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SPANISH TOURIST INFORMATION OFFICES ABROAD

Cos

tadeValen

cia

Spain

Spain

Costade

Valencia

EUROPEAN COMMUNITY

European RegionalDevelopment Fund

I

CUBIERTA INGLES 26/2/07 22:29 Pgina 1


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Playa de la Malvarrosa. Valencia

IntroductionThe province of Valencia is the largest of the three which go tomake up the Valencian Community. It is situated in the centre ofthe Spanish Mediterranean coastline, latitude 40 15 N and38 73 S and longitude 0 01 E and 1 34 W. It overlooks the

spacious Gulf of Valencia and is skirted at the back by a groupof medium-high mountains and rolling plains leading to thelands of Aragon and Castile-La Mancha. It is opposite theBalearic Islands and equidistant from the countrys two majordecision-taking centres: Madrid and Barcelona. Valencias maintourist attractions are to be found in its cultural wealth, a soundinfrastructure for business trips, a network of accommodationsituated on clean beaches, its range of nature reserves, its variedcalendar of fiestas and rich gastronomy. A supply ofaccommodation of hotels, hostels, apartments, campsites andspas make it possible to receive a large number of visitors everyseason.

In the fifteenth century, Valencia witnessed a golden age, whenthe political autonomy granted by the Aragonese king, James I,

the boom of the silk trade, the literary audacity of its writersand poets and the Mediterranean ambitions of its rulers andnobles made it into an unquestionable power of the period.Valencia is now working on major projects and infrastructuresso as to meet the demands of the new century.

COSTA de VALENCIAINGLES 15/2/07 21:07 Pgina 1


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A-7

La Albufera

Playa de la Malvarrosa

Palancia

Playa de Alboraya

Playa del Saler

Playa de LAlmardPlaya Corinto

PARQUE NATURAL

DE LA ALBUFERA

El Saler

SerraEl Port

Algar dePalancia

La Poblade Farnals Puig

Canet d'En Berenguer

Monte Picayo

"Sto. Espritu delMonte"

"Cartuja dePortacoeli"

Nquera

PinedoTorrent

Btera

CatarrojaSillaPicassent

La Poblade Vallbona

ManisesBurjassotPaterna

Puol

MassamagrelMoncada

Sagunto

Almenara

Valencia

Trips along the coastThe north Valencian

coast

The north coast of Valencia,the shoreline which is closestto the capital, has become alarge expanse of sand, wheretall towers of apartments andservice infrastructures havebeen built, sharing the

Asuncin Church.Alboraya

Playa de Alboraya

landscape with farmsteadsand large market gardens(huertas).

At the end of the MalvarrosaBeach lie the fields ofAlboraya, which are used aschufa or earth almondplantations. It is from chufasthat the refreshing drink,horchata, or orgeat, so typical



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3

of this area, is made. Themarine sports complex of

Port Saplaya enables thevisitor to moor his sailingvessel on his doorstep.La Pobla de Farnals was apioneer experiment in thedevelopment of the coastline.The visitor finds himself in a

holiday city close to thecapital, planned to enhancerelaxation as he looks outonto the sea.

On arriving at the town of ElPuig, one is met by remindersof times past. In the towncentre are the only two hillsin the area. The rest is a vastplain. According to legend,it was on these hills that theByzantine image of the Virginof El Puig appeared. Shehad come from a Basilian

monastery, where the monkshad hidden her beneath a bellduring the period of theMoslem domination until1238, the year of the

La Pobla de Farnals

Monasterio Santa Mara de Puig

Christian conquest ofValencia. St. Pedro Nolasco,the founder of the Order ofOur Lady of Mercy, discoveredher in the place shown to himby a cloud of stars. In the1950s, she was crownedQueen of the Lands ofValencia. A shrine and aconvent form an architectural

combination guarded by themembers of the order. Ofthe early church, only theRomanesque facade remains.The modern temple is Gothic.



