Valencia: top attractions & road trip guide
Valencia is Spain's third-largest city, set on the Mediterranean coast where the Turia River once flowed before it was diverted after a major flood. It is known for the futuristic City of Arts and Sciences, a Gothic cathedral said to hold the Holy Grail, and the birthplace of paella.
As a road trip base, Valencia sits roughly midway down Spain's eastern coast, linked by fast motorways to Barcelona in the north and Alicante and Murcia to the south. The old riverbed, now a long public park, makes a useful landmark for orienting a route through the city center.
Top attractions
City of Arts and Sciences
A futuristic cultural complex of white, curving structures built in the old riverbed, including a science museum, planetarium, and oceanarium.
Valencia Cathedral
A Gothic cathedral built on the site of a former mosque, home to a chalice many believe is the Holy Grail and the climbable Miguelete bell tower.
Central Market (Mercado Central)
A vast Art Nouveau market hall of iron and glass, filled with stalls selling produce, seafood, and cured meats since 1928.
Silk Exchange (Lonja de la Seda)
A UNESCO-listed Gothic trading hall from the 15th century, its main room ringed by twisting stone columns once used for silk trading.
Turia Gardens
A nine-kilometer public park laid out in the dry riverbed, with running and cycling paths, playgrounds, and gardens running through the city.
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