Welcome to Valencia! We took the renfe and arrived by train from Barcelona, check out our last post for more on Barcelona. The train station in Valencia is a decent size and has everything you would need including food, electronics, transit options and directions, a small shopping area for clothes cosmetics and more. We are here for a relatively quick trip so we spared no time in finding our hotel, getting to the train, and dropping off our bags.
City of Arts and Sciences
Our first stop, The City of Arts and Sciences. It is a cultural and architectural complex, the most important modern tourist destination in the city of Valencia, and one of the 12 Treasures of Spain. Designed by Santiago Calatrava and Félix Candela, the complex is made up of 9 buildings and structures. Most notable:
- This science museum is part of the City of Arts and Sciences.
- The Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía is an opera house and performing arts center dedicated to music and the performing arts.
- The L’Hemisfèric is an IMAX Cinema, planetarium and laserium. The Hemisfèric, also known as the planetarium or the “eye of knowledge”, is the centerpiece of the City of Arts and Sciences. It was the first building completed in 1998. Its design resembles an eyelid that opens to access the surrounding water pool. The bottom of the pool is glass, creating the illusion of the eye as a whole.
- To the left of the famous eye we can see L’Umbracle – an open structure enveloping a landscaped walk with plant species indigenous to Valencia.
Name: City of Arts and Sciences
Location: Valencia, Spain (Google Maps)
Time: 10am - 7pmThe City of Arts and Sciences can be spotted in various pop culture including Tomorrowland, Westworld, and Andor. Have you seen the city of arts and sciences in a film, tv show, or video game? Drop a comment and let us know. Also if you’ve visited, let us know what your experience was like.
Paella – The Star of Valencia
After a day of exploring the city, we stopped by one of the best places to eat paella, La Riua. It has a charming interior filled with ceramics and mementos from the region. They usualy open for dinner around 9pm and close around 11:15pm. We had to wait about 30 minutes for a table for two. It gets packed quickly so try to make a reservation if you can.
Name: La Riua
Location: Valencia, Spain (Google Maps)
Time: 2-4pm; 9-11pmFor those who do not know, Paella is a rice dish originally from the Valencian Community. It is one of the best-known dishes in Spanish cuisine. We got some wine and grilled squid to start. The seafood paella is of course the main star of the evening. Just look at that beautiful color! This paella is filled with langostines, clams, and squid. It was so flavorful and honestly, I would have that at least 4 times a week if I could.
After our delicious meal, we made our way to Horchata Daniel, a creamery just walking distance away for some dessert. We got here very late as they were just about to close. The gelato here is delicious but try their horchata if you can, amazing! A little post dinner walk is recommended to enjoy the sights of Valencia at night.
