Everything That One Would Expect To Know Spain's City Of Culture - Valencia

Valencia is the third largest city in Spain. It is a melting pot of the traditional and the modern, and home to a very friendly and warm population. From a tourist's perspective, the city and its outskirts have lots of tourist attractions, stunning beaches, museums, culture and arts, and in short, everything that one would expect to see and experience in a vacation hotspot. Reaching there is quite easy as Valencia is well connected by air and road to all major towns and cities in Spain as well as other European countries.

The Pinedo Beach is more secluded with golden sand dunes and vegetation that allows visitors to relax with a good book, bathe in the sun or swim in crystal blue water. It is just south of the yacht port where the yacht club has a restaurant and offers dinghy sailing, sailing or wind surfing. The beaches are brought together by a seafront promenade which is the Paseo Maritimo or port.

Next would be to visit the countryside of Valencia and the beautiful mountains, canyons, gorges, and a jewel of nature the hot springs that is located 90 km north of the city. The natural hot springs is at 77 degrees all year around. The natural hot springs is in a lagoon where you can go swimming, snorkeling, discover the caves, or just enjoy a picnic.

The one spot may be to visit the Bellas Artes Museum where history and culture come together with the collections of famous Spaniards artists. The paintings of Juan Valdes Leal, Luca Giorand, Thomas Yepes, Augustin Esteve, and Alanso Cano along with drawings, sculptures, or artifacts from the 16th century. The museum has three floors of galleries to view and this is a place to visit if you enjoy fine art along with history.

One may be to celebrate in the festivals held every year. A festival which takes place in March consist of a nighttime parade, a procession; the offerings of flowers to Nuestra Senora de los Desamparados (Our Lady of the Forsaken); and the famous Night of the Fire; on which ugly and humorous cardboard figures are burned. On July 25th the National holiday which celebrates the patron Saint of Spain with parades and fireworks. The last festival takes place in August is the La Tomatina Fight Festival where thousands of people join in to throw over 240 thousand pounds of tomatoes at one another in the largest food fight.

The last is to visit the magnificent the Palacio del Marques de Dos Aguas that was built during the 15th century and is the National Ceramics Museum with pieces from Picasso, pieces of Chinese porcelain and exhibits of a Valencian kitchen.

One of the major highlights of Valencia is its festivals, most of which are celebrated in the summer months, starting February to June. This includes February carnivals, the Las Fallas festival in the following month, Holy Week and Easter celebrations, Corpus Christi in the month of June, and the San Juan bonfires in June end. The 'Tomato Warfare' in Bunol every summer and fireworks in Paterna in August are other notable festivals.

Regarding other must-visit places, the first on the list is the magnificent Valencia City of Arts and Science, which includes the L'Hemisfèric Planetarium, the leisure complex Palacio de las Artes Reina Sofia, the artificial marine world Parque Oceanográfico, and the treasure cove of information and artifacts, the Museo de las Ciencias Principe Felipe. Also, it is worth visiting the Miguelete Tower, offering a panoramic view of the city, Nicolau Primitiu Library, Palacio de la Música, the music palace, and Palacio de Justicia.

Historic edifices of interest include Antigua Universidad de Valencia, the 18th century hall - Ayuntamiento - the World Heritage Site of Lonja, Puente del Mar - the 400 year old sea bridge - and the main port, Puerto de Valencia. The small town of Sagunto, on the northern outskirts of Valencia, has some ancient Roman edifices and ruins.

For shopping, Plaza Redonda and Plaza de la Virgen would be ideal. Also, it'll be a nice experience to walk around the historic square at the heart of the city's Old Quarter, Plaza de Manises, or to savor the sight of Plaza de Toros, the 19th century Valencia bullring.

No visit to Valencia would be complete without a visit to the city's some extraordinary museums, especially if you are somebody who loves history and archeology. The famous museums in the city include Museo de Ciencias Naturales, Museo de Prehistoria y Arqueologia, Museo de la Ciudad, Museo Taurino, and San Pious V Museum.

For those who love sea, the beaches, and water sports, there are plenty of those along the Valencia coastline. The coastal resort of Benidorm, the charming Alicante - to the south of Valencia - and Balearic Islands - east of Valencia - including the island of Ibiza with its 50 beaches, offers more than one would expect from a beach tourist destination.

After your walk through time back to a day when things or all around different you may want to sit back and relax in your apartment or hotel room. Valencia has plenty to offer for every budget, depending on what you want to spend and where you would like to have your accommodation. There are many beach front hotels and apartments as the Mediterranean coast is a major tourist industry in Spain. You may need to be willing to pay a little more for accommodation that are closer to the beach, but if you want a little piece of history and do not mind a walk or a drive, then accommodations that are a little farther inland may be the economical choice for you. If you choose to stay farther in the city, you will not be disappointed as Valencia has much to offer as a modern metropolis.

When you have your accommodations and your bags unpacked the city of Valencia will be waiting for you to explore. It is a wonderful city with rich history, kind people and great food. You will definitely want to try a paella or two, maybe even three while you are there. You will have a holiday to remember when you leave this wonderful city.