Vacation in ValenciaBy: Irina

Art, science, museums, cathedrals, parks, local festivals, beaches, oranges, paella and an amazing night life – Valencia has it all! If you are looking for a sunny place to spend your vacation, this city is the perfect match. For me it was a wonderful experience. For the first time in my life, I had the chance to relax on the beach during winter (a little chilly but it was fun) and to pick up oranges and tangerines directly from the trees, in the city center (I am still not sure that this is legal, but don’t tell anyone).

The city mixes modernity and a wonderful historical heritage. Walking by the city center, you will discover a lot of ancient cathedrals, primarily of Gothic style with elements of Baroque and Romanesque architecture. A good example of modern architecture in Valencia, and undoubtedly the city’s landmark, is the City of Arts and Sciences (Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias), a famous cultural and architectural complex. The complex contains beautifully shaped buildings like El Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía (Opera house and performing arts centre), L’Hemisfèric (IMAX cinema and planetarium), El Museu de les Cièncias Príncipe Felipe (an entertainment-based science museum) and L’Oceanogràfic (an oceanographic park, probably the most important tourist destination).

The Science Museum offers interactive science exhibitions and workshops. I had a lot of fun here, discovering by ingenious experiments how the human body works, what are the laws of physics and what are the impacts of climate change on our planet. The Oceanogràfic amazed me with the wonderful colored species of marine animals. Arctic, Antarctic, Mediterranean, Tropical and Oceanic species, you can find them all

here. But probably the most impressive experience at the Oceanogràfic was the Dolphinarium where I saw with great enthusiasm a dolphin show, just like the ones we used to see during childhood in Constanta (what beautiful memories!). Reading every tourist guide for Valencia, I was invited to take a trip to the Bioparc.

At first, I was skeptical: a zoo, animals in captivity with their sad eyes… how fun can that be? Oh boy, I was wrong! Bioparc is definitely the most modern and avant-garde zoo that I have ever seen. It follows the model of the so-called immersion zoos, in which natural habitats are reproduced down to the last detail so that visitors can enjoy that habitat with the utmost respect for the animals that inhabit it. Zebras, lions, leopards, monkeys, elephants, giraffes, flamingos … one day was just not enough. The most exciting place is probably the coffee shop area where you can sit outdoors with ducks, giraffes, dears, elephants and zebras just a few meters away from you, separated only by a shot stream of water.

If you like parks and gardens, it is good to know that in Valencia there is a 7 km long one that bisects the city from NW\ to SE offering children’s playgrounds, fountains, and sports fields. Few people know that this park was born after the 1957 disaster, when the city suffered a severe flood by the Turia River. The Municipalities decided to reroute the river which now passes through the suburbs of Valencia.

You cannot have a true Valencian experience, if you do not taste the traditional paella. It is a rice based dish cooked in a special pan over an open fire. Choosing from Paella

Valenciana (with chicken, rabbit and vegetables) and Paella Marisco (with seafood) is the most difficult choice.

Valencia has a little bit of everything! All I can say is… Gracias por unas excelentes vacaciones!

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