centre to sandy beaches in less than 20 minutes on a bike. It’s no wonder that it has become a destination to rival any in Spain – or anywhere else really.
After 24 hours in Valencia we felt like we belonged, but our first impressions were a bit discombobulating. We arrived late, and after we dropped our stuff at the apartment we went to find food. It was midnight, but this is Spain, midnight is everyone else’s 8pm. Except Valencia in winter apparently. We walked to the centre but everywhere was either closed or closing. The next day brought more surprises.
We had breakfast at a packed local cafe, most people were washing down their food with booze. Almost every table had a bottle of wine or beers. It was 9am, on a Sunday. It was clearly going to take a while to orient ourselves to this unique city culture. Things slowly returned to normal as we explored the ancient centre, at the heart of which is the 13th century cathedral and two bustling squares.
Founded as a Roman colony in 138 BC, Valencia is one of the oldest towns in Spain and has a history to match. In the centre there are ancient churches and palaces, pretty squares, and a tangle of narrow lanes to explore. Yet this is a city with so much more. After being diverted away from the centre due to flooding, the old Turia riverbed is now a vast urban park.
The Turia Gardens loop around half the city, from the north all the way to the port. They take you past the Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias, a simply stunning array of modern architecture that has become a global symbol of the city. Some Valencians still feel upset by the €900 million price tag (it was supposed to be a third of that), but it is one of the most impressive modern building complexes on earth.
Once at the port, the fascinating El Cabanyal neighbourhood is just behind the main city beach. It is a district full of restaurants and bars. We had a great lunch here followed by a walk along the beach. Valencia is also famed for its Fallas festival, huge satirical models are paraded through town before being burned along with fireworks. It wasn’t the Fallas season, but there is a museum of some of those saved from the flames.
Other than an escape from the bleak midwinter of northern Europe, the main reason for visiting Valencia was that 2023 was a year long celebration of the centenary of the death of Valencia’s most famous son, and one of Spain’s most important artists, Joaquín Sorolla. One exhibition we went to involved using virtual reality goggles. It was weird and wonderful in equal measure.
We could easily have spent the whole week in Valencia, but nearby Parc Natural de l’Albufera is credited as being the place where paella originated. It makes an interesting day trip, especially with lunch in one of the many places serving up the local delicacy. Another day trip took us from Valencia’s gorgeous train station to the ancient hill town of Xàtiva. Honestly, why did it take me so long to visit Valencia?
I remember a delicious late dinner in Valencia after a focus group part of a multi-national project I was running. My good friend and colleague Juan F. took me to one of the best local restaurants. The menu was in Valenciano… 🙄
But after translation to Castellano, the food was exquisite…
The language is definitely tricky, but at least you got a late night dinner, on our first night we really were out of luck! A fantastic city though.
Must be. Locked up all afternoon in a meeting. Then Dinner. Hardly saw a few road signs in Valenciano, and that was it. Have to go back, I guess.