What to visit in Valencia

If you love sun and sea, fun and delicious food, Valencia is for you. You will return from a trip to Valencia as enthusiastic as all the other tourists who have visited this city.

Every tourist in Valencia will find a part of the city where he feels best. We will reveal to you the best points of this Spanish tourist gem and the reasons why most tourists from Serbia want to remain here.

Valencia lies on the east coast of the Iberian peninsula, the third largest city in Spain after Madrid and Barcelona, with just under a million inhabitants. The name Valencia comes from the Latin term valentia meaning strength and courage.

For centuries, many have fought over this city because of its excellent position on the sea and its large seaport. Today, the position of the city gives importance in tourism, because it is near Madrid, Barcelona, and the islands of Mallorca and Ibiza.

Valencia is well connected by public transport. Besides bus and tram lines, it also has a metro, so getting around the city is simple and easy. If you are a sporty type, we advise you to rent a bicycle, and a large number of bicycle paths will make it easy for you to ride. The city alternates between narrow old city streets and large modern boulevards. Most of Valencia is decked with greenery, and you will often come across decorative oranges and palm trees that make a unique impression.

The advantage of Valencia is that its airport lies only ten kilometres away from the city. Information on direct flights from Belgrade and airline tickets to Valencia at airserbia.com.

It is useful to know that Spaniards like to rest in the afternoon, during the so-called siesta, so all shops have double working hours, except for shopping centres, which work all day. The official currency in Spain is the euro.

Due to the pleasant Mediterranean climate, which affords this city on average over 300 sunny days and only 20 rainy days a year, the summer season lasts for eight months, from April to November.

In the coldest month of January, the temperature usually ranges from 10 to 20°C during the day and from 2 to 12°C at night. In the warmest month of August, the temperature usually ranges from 27 to 34°C and around 22°C at night. Due to mild temperatures during the winter, most of the vegetation remains green throughout the year. An ideal place to live for anyone who loves summer, right?

In Valencia, there are three beaches with a blue flag - this means that they are among the most beautiful in the world, and they are: Malvarosa, Las Arenas i El Cabanel. Many say that Malvaros Beach is among the most beautiful beaches in the whole of Spain. A little further, about 10 km south, there are beaches hidden between the rocks, surrounded by untouched nature. One of them is El Salar, which is also part of the protected Albufera park.

In addition to enjoying the beach, there are various attractions and facilities for those who prefer a more active vacation. You have the opportunity to rent speedminton, a kayak, a kite, and on the beach there are volleyball courts.

There are over 2,000 restaurants, cafés and bars in Valencia, so you will certainly not be hungry or thirsty on your trip.

Although many people mix Spanish cuisine with cuisines from other Spanish-speaking countries, especially Mexican, Spain is not known for tortillas and nachos, but for very spicy food.

The most famous traditional dish is La Paella made from rice, vegetables and meat. Depending on the region, the main ingredient may be chicken, fish, seafood, etc. One of the ingredients that gives this dish a yellow color is saffron. Alioli sauce, similar to our mayonnaise, which Valencians adore, is also added. Another product they are known for is oranges. Duck in orange sauce (in Spanish: Pato a la naranja) is another traditional dish of Valencia.

Let's not forget the prosciutto (Jamón Iberíco) which is prepared in this area from special types of mangalica, and along with prosciutto and ham, full-fat cheeses are unavoidable. Spain is the country with largest number of vineyards in the world, so don't miss trying some of their wines, especially sangria.

Sangria is a sweet wine combined with fruit, and there are white and red varieties. Fruits such as strawberries, cherries or red apples are added to red sangria, while cinnamon or cloves are often added to white, besides the white grapes, apricots and melons that makes this drink delicious as a dessert.

It is important to know that breakfast is served from 8am to 11am, lunch from 1pm to 4pm, and dinner from 8pm to 11pm. Between 12 and 2pm, Valencians mostly go for drinks and tapas.

After a full day of enjoying the beach, locals usually gather around 10 pm in one of the bars and then the warm-up begins. Only about 1 o'clock after midnight do they leave for the city to visit the nightclubs. Parties last until the early morning hours, and only after 6 o'clock do you go for breakfast in groups.

The people of Valencia love entertainment, especially during the summer period, but many festivals and events are also organized due to the large number of tourists.

The first major event is on 15 March under the name Las Fallas, one of the most original festivals in Spain. The theme of this festival is puppets created in the form of large statues made of cardboard and wood, and planted in one place. They will stay there until 19 March, when the street lights go out and the statues are burned.

When the bathing season is already underway, various festivals are organized during June one after the other. During these festivals, day and night parties are organized, music is on every corner. Festivals are dedicated to fashion, gastronomy, cinematography, culture, etc.

Probably the most famous festival in Valencia is Tomatina de Bunjol. On the last Wednesday in August, a large number of people gather on the streets when over 100 tonnes of tomatoes fly through the air. After this 'war', the crowds clean themselves up and then the city is cleaned and in just two hours it is as if nothing had happened.

The biggest attraction of Valencia is the city of science and art (in Spanish: Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències) situated in the old bed of the river Turia, which was relocated due to frequent floods. It is a huge complex with cultural and entertainment facilities:

• The Queen Sofia Palace of Art, the tallest opera house in the world with 17 floors
• Hemispheric is a unique cinema hall in the shape of an eye, the largest cinema in Spain
• Prince Philip Museum of Science where you can enjoy the exhibits
• Oceanographic Museum where you can see over 450,000 sea animals and dolphin shows
• Umbracle garden with the most famous plants of the area
• Agora is a place where various events are held.

Another beautiful and interesting place in the old Turija river bed is the Biopark, a zoo where you will feel you are in the wilds of Africa. Here you can find deserts, equatorial forests or rocky lookouts.