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A-7

La Albufera

Playa de la Malvarrosa

Playa de Alboraya

Playa del Saler

PARQUE NATURALDE LA ALBUFERA

Playa de LEstany

Playa El Dorado

El Saler

El PerellSollana

Favara

La Poblade Farnals Puig

El Palmar

Perellonet

PinedoTorrent

Btera

Catarroja

Silla

Cullera

Sueca

Picassent

BenifaiAlmusafes

Alginet

Tavernes dela Valldigna

Alzira

CarcaixentAlberic

ManisesBurjassotPaterna

Puol

MassamagrelMoncada

Algemes

L'Alcudia

Carlet

Guadasuar

Valencia

From Valencia toCulleraSituated to the south of thecapital, separated from thewaters of the Mediterraneanby a chain of dunes and pinegroves, the lake of La

Albufera was formed in thedistant past from the depositof sediments from the RiversTuria and Jcar, whichhemmed in this small inlandsea of fresh water. The naturereserve measures 21,000

Typical Valencian thatched house.La Albufera

hectares, upon which 13municipal districts stand.

The lakes diameter is sixkilometres. The lluent, whichmeansspeck of light, refers tothe central area. Arab poetsdefined it as the mirror ofthe sun. From the lookoutsituated on the first floodgate

and also from the village ofEl Palmar, typical of the area,where a deliciouspaella is tobe had, there are boat tripsround the lake guided by oldfishermen. Visitors to thereserve may cycle along itsinner paths. An alternativeroute leads to the beach.Moving from the inland areatowards the sea, first thepermanent dunes, then thepiles of fishing nets and thedrifting dunes and finally thesandy beach make up the

usual route to the Dehesa delSaler. This strip of shoreline is10 kilometres long by onekilometre wide.

The lower course of the RiverJcar meanders along to its

outlet into the sea, wateringthe fields and huertas of the

La Albufera



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6

Church of San Pedro. Sueca

villages belonging to theregion of La Ribera Baixa.A large network of irrigationchannels carries its waters tothe furthermost corners.Where the paddy fields end,the orange orchards begin, asevery inch of land is used foragricultural purposes. The

town of Sueca, an urban dotappearing in the middle of avast plain of marshland used

for rice growing, wasconceded by Charles IV to

Cullera

Godoy in 1803 and itbelonged to him for five

years. Its main religiousmonument, the Royal Churchof Nuestra Seora de Sales,was built in the seventeenthcentury. Here, the highlyprized canvas of Our Lady ofthe Milk, attributed to the

school of Juan de Juanes, canstill be seen. Also, the Churchof San Pedro, dating from theeighteenth century, the TownHall building and what isknown as the Casa del QuatreXantons, both from theseventeenth century, along

with important samples ofmodernist architecture, bearwitness to the good economicsituation attained by thetown. A full view of the lakemay be enjoyed from the spotnamed Muntanyeta dels Sants.

Following this route, theSueca shoreline continuessouthwards with itsurban development and



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renown took up residence asits strategic position enhanced

efficient control of the regionand the coast.

Alzira is the inland capital ofthe region of La Ribera Alta.It is situated on an old islandin the River Jcar. Hence it

was christened by the Arabswith the name ofAl YarizatSuquar. The remains of theArabic wall, where a sectionof about 300 metres ispreserved, are proof of one ofthe most glorious periods ofthe town. During the Moslemdomination, a network ofirrigation channels, still in usetoday, was traced. Christianoccupation erected itsartistic heritage upon thearchitectural contributions ofthe Arabs. In the old quarter,

the archpriests temple ofSanta Catalina, of Gothicorigin, has an interestingBaroque facade. At the

tourist accommodationinfrastructures from El Saler to

Perell and Perellonet, to linkup with the coast of themunicipal district of Cullera.Thanks to its geographicallocation, in Cullera, the touristmay wander with ease fromthe sand to the rocks, go

diving one minute and sailingthe next or, just as easily, gofishing or hiking. The oldtown was clasped onto amountain, the Muntanya delOr, also known as theMountain of Les Rabosses(vixen), and grew up in thevicinity of the River Jcar,surrounded by severalfreshwater lagoons and over13 kilometres of sand androcks. It boasts the provincesonly fishing port and riversports centre. The mediaeval

castle and the Shrine of Marede Deu del Castellare at thetowns highest point. Withinits walls, figures of historic

Alzira



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8

Fiestas of the Mare de Deu de laSalut. Algemes

Renaissance palace of theMarquis of Santiago, wherethe Town Hall is now housed,the master room is beautifullycoffered.

