Best-Kept Secrets of Valencia

The city of Valencia in the Spanish Autonomous Community of Valencia is most probably the country's best-kept secret and the people may very well like it that way.  Well, except that local and foreign tourists are slowly but surely gaining notice of the alluring attractions that this city by the Mediterranean has to offer. 

When you do find yourself in Valencia, you will find yourself amazed, entertained and interested with the numerous old and new shopping centers, museums, plazas and squares and everything that the city coyly hides behind its laidback façade.  We suggest going to the historic center to get a feel of what Valencia makes secret from the world.

The Old Secrets

The history of Valencia stretches back to the heydays of the Visigoths and, hence, its old monuments are indeed ancient in more ways than one.  It seems that Valencians are passionate about their past, holding on to it in ways that will allow them to embrace the past while enjoying the present and anticipating what the future will bring. 

Anyways, there are ancient places of note in Valencia.  Start with the Cathedral of Valencia, or known affectionately by the locals as La Seu, which is known for housing the supposedly authentic Holy Grail.  No matter your opinion of one of Christianity's most sacred treasures, however, the La Seu is very much worth the visit with its mix of styles - Romanesque, Renaissance, Baroque and Neoclassic - that somehow manage to blend well and, hence, become a gem of universal architecture. 

Also in the La Seu is the oldest museum of the city containing invaluable collections of religious artifacts as well as the paintings of Francisco de Goya. But this museum is not the only museum in town!  Choose from the likes of the Museum of History of Valencia, the Bullfighting Museum and the National Museum of Pottery and Sumptuary Arts González Martí, to mention just a few. 

And that's not all there is to the old secrets of Valencia either.  Visitors must see the Plaza del Mercado, Europe's biggest and most awe-inspiring indoor markets as well as an ancient silk market.  There are the city's bullring, the plazas like the Plaza de la Virgen and the old town of Valencia to explore, too.

The New but Not-So-Secret Secrets

Of course, Valencia is also about marching into the future with the City of Arts and Science as its most notable and most noticeable statement to this effect.  The futuristic center covers a vast area characterized by various entertainments, artistic and cultural attractions with impressive gardens lending an irresistible appeal to old-timers and newcomers alike. Start with the science museum, move on into the planetarium and possibly end with the oceanarium.

And of course, Barrio del Carmen might be an old quarter of the city but you can be sure that Valencia attractions combine the allure of the old with the appeal of the new.  Other modern attractions include the Palau de la Musica, the Queen Sofia Palace of the Arts and the Garden of the Turia. 

Try to discover the city on foot and you are sure to discover hidden gems that the Valencians hold dear to their hearts and only which a few people are privileged to see.  Be sure that you already have booked your Valencia lodging online because you want a second home in Valencia.