Welcome to Valencia
Welcome to Valencia - The Roman city of Arts and Culture
Valencia was founded as a Roman colony in 138BC and nowadays is the third largest metropolitan area in Spain after Madrid and Barcelona. It is the capital of the autonomous community of Valencia, situated on the east coast of the Iberian Peninsula.
The city has the largest historic centre of Spain which is surrounded by an heritage of ancient monuments, towers and cathedrals but surprisingly it does not attract a lot of tourists because, in general, most of them go to Valencia to the seaside of Costa Blanca.
Information and Facts
Sightseeing
There are a lot of attractions for sightseeing: Valencia Cathedral, Cervantes Memorial, Palacio del Marqus de Dos Aguas, Torres de Quart (a medieval tower), Nuestra Seora de los Desamparados, Institut Valencia d'Art Modern, Museum Provincial de Belles Artes, Museum de las Ciencias Principe Felipe, Valencia Harbour.
Night-life
Valencia never sleeps, in fact it is famous throughout Spain for its night-life: it has great restaurants, pubs and clubs. There are also a lot of students from all over the world because of the University.
Climate
The best time to visit Valencia is during the summer, especially as it has a great beach (Malvarossa Beach). In August most locals are on holiday, so the city is very quiet and empty.
During the winter months it is also busy as it hosts many international business conferences.
Curiosities and traditions
The local feast day of St. Joseph is celebrated on 19th March, known as Las Fallas, when "falla" or papier-mache sculptures are burnt in the streets and is a great time to visit.
Valencia is also famous worldwide for its gastronomic culture and its typical dishes which includes paella, fartons, bunyols, the Spanish omelette, pinchos, rosquilletas and squid (calamares).
Public transportation
Valencia has its own airport. Furthermore the city offers a wide variety of transport options, which includes underground, trains, maps, tickets, taxis, railway station, buses, etc.
Time
UTC/GMT +1 hour