Five kilometres from Alzira,the city of Carcaixent doesnot occupy its original

location as a tragic flood

made it necessary to move thetown in the fourteenth

century. The day-to-dayoccupation of its inhabitantsconsists of the monocultureof citrus fruits which are thenhandled and processed onindustrial premises, someof which are of clear

architectural interest.The parish church, dating backto the end of the sixteenthcentury, features somespectacular Baroquealtarpieces. On the sameroute, approaching Valencia,stands Algemes, a large townwhose hermitage, the Marede Deu de la Salut, is thedestination of a celebratedregional pilgrimage. OnSeptember 8th, the festivity ofthe virgin is held, with thedances and human towers

of the Muixeranga.Carcaixent



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found a new role for itself inthe form of intense court

activities, fanned andsupervised by Juan de Borja,Second Duke of Ganda.Alexander VI, the Borja Pope,marked out this destiny for thecapital of La Safor when hebought the land from

Ferdinand the Catholic toassign it to his son, Pedro Luis.From that time onwards, thefate of this prosperous town,then engaged in themanufacture of silk and sugar,was interwoven with the lustfor power and intervention inEuropean affairs which fuelledthe saga of the Borjas.Amongst all of the Borjas,it was to St. Francis of Borja,the Jesuit general, born inGanda, the great-grandson ofAlexander VI and Fourth Duke

The beaches of LaSaforThe visitor to the region ofLa Safor finds himself in anattractive area with a historyof its own, nestling in a naturalenvironment whose

characteristics are twofold: thehigh mountains which formthe ranges of Mustalla, Safor,Grossa and Aguilles blend intoa natural circle of pinnaclesand woodland, while theplain is crossed by anaccommodating coastalcorridor of market gardensand beaches. Ganda, the ducaltown and regional capital,grew up between the RiverSerps and the Gully of SanNicols in the space created byan early Iberian settlement. In

the fifteenth century, the town

332

-

Serp

is

Playa de LEstany

Playa El Dorado

Playa de LAhur

Playa de Oliva

Favara

El GrauXeresa

Xeraco

Quatretonda

Castell de Rugat

"Cueva de Parpall"

Barx

Simat deValldigna

Benifair

DaimsMiramar

Rugat

Ganda

Oliva

Cullera

Sueca

Tavernes de la Valldigna

Alzira

Carcaixent

Benignim

PegoDenia

Algemes

Mondver841

The Ducal Palace. Ganda

The collegiate church. Ganda



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10

of Ganda, that the ducal townlinked its destiny. St. Francis

moved away from the moralturmoil of other members ofthe family to devote his time tofostering culture and virtuouscoexistence. So as toconsolidate the cultural lifewhich had been nurtured years

before by the poet AusiasMarch, the novelist JoanotMartorell and the humanistJoan Rois de Corella, hefounded the Ganda Universityof the sixteenth century.

The present-day town centrehas preserved the heritage ofthe fifteenth and sixteenthcenturies in the symbolicbuildings of the Ducal Palace,the Collegiate Church, theConvent of Santa Clara, theHermitage of Santa Ana, the

Archaeological Museum andthe Town Hall. The Collegiate

of Santa Maria was built littleby little between 1250 and1520, with the Gothic style asits constant reference point.Originally, the Door of the

Apostles featured sculptures bythe master, Dami Forment.

The Ducal Palace was built onthe foundations of an old

rambling Arabian house, closeto the left bank of the RiverSerpis. The Italianisinginfluence is obvious and isaccounted for by the closeconnections which the Borjasmaintained with Italy.

The Archaeological Museum,located in the Hospital of SanMarcos, has an elegant Gothicroom with pointed arches,known as the Mens Hall.

