These are the Hidden Gems in Valencia Spain
Many attractions that draw visitors to Spain are concentrated in Valencia: With a maze of narrow alleyways and beautiful medieval structures like the UNESCO-listed Lonja de la Seda, the city features a lively old center.
Valencia is also in the Mediterranean, so you can relax on wide, sandy beaches and eat delicious seafood dishes. Paella, unquestionably the most well-known Spanish dish of all, is made in this region.
Valencia is one of Spain’s most comprehensive travel destinations thanks to the city of the Arts and Sciences’ cutting-edge visitor attractions. So hop on to have some fun exploring and include all the Hidden Gems in Valencia Spain in your Itinerary.
You can also check the Valencia Tourist Card for discounts on Museum tickets and free transport in Valencia Spain.
Hidden Gems in Valencia Spain
Fallas
After receiving a UNESCO heritage prize the previous year, Valencia’s primary festival is now garnering prominence on a global scale, and what a party it is. The fragrance of cooking churros and gunpowder permeates the streets for two weeks in March.
The city spends the entire year preparing for Las Fallas, not just planning the festivities, which include amazing daily firework displays, but also creating hundreds of fantastical figures that are more than 30 feet (nine meters) high that will be set up in the streets and then burned during the festival.
The festival’s catchphrase is “Feel the Fallas,” which is fitting considering that words and images hardly do the celebration credit. The only way to truly understand it is to visit Valencia in March.
If you want to know more about the festival then we would recommend you to check it here.
Unsual Things to do in Valencia Spain
La Lonja De La sela
This magnificent structure, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is regarded as the peak of Valencian Gothic architecture. The best memorial of Valencia’s glory, when the city was one of the major commercial and cultural hubs of Europe, is La Lonja de la Seda.
The name refers to a place where traders from various Mediterranean islands would congregate and transact business; the name means “Silk Exchange.”
The main hall’s (sala de contratación) delicately twisted columns will take your breath away, and the vaulted ceilings’ astounding workmanship will leave you in awe. The city’s major market is directly in front of this intimidating structure with a crenelated shape.
Unsual Things to do in Valencia Spain
The Mascleta
If you visit Valencia in March, you might mistakenly believe that you have arrived in a combat zone due to the strong smell of gunpowder and the nearly continual explosions, both huge and tiny, that occur all around you, day and night.
But don’t worry; it’s simply the city letting you know that the Las Fallas celebration, which will feature several weeks of nonstop fireworks in the streets and in grand organised public displays, is just around the corner.
Every day at 2:00 PM, people congregate in Plaza del Ayuntamiento, the town’s main square, for the mascleta. The impending arrival of the most significant occasions in the city’s calendar is announced by hundreds of enormous firecrackers that are set off in a precisely coordinated cadence, temporarily impairing everyone nearby’s hearing.
Unsual Things to do in Valencia Spain
Casco Historico
Valencia’s historic centre, like most Spanish cities, is designed to be explored on foot. In this area of the city, the must-see attractions are all conveniently close to one another.
There are a number of narrow lanes filled with cafes, restaurants, and other small businesses or artisan stores between each monument.
Stop at a plaza like Plaza de la Virgen for a cold glass of horchata, a beverage made with ground almonds, tigernuts, and a variety of grains and flavoured with cinnamon and vanilla, to beat the summer heat.
Find the Neo-Mudéjar Plaza de Toros (bullring) and the stunning Estació del Nord ticket hall on the southern side of the old town.
Unsual Things to do in Valencia Spain
La Tomatina
You have the opportunity to attend the renowned tomato fight right here in this small village near to Valencia if you’ve ever wanted to. Every year at the end of August, thousands of tourists arrive to take part in what must be one of the craziest festivals in the entire globe. It’s only one of Valencia’s many bizarre festivals, in actuality.
Unsual Things to do in Valencia Spain
House of cats
This is another odd discovery at El Carmen. Look down to see the exterior of a tiny house encased in the blue wall on the ancient Carrer del Museu at the northern tip of the Old Town. It’s a little replica of a traditional Valencian home, only a few feet high, complete with tiled roof, miniature fountain, and potted plant to symbolise the garden. Nobody really knows how it got there, but the “Casa de los gatos” (House of Cats) as it is known locally was allegedly constructed by a woman who once lived there for the numerous stray cats in the neighbourhood.
