World City Guide

Sightseeing

From space age architecture to baroque barrios, Valencia is an intriguing mix of new and old. The former is largely the work of local boy-made-good Santiago Calatrava who designed the city’s Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias (CAC). It is what you might imagine from an Expo 2020, featuring five huge intriguing futuristic building complexes, with the space in between softened by tall palms and pale blue reflection pools. The Museo de las Ciencias houses a hands-on science museum; L’Oceanografic is Spain’s answer to Sea World (see Key Attractions); L’Hemisferic features an IMAX cinema, laserium and planetarium; L’Ombracle is a conservatory with palms and plants; and the Palau de las Artes’s stunning architecture (see Culture) draws comparisons with the Sydney Opera House.

The Centro Histórico (or Ciutat Vella), still largely confined by the city walls, contains a number of beautiful buildings, from the Gothic to the Modernista (Spain’s Art Nouveau) period. The atmospheric alleyways of the Barrio del Carmen is where the city’s young and trendy now hang out, frequenting the burgeoning collection of cool shops, galleries, bars and nightlife.

Tourist Information
TurisValencia
Plaza de la Reina 19
Tel: 963 153 931.
Website: www.turisvalencia.es
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 0900-1900, Sun and public holidays 1000-1400.

This is the main tourist office in town. Other offices can be found at the Town Hall, Poeta Querol, s/n (Bajos Teatro Principal); Calle de la Paz, 48; and Railway Station RENFE (Estación del Norte), Calle Játiva, 24. There is also an office at the airport.