The second most importanttown in the region of La Saforis Oliva, situated a fewkilometres to the south on theprovincial border with Alicante.Countless visitors are attractedby its welcoming, clean beachesand the number of campsiteplaces available. The ancestral

home of the Enlightenmentscholar, Gregorio Mayans,stands today in the towncentre. The Centelles family,who owned the town in thesixteenth century, also left theirmark. The popular quarters are

to be found on the side of theThe beach at Ganda



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11

Cerro de Santa Ana, while thehustle and bustle converges on

the beaches of Daims,Miramar and Guardamar. Theinland valleys of the region ofLa Safor, protected from thewind and inclement weather byMount Mondver (841 metres),along with the northern area,

known as La Valldigna, makeup another attractive routethrough the mountains. Thetrip begins on the outskirts ofGanda, on the byroad leadingto the municipal district ofBarx. As one leavesMarxuquera, one has a firstglimpse of the groves oforange trees which havereplaced the leafy pinewoodsof former times. The entranceto the Parpall Cave, on theinner side of the Mondver,may be seen towards the right

from the road. This cave is anarchaeological bed which isindispensable for thereconstruction of UpperPalaeolithic life. The routecontinues up the Drova Valley,where the ascent of the

Mondver commences.The town of Barx used to bethe summer resting place ofthe monks who lived in the

Monastery of Valldigna.Encompassed by fountains and

engaged in the cultivation offruit trees, almond trees andcitrus fruits, it enjoys mildtemperatures on account of itsaltitude whereas, down onthe plain, the climate is hot.

Leaving this scenic view and thesurrounding mountains behind,which may be appreciated froma spot with the tuneful nameof Visteta, a winding road leadsdown to La Valldigna.According to local tradition,the monarch, James II, whilevisiting the place with theCatalonian abbot, Boronat deVilaseca, exclaimed that thiswas a vall digna (literally, aworthy valley) for a monastery.As a result, he founded theMonastery of Our Lady of

Valldigna towards the end ofthe thirteenth century. Withthe help of the Valenciangovernment, it has beenpossible to recover this valuablepart of the heritage which forcenturies was administered by

the monks of the CistercianOrder.

Monastery of Simat de Valldigna



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Inland routesLThe wine route

On the way towards the Valley

of Buol from Valencia, alongNational Highway III, thetraveller in search of Valenciasvineyards arrives at Cheste, atown of Arabian origin whoseinhabitants earn theirlivelihood from winemakingand the exploitation of oliveand cereal crops. Further on,in Chiva, the shrine and thecastle remains stand on ahilltop while the modern partof the town flourishes on theplain. The eighteenth centurychurch houses frescoes of

considerable interest.

Buol clings to the side of thecastle hill and is surroundedon all sides by watercourses.Here, town planning is acomplex business. The Town

Hall is unable to provide asquare wide enough for thepopular tomato field battle,known as Tomatina, held at

the end of August. In thetown centre, there are over300 fountains. The MunicipalArchaeological Museum

occupies the spot where theold Mosque used to be andthe surrounding area has beenendowed with an open-airsculpture museum. Towardsthe outside of the town, afterpassing through its long,lengthways streets, the visitorcomes upon Buols mostpopular fountain, dedicatedto the patron saint, LuisBeltrn. Tradition has it thathe worked the miracle ofgiving this spring eternal life.Musical band concerts are

held frequently at the open-air auditorium.

Back on National Highway III,with the town of Siete Aguasbehind us, we enter theregion of Requena-Utiel,

clothed in vineyards. This isthe Valencian Communitysleading wine-producing area,

The castle at Buol



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330

N-III

N-III

Emb.

de Tous

TURIA

Cabriel

RO

JCAR

Emb.

de Forata

Emb. de

Embarcaderos

Emb.

de Buseo

Jarafuel

Cofrentes

Casero Benal

Turs

Vilamarxant

Millares

Godelleta

Chera

Los Sardineros

El Pontn

Siete Aguas

Jalance

Teresa de Cofrentes "Cueva de La Araa"

Buol

Ayora

Cheste

ChivaRequena

Utiel

Manises

Burjassot

Valencia

Se r ra Ma rts

Hierbas1042

1084

Caroch1028

with the widest range of redand ros wines in Spain. Partof the wine is sent to otherSpanish cellars to obtainspecific qualities. The travellerreaches Requena, a toponym

meaningstrong, safe rock. Itderives from a settlement,situated on the left bank ofthe River Magro, on top of asmall crag defended by wallsand fortified towers.Nowadays, the old area is

known as La Villa (the Town).As it is the original nucleus, itpreserves over 40 buildingsand ornamental ensembles.