Valencia’s Dragon:
One of the strangest religious building decorations you’ll ever see is a stuffed crocodile known as the “Dragon of the Patriarch” that guards the entrance from its unexpected position, mounted on the wall over the holy water basin, when you visit the monks who still reside at the Colegio del Patriarca (or Seminario del Corpus Christi). The exact route it took is unknown, although it was likely a gift brought back from a previous Spanish mission to Peru.
Have lunch underwater
One of the many unique features of the aquarium at the City of Arts and Sciences is a “underwater” restaurant where you may eat while being surrounded by exotic marine life on all sides. You’ll see amazing tropical fish, stingrays, and sharks swimming about you as soon as you enter the restaurant.
Visit the narrowest Building:
It seems that practically every city makes the claim that it is home to the nation’s or continent’s tiniest residence or structure. The candidate from Valencia is considered to be one of the world’s tiniest structures and is only marginally broader than its front entrance. While the inside has been connected to the neighbouring buildings to provide more normal-sized apartments, the façade has remained small. The entrance is currently a component of the tapas restaurant La Estrecha, which still has the original floor and a gallery of old pictures of the structure.
Parque Gulliver – Become Liliputian
Everyone is familiar with the story of Gulliver’s Travels, in which the inhabitants of Liliput tie down the enormous Gulliver and then climb all over him. In Valencia’s well-known and bizarre Gulliver Park playground, a large sleeping model of Gulliver is used to recreate this scene, complete with ramps, stairs, and long slides made out of the strands of his (concrete) hair. You’ll be happy to learn that adults are welcome to participate in the fun as well. It’s a really awesome day out for families
See holy Grail
The Holy Grail itself up close must be a fairly remarkable experience. Of course, there are several potential Holy Grail candidates around the globe, ranging from stone cups to golden chalices. For generations, people have been intrigued by the questions of whether the Holy Grail indeed exists and, if so, where it is. Valencia’s claim to the title appears to be rather strong. The golden “Chapel of the Holy Grail” in the Gothic cathedral of Valencia houses the Holy Chalice of Valencia, which is protected by glass.
Discover street art
Some of Valencia’s most distinctive characteristics are the art murals that decorate the walls of the carefree El Carmen district. While some murals are frequently overpainted, others end up becoming a permanent part of the district’s charm. Be sure to check out the street art in Plaça del Tossal and the area surrounding Carrer d’En Gordo, where deteriorating, abandoned buildings are embellished with the creations of local street painters.
Stroll the colorful streets of El Cabanyal
Both El Carmen and La Seu are excellent places to get lost. However, one of the least commercial things to do in Valencia is to explore the underappreciated district of El Cabanyal. Valencia’s historic fishing district, El Cabanyal, is located immediately next to La Malvarrosa beach. You may find a beautiful combination of different architectural types inside the neighbourhood, along with colourful facades and homes covered with traditional Spanish tiles
Admire the Almirante Arab Baths.
Nothing captures Valencia’s Moorish heritage more well than the former Arab Bathhouse. There were twelve bathhouses in the city in the early 14th century, but currently there is only one left. The Arab Baths in Valencia were still in use up until the middle of the 20th century, which is an oddity. They underwent a total overhaul in 1986. With hot, warm, and cold rooms, they now function as Christian bathrooms that are modelled after Muslim baths.
Feast your eyes at Estacio del Nord.
One of the least visited locations in Valencia is the main train station. The elaborate façade, constructed in the Valencia Art Nouveau style, will catch your attention. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to go inside either. You will be rewarded by the inside of Estacio del Nord’s heart-stopping embellishments of vivid mosaics, stained-glass windows, and tiles. Your train will arrive in Estacio del Nord if you’re going from Barcelona to Valencia.
Explore Centre del Carme
Want to spend a few hours learning more about the city? Go to the Center del Carme. Valencia’s El Carmen neighbourhood now has a cultural centre inside of what was once a mediaeval monastery. You may appreciate the splendour of the mediaeval monastery as well as the different exhibits and activities by going to this fascinating destination. Additionally, it’s one of the Valencia activities that is free.
That was all the information about Hidden Gems in Valencia Spain, If you think we have missed anything then share that in the comment box below.
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