Girl contemplating Valencia cathedral

A trip to Valencia: its must-see architectural art

Region of Valencia

If you like immersing yourself in culture when you travel, finding out about the history of a city and one of your great passions is art ... read on to fall in love with Valencia. Three modernist stops that you must make in the city. 

First stop: The City of Arts and Sciences, a city within a city

Inaugurated in 1998, more than 300,000 square metres in size, the City of Arts and Sciences is an authentic architectural, cultural and entertainment complex located on the last stretch of the river Turia. Another must for architecture and science lovers.As soon as you get there, you'll enter the well known Hemisfèric and its breathtaking planetarium, you'll continue along to the Science Museum and its dozens of interactive scientific exhibitions, you'll immerse yourself in the Oceanogràfic with its fascinating ocean habitats, you'll stroll through the Umbracle with its more than 17,500 metres of gardens, ponds and vegetation typical of the Mediterranean; you'll enjoy the best operas and stage performances in the auditoriums of the Palacio de las Artes Reina Sofía; and finally, you will walk through the Ágora building, being surprised by the events that take place between spectacular metallic structures and shiny glass. 

Views of the Hemisfèric in the City of Arts and Sciences of Valencia

Second stop: The port and Veles e Vents, to continue sailing through Valencia. 

In 2005 and 2006 David Chipperfield and Fermín Vázquez decided to build a genuine feast on the eyes, the iconic Veles e Vents building. White painted steel, precious woods from Brazil and strong glass coverings. Modernity at its purest. Walking through Valencia Port you'll see it in a matter of seconds, rising impressively, occupying more than 120,000 square metres. Four platforms at different heights that seem to float in the air and which will become the perfect viewpoint for you. 

Views from the Veles e Vents building at Valencia Port

Third stop: The city centre, essence of modernism

The centre of Valencia is one of those historical centres that blends the modern with the old. A highly urban style that does not go unnoticed by anyone who visits it. Especially for someone like you.Through streets and alleyways you'll discover iconic buildings such as the Post and Telegraph Building; you'll travel back in time at the Valencia North Station, declared a Property of Cultural Interest in 1983; you'll fall in love with the aromas of the Central Market of the city of Valencia, a spectacular bazaar with glass domes and thick columns in the modernist style; you'll get to know the Silk Exchange, a masterpiece declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996, of great architectural value and an exceptional example of late Gothic style and of the wealth of Mediterranean mercantile cities; and finally, you'll lose yourself within the historic façades such as the Santa Catalina Church, the Marqués de Dos Aguas Palace, San Juan del Hospital Church, the Santa María Metropolitan Basilica and the Nuestra Señora de los Desamparados Basilica.

The Trading Hall of the Valencia Silk Exchange
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