| Explore Valencia |
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Valencia Greek merchants landed on these shores to trade with the Iberian inhabitants, but it was the Roman consul in Hispania who founded the city in 137 BC. In 1238 King Jaume I conquered the city of Valencia and made it into an autonomous kingdom.
The city of Valencia is the capital of its province and the third largest city in Spain. From the villa it is only 45 mins by train or car. This up and coming cosmopolitan city is where Paella was born. For a return train fare expect to pay approx 5 Euro return (fully air conditioned very clean and always on time) a very good bus service will allow you to explore the city without having to worry about parking. Valencia is also known for its architecture being a sharp contrast of old and new, as it has Roman roots yet some of the most spectacularly modern buildings. The historical centre is full of monuments and museums, some of which include a gothic Cistercian Cathedral, where the Holy Grail was said to be housed since the 15th century, and the Plaza de Ayuntamiento which is considered to be the buzzing centre of the city also the market, once famous for its silk merchants is well worth a visit. Another impressive area of this city is The futuristic city of Arts and Science. Set in the old dried-up river bed of the Turia, midway between the old city of Valencia and the coastal district of Nazaret, the City of Arts and Sciences covers an area of 350,000 square meters.
A truly mind-blowing confection of some of Europe's most awesome architecture, the City of Arts and Science in Valencia is fast becoming one of Spain's top tourist attractions. This futuristic "city within a city" must surely rank as one of the world's most exciting and imaginative millennium projects. The entire complex, designed to celebrate the arrival of the 21 st century, looks as though it might have been beamed down to earth from another planet. And it's a down to earth approach which really defines this space age cultural complex because it's all about firing the masses with enthusiasm for the arts and science. The breathtaking structures are enough in themselves to lure visitors in their millions. You don't have to be an opera buff or science boffin to enjoy a day out here - in fact if you're on a tight budget you can just wander round this incredible "city" without even buying an entrance ticket. The centrepiece of the whole complex is the equally awesome science museum which opened alongside the Hemesferic in 2000. Some people reckon it looks like a Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton from the outside whilst others see it as the spine of some huge, prehistoric fish. And certainly for many visitors the building itself is the star exhibit despite the many fascinating hands-on science displays contained within it. Children love the fact that the museum is a far cry from those fusty halls of hallowed ancient artefacts with show cases bedecked with "don't touch" signs. Touching is essential for most of the Felipe museum's exhibits which encourage learning through curiosity and entertainment this is "edutainment" 21 st century style and there are few places in Europe which do it better.
Museo de las Ciencias Príncipe Felipe The City, developed by Santiago Calatrava, is a large-scale urban recreation centre for culture and science which also incorporates L’Oceanogràfic, an underwater city designed by the late Felix Candela. L'Oceanogràfic allows you to travel around the planet's main seas and oceans. More than 45,000 examples of 500 different marine species - including sharks, the beautiful white Beluga whales, walruses, sea lions, penguins and manta rays and a spectacular dolphinarium where you can watch the dolphins perform The park, created as a great leisure, training and research centre, is structured into ten great areas. The marine areas reflect the Mediterranean habitats, the polar oceans - the Arctic and the Antarctic, the islands, the tropical seas, the temperate seas and the Red Sea. - with an area for the mangrove swamps and another for the marshlands, and different garden areas, with more than 80 different plant species. Of course it also offers many different services such as shops and restaurants, the highlight is the underwater restaurant where you can have dinner surrounded by an immense aquarium. All of this is only a short bus ride from Valencia main train station or 45mins from the villa by car .
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