On its main facade, theChurch of Santa Mara stillhas a fifteenth century Gothicfront of the period of Isabel II,although the three inner

naves are not in such a goodstate of preservation.The Church of San Nicols isconsidered to be the oldestin Requena. Built in thefourteenth century, it waslater refaced in 1730. Similarly,

the Church of San Salvador,in the square bearing thesame name, still has anattractive Gothic facade.

Ayora

Requena



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Standing outside the La Villaquarter is the Municipal

Museum. Building of thisformer Carmelite Convent wascommenced in the thirteenthcentury but it was notcompleted until theeighteenth. Of particular noteis its interesting Valencian

tiled plinth and the Baroquecloister. It contains thevarious rooms of theMunicipal Museum, whichconsists of sections concerningpainting, archaeology,ethnography, naturalsciences and diplomacy.The International WineMuseum is most certainlyworth a visit.

Situated on the same highplateau, the town of Utielgrew thanks to the productive

drive coming from winemaking. Unlike Requena, withits historical centre, life in thetown of Utiel hinges roundfarming tasks and activities.

The main church, dedicated toOur Lady of the Assumption,

is a refined piece of the Gothicstyle under Isabel II. The WineMuseum is located in thefamous Redonda Cellar.This building was restoredin 1891 so that futuregenerations might learn of

the areas rural archaeology.

From Requena, there is accessto a secondary route, that ofthe Calle de Ayora, of intereston account of its beautifulcastles in Cofrentes, where theRiver Curiel meets the RiverJcar, Jalance, with the Cave ofDon Juan, Jarafuel, Teresa deCofrentes and Ayora, with theIberian town of Castellar dela Meca and a thriving activityin the form of beekeeping.Other places of interest

include Hoces del Cabriel,the Contreras Reservoir and,towards the south, the majorNational Hunting Reserve,Muela de Cortes.

Cofrentes

S



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Emb. de

Beniarrs

Serpis

Ro

Favara

El GrauXeresa

Xeraco

L'OlleriaMoixent

Bocairent

Quatretonda

Castell de Rugat

Baeres

Barx

SimatBenifair

"Les Covetesdels Moros"

Daims

Rugat

Ganda

Tavernes de la Valldigna

Alzira

CarcaixentVilanova

de Castell

Xtiva

Canals

AlbaidaOntinyent

Alcoy

Muro de AlcoyCocentaina

Benignim

Serra G

rossa

Mondver841

The monumentalrouteThis route begins in Xtiva,the capital of the region ofLa Costera. The towns historycommenced on the peak ofMount Vernissa. After the

successful implantation ofthe Saetabis Augusta, theVisigoths created their

bishopric whose see waslocated in the hermitage of

Sant Feliu. At the time of theArab domination, Europesfirst paper mill was founded inXtiva, using rice straw as theraw material. The paper is stillknown in Morocco by thename ofxativi. This historic

event culminated during thelong period of statutorydevelopment in the Kingdomof Valencia. At that time, itwas looked on as the areassecond most important townin view of both its populationand its political influence.It produced two popesconnected with the Borjasaga, Calixtus III andAlexander VI, not forgettingthe painter, Jos Ribera,Espaoleto. But a change inhistory, brought about by the

arrival of the Bourbons on theSpanish throne after thedefeat of the supporters of

Old quarter. Xtiva



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16

Archduke Charles III of Austriaat Almansa, doomed the town

of Xtiva (formerly Setabis) toa state of hopeless decadence.It is from this period that itsname of burnt citycomes:Philip V, the victor, banishedall the inhabitants and burntthe town down. The locals

have never forgiven him forthis act of aggression and, byway of a punishment, hisportrait is hung upside downin the museum.

