A Day In Valencia: Historical & Modern Route

Valencia is a beautiful city which I've wanted to visit for a long time. In December, I finally got the chance to. We drove from Barcelona to Valencia by car and stopped by Peniscola on our way. If you're interested in seeing a Travel Guide about Peniscola, check out my post. We arrived to Valencia at night and decided to rest after the long drive. We were getting only one full day in Valencia City, so we had a really busy day ahead because we wanted to see all we possibly could.

I had reviewed the tourist routes on Visit Valencia, and after a bit of analysis I decided to put together my own due to the time constraint and certain spots which were a must see for us. The route covers the historical locations of Valencia as well as modern architecture. It was such an amazing trip, we did everything by foot and ended up covering about 25kms by the end of the day. If you're visiting Valencia, here are the top touristic spots I would recommend you visit.

Torre de Quart

The Quart Towers are a remainder of the medieval city walls. Its construction is made in Gothic style and inspired by the Castell Nuovo Towers in Naples. The entrance fee is € 2, and you can climb up to the top of the tower for a view of Valencia.

Torres de Serranos

The Serranos Towers were built in the 14th century in Gothic style just like the Quart Towers, and they also formed the Christian Wall. It was once the main entrance to the city and was built in a defensive function, but has served many different functions.

Plaza de la Virgen

The Plaza de la Virgen is the main square situated in the center of the city and surrounded by the Cathedral de Santa Maria, Basilica de la Virgen de los Desamparados y Palacio de la Generalitat Valenciana. In the middle of the square is a beautiful fountain which represents Valencia's Turia River. It is a very popular location for meeting up, and there are some cafe's with terraces, in case you'd like to grab some lunch or have a drink.

Catedral de Santa Maria

The Valencia Cathedral dates back to the 13th century and was built on the remains of a Roman temple which later became a Mosque. It contains a couple of different architectural styles including Valencian Gothic, Romanesque, Baroque and more. It was the only place we actually went inside and bought tickets to have a complete visit which included an audio guide. It was so worth it because the inside is absolutely beautiful. Possibly one of my favourite Cathedrals till date.

Entrance: € 7 (includes audio)

El Miguelete

The Bell tower was built in the 14th century in Valencian Gothic style. Climbing up was not easy as there are over 200 steep steps, but the view from the tower is amazing. The tower gives you access to a panoramic view of Valencia, although I was a bit disappointed there were nets which prevented you from taking even better pictures than I was able to. 

Entrance: 2 EUR

Mercado Central

The Central Market may not sound like something very special, but in Valencia it is a beautiful building filled with locals selling tasty fruits, vegetables, nuts, sea food and lots more. The architecture of the building is quite impressive and the roof is so beautiful. As I was visiting in December, the building also housed festive decor inside and out. If you'd like to stop by this location, keep in mind it is only open until 3pm.

Plaza de la Reina

The Plaza de la Reina is a beautiful square in the very heart of Valencia which gives you access to the Cathedral of Santa Maria and Iglesia de Santa Catalina. The center of the square is filled with a section of flowers and benches, and the sides are lined with cafes and restaurants. A great location for a brief stop before you continue exploring the city.

City of Arts & Sciences

The City of Arts & Sciences is an absolutely stunning cultural and architectural complex. It is made up of the following sections: the Hemisferic, the Príncipe Felipe Science Museum, the Umbracle, the Oceanografico, the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia, the Assut de l'Or Bridge & L'Agora. We only had enough time to see these from the outside, and the architecture just takes my breath away, I honestly could not stop taking pictures of it.

Turia Gardens

The turia gardens run through the city for approximately 9kms. The paths were once occupied by the turia river, but after it was altered to a new course to avoid flooding the city, the garden was built in its place. It's a beautiful place to run, cycle, relax or have a romantic evening.

We had such an amazing time and I can't wait to go back to explore more of this beautiful city. One day is definitely not enough to visit Valencia. On my next visit, I'm really looking forward to spending a day at the City of Arts & Sciences, going up a few more towers, visiting Bioparc, stopping by the Silk Exchange and more.

Have you been to Valencia? What's your favourite thing about Valencia?