Valencia is famed for its extensive cycle network. With over 200km of cycle paths you can travel almost anywhere on two wheels. While it’s regularly rated as one of the top three cycling cities in Spain, there is no beating slowly strolling around the old town on two feet to get a feel for the life of the city and to appreciate its history. There are still traces of the Roman city that was founded here in 138BC, as well as evidence of the centuries of Moorish rule.
The Moors ruled from 714 to 1238, with only a small interval from 1094 to 1102 when the legendary El Cid ruled the city. Valencia’s Golden Age arrived in the 15th century. Like other parts of Europe, arts and culture flourished fuelled by trade with the New World and a pretty unpleasant role in the slave trade. A long, slow period of decline set in after the 17th century, but reminders of that great flourishing are everywhere.
Massive medieval gates, the Torres dels Serrans and Portal de Quart, and the 16th century bridges of Puente de la Mar and the Puente de Serranos, compete with medieval palaces and churches for attention. The Cathedral, said to house the Holy Grail, and the nearby Basílica de la Mare, are both extraordinary, but the Church of San Nicolás de Bari y San Pedro Mártir is truly the one religious building not to miss.
We were staying close to the botanical gardens, themselves founded in the mid-16th century, and on our second day in Valencia they would be the starting point for a day of exploring Valencia’s ancient heart. Wandering the peaceful grounds for an hour or so was lovely. Located just outside the city walls where there was space for the gardens, it’s a tranquil spot.
We stopped for a coffee in nearby Plaça de Sant Sebastià with its attractive pink-orange church, before passing Portal de Quart on our way down narrow streets to the Church of San Nicolás de Bari y San Pedro Mártir. It’s tricky to describe how magnificent this church is, except to say that its vaulted ceiling is Valencia’s own Sistine Chapel. I’ve been to the Sistine Chapel and the experience was Hellish, this was far nicer.
One of the first churches to be built after the 1238 capture of the city from the Moors, it was rebuilt in Gothic style in the mid-15th century. The utterly mesmerising frescos that cover the entire ceiling and celebrate the lives of San Nicolás de Bari and San Pedro Mártir, were added in the late 17th century. It’s simply glorious. A little stunned, we left to wander the maze-like streets of the Barrio del Carmen.
It’s an intriguing area. Close to the Torres dels Serrans we found the Museu del Corpus. A 15th-century building known as the House of the Rocks, it is home to procession costumes and floats from the Corpus Christi festival. We headed south for lunch at the Central Market with its wrought iron and stained glass. A beautiful place to do your food shopping, you can also eat in here.
We spent time people watching in the plazas by the cathedral before walking to Mercat de Colón, another old market that has been fully gentrified. From here it’s a short stroll into the hip district of Russafa, a once run down working district that is rapidly becoming the trendiest part of Valencia. We finally made our way to the Fundació Bancaixa, which had an exhibition celebrating the centenary of artist Joaquín Sorolla’s death.
We are big fans of Sorolla. As well as having numerous works of art on display, they also had light projections and a virtual reality ‘experience’ where you could literally interact with the virtual art. It would have made the trip to Valencia worthwhile in its own right, but a day in the Ciutat Vella had already proven that this is a city with many charms.
Having been to Valencia a couple of times, I really liked it. Thank you for the reminders of why that was the case.
It was my first visit, it really was a revelation. Absolutely loved it.
Indeed, I would have loved to have visited this Soralla exhibition in Valencia.
I love his work. Once went to his house in Madrid, it’s well worth visiting if you’re in the vicinity.
I’d already put it on my list for my next visit, and I’d also like to see the Thyssen-Bornemisza collection again. I have fond memories of it, but I didn’t manage to visit it again last year.