The highest point in the townis the castle, born of the

joining together of twofortresses, one Iberian and theother, Roman, making a huge

enclosure protected by 30towers and four fortified

gates. Its walls are in a goodstate of preservation, as are itsoutbuildings and its single-nave chapel, which features aribbed vault and large Gothicwindows. It was built on theinstructions of Maria of

Castile, the wife of Alfonsothe Magnanimous. The wayalong the streets of San Pedroand Moncada brings to mindthe busy court life which usedto go on within the walls ofthe palaces and their wideinner courtyards. Gothicfountains serving water tosmall squares and ancestralhomes decorated witharistocratic coats of arms formpart of a townscape createdby an educated, well-to-dosociety. The basilica collegiate

church, dedicated to theAssumption of Our Lady, wasbegun in 1596 and received allkinds of privileges anddonations from the Valenciancuria, which had connectionswith the Borjas. The Gothic

Church of Sant Pere is alsoworth seeing. In the centre ofthe sightseeing area is theMunicipal Museum, calledLAlmodi, which is housed inthe building of the samename, and the Peso Real.

Between the Grossa and Creumountain ranges to the northand the Mariola and

The hospital. Xtiva



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17

Benicadell ranges to thesouth, the valley through

which the Rivers Albaida andClariano flow forms anotherregion of contrastingcountryside. Albaida,Ontinyent, Bocairent andLOlleria, with their handmadeglassware, constitute the

backbone of communicationsof Vall dAlbaida. At theend of the plain, near thefoothills of the Benicadellmountain range, lies the townof Albaida, white town forthe Arabs, which has kept itstraditional aspect in the midstof an industrialisedenvironment. The artisticlegacy of the painter, JosSegrelles (1885-1969), a pupilof Sorolla, is the inhabitantspride and joy. In the townsmain square stands another

old palace, that of theMarquis of Albaida, alongwith the interesting Church ofthe Virgen de la Asuncin,decorated, as is only natural,with 10 paintings by Segrelles.

About eight kilometres to thesouthwest, the town ofOtinyent is divided betweenthe protection it is affordedby the Grossa mountain rangeand its dependence on theRiver Clariano. Next to itswaters, there are still tracesof the pioneering textileindustries which tookadvantage of the cascade to

drive the waterwheel.The visit begins in the part of

the town where the Town HallSquare is situated. Housed in ahistorical building belongingto the period of Charles III, theTown Hall stands next to thearches of the Jord chemistsshop and the colonnade.

Further along, the visitor willsee the Gothic Church ofSanta Maria, with a singlenave and lacking both domeand transept because thespace was limited by theuneven lie of the land. Its tallbelfry, measuring 68 metres,the Plateresque front andthe Pursima Chapel arecharacteristic. Throughout the

Albaida



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old quarter, palaces andrambling houses still remain

for all to see.

Along the Bocairent Road, thesource of the River Clarianomakes for an attractive pieceof natural landscape known asPou Clar, whose spring waters

provide pleasant refreshmentin the summer. Moving onfrom here, the walls withdugout caves going back toprehistoric times are an idealpreamble to the travellersarrival in Bocairent, a town inturn built in the rock. Thismonumental town is

practically surrounded bygullies and precipices. As the

land is so rugged, somehouses have to be enteredfrom the second or thirdfloors. The Town Hall Square isoverlooked by these higgledy-piggledy houses, by theArc delAiga arcade and, above all,

by the huge Asuncin Churchtopped with a characteristicbelfry in the Gothic style. Themediaeval quarter is a superbensemble of history and art.Hermitages, fountains andsprings await the visitor as hestrolls round the town centreand outskirts.

Bocairent



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Almansa by creating theDukedom of Llria. The third

duke married Maria Teresa deSilva, the Duchess of Alba,who is buried in the town.Nowadays, the Casa de Albapalace is the seat of the TownHall. Llria is the music town,with two bands devoted to

this form of culturalexpression: the BandaPrimitiva, probably the oldestin Spain, and Unin Musical,founded in 1903.

Running parallel to the courseof the River Turia, neither tooclose together nor too farapart, are the villages makingup the natural space of AltoTuria, in the region of LosSerranos. The villages arescattered over a broadexpanse of land, watched over

by towering pinnacles andwoodland reaching down tothe very waters of the river.The inhabitants livelihoodcomes from the exploitation

The River Turia routeThis route stretches over theregions of Camp de Turia andLos Serranos. It begins inLlria, the main regional town.The Romans called it Lauroand thus the chronicler Pliny

refers to the wines grown inPl de lArc as lauronenses.The modern town grew up onthe plain. At the time of PhilipV, the king decided to rewardthe English Duke of Berwickfor his victory at the Battle of

The church of San Miguel. Llria



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of the hillside, cattle-breeding, cereal crops andvines. Good wine is producedthere, especially white with anappellation dorigine. Chelva,

which is classified as aregional centre, possessesarchaeological remains fromthe Bronze Age, the Iberiansand Romanisation. Itsarchpriests church, dedicated

Titaguas

Tujar

Chelva

to Maria de Dios de losAngeles, has a breathtakingfacade by Herrera. The urbandesign of the old JewishQuarter is still there today.

In Tujar, there is a touristinformation office. The roadcontinues to climb until itreaches Titaguas, a townwhich is overlooked by the

Lampara Mountain. A detourtakes the traveller to thehistorical town of Alpuente,which is a must: a tinymonumental treasure lockedbetween two hills.



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Inside the lands of Aragonand Castile, the Province ofValencia still has a smallcorner which measures 470square kilometres, bearing thename of Rincn de Ademuz.It consists of a mountainousspot, extremely ruggedand isolated. The wild

Ademuz

Alpuente

scenery is relieved only bythe rivers fertile plain withits farmland, apple orchardsand vegetable gardens.



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Valencia is identified with theMediterranean Sea becausethe culture deriving from theold Mare Nostrum is manifest

in its patterns of socialbehaviour.

It is the administrative capitalof the Valencian Communityand the centre of the regionof LHorta. It is the mostdensely populated town inthe Valencian Community asit is encircled by a wide beltof medium-sized municipaldistricts which form anunbroken built-up area withan average density of 1,600inhabitants per square

kilometre.

Valencia, Turias capitalSightseeing around the citybegins in the old quarter.Until the mid-nineteenthcentury, it was defended

by a wall, the tracing ofwhich is now the inner routeof the number five bus.Still standing as proofare the graceful Torres deSerranos (1), the spaciousTorres de Quart (2) and someremains of the apron wall inthe basement of theValencian Institute of ModernArt (IVAM).

The most outstanding artisticheritage is to be found in thedistricts of Seu and Xerea,

where the marks left by the

Plaza de la Virgen

Palau de la Generalitat



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City guidePlaces of interest

1 Torres de Serranos2 Torres de Quart3 Palau de la Generalitat4 Basilica of Virgen

de los Desamparados5 Palace of Batla

6 Marqus de los Scala Palace7 Palace of Benicarl

(Valencian Parliament)8 Cathedral9 Marqus de Campo Palace

(City Museum)10 Convent of Santo Domingo11 Temple Palace12 La Lonja (commodity

exchange)13 Central Market14 Church of Santos Juanes15 City Hall16 Marqus de Dos Aguas

Palace (National Ceramics

Museum)17 Royal College of El Patriarca18 University of Valencia19 Old Carmen Convent20 Julio Gonzlez Centre

(IVAM premises)

COMMON SIGNS

Tourist Information OfficeCar Park

Railway StationBus Station

HospitalPost OfficeTube Station

23

Romans lie hidden beneathArab ruins and modernchurches and palaces. This,the heart of the old city, ishome to the administrative

centre of the political life ofthe Consell(government) andthe Corts Valencianes(parliament) and of theecclesiastical institutions. Itprovides the central stage forthe years major celebrations

and festivities. Plaza de laVirgen is encompassed by theimpressive Gothic building ofthe Palau de la Generalitat(3), by the similarly GothicGate of the CathedralApostles and by the Basilicaof Virgen de losDesamparados (4), thepatron saint of theValencians.

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N-

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TARRAGONA 247 km

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26

It is at the Gate of theCathedral Apostles that the

Water Tribunal is held atnoon every Thursday, underthe gaze of the MigueleteTower, the citys symbol. Inthe small Menises Square,where the Palaces of Batla(5), the seat of the Provincial

Government, and of losScala (6) are situated, one cansense the charm of a squarerenovated in the Italian style.Plaza de San Lorenzocontains the Palace ofBenicarl (7), the seat of theValencian Parliament. At theback of the palace, a newextension has been built,housing the parliamentarychamber.

The street of Almudn takesits name from a large wheat

storehouse which for yearssupplied the inhabitants ofValencia, a city which, in its

heyday during the fourteenthand fifteenth centuries, wasconsidered to be the mostdensely populated in theIberian Peninsula. After athorough restoration, the

building has been turned intoa pleasant exhibition hall.In Plaza del Arzobispo, thecathedral (8) (in Valencian,Seu, hence the name ofthe district) displays its LaAlmoina side door in archaic

Romanesque style, while theMarques de Campo Palace (9)flaunts the elegance of anoble building converted intoa city museum. Plaza de laReina forms part of a townplanning initiative for newbuilding works and, once thepickaxe got to work, smallstreets and old buildingswere replaced by spaces

Calle de la Paz

La Lonja (commodity exchange)



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opening up to an easier flowof traffic and new shops and

businesses. The MigueleteTower, with a height of 60metres and a flight of 207steps is the citys symbol,dating back to times whenthe bells were rung toannounce the opening and

closing of the wall gates.

At the far end of the districtof Xerea, next to the oldriverbed, stand the notableGothic Convent of SantoDomingo (10) and the TemplePalace (11), surrounded bypalaces once belonging tothe Valencian nobility. TheTemple Palace is nowoccupied by the CentralGovernment Delegation.

The Mercat district took

shape around the commerciallife of the citys inhabitants.Accordingly, its two mostemblematic buildings areused for trading purposes.The Gothic building of LaLonja (12), declared by

UNESCO as a world heritagesite, features a beautifulcolumned room where theold tables on which tradingtransactions were finalisedare still in use today.The spiral-shaped columnssupport vaults decoratedwith symbolic figures.Opposite La Lonja is thecentral market (13), a

modernist building whichreflects the architecture ofthe twenties, brilliantlycombining iron with tile,mosaic with brick, and thetemple dedicated to theSantos Juanes (14).

The district of Sant Francesctakes its name from the

convent which used to stand

Central Market

City Hall



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on what is now the citysmain square, Plaza delAyuntamiento (15). The seatof the municipal government

is surrounded by buildingsconceived from the outset asmonuments, mostly for thepurposes of financial andcommercial activities.

This square is the setting for

the most multitudinous actsin the Fiestas de las Fallas,dedicated to St. Joseph andheld in March. In this, themost modern area of thecitys traditional nucleus, thevisitor should go and see theBaroque ensemble of theMarques de Dos AguasPalace (16), the premises of

Marqus de Dos Aguas Palace

the National CeramicsMuseum, the Renaissanceensemble of El Patriarca (17)and the former premises of

the University of Valencia(18) on Calle de la Nave. Theold quarter goes on toinclude the popular districtsof El Carme, full of artistryand nightlife, and Velluters,a hive of handicraft activity.

While in El Carme, anyoneinterested in culture isstrongly recommended to goand see the old CarmenConvent (19) and the JulioGonzlez Centre (20), whichtogether make up thepremises of the ValencianInstitute of Modern Art(IVAM).



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Outside the destroyed wallgrew the Valencia of thebourgeoisie, with its widepavements, broad landscapedthoroughfares and countlessinstances of modernist

architecture. On the otherside of the Turias oldriverbed lie the nurserygardens, along with the FineArts Museum and theultramodern part of the citywhich, on account of its size,

serves as a nexus betweenthe coastal townships and theold quarter. The futuristicface of the city is mirroredon the old riverbed throughthe Gulliver Childrens Parkand the leisure and culturecomplex, Ciutat de les Arts ide les Ciencies. Life in thecity spreads down to the

seafront with the harbourarea and the beaches of Las

Arenas and La Malvarrosa.

The Valencian huerta (thehuge plain of marketgardens) is occupied by townupon town which, togetherwith the capital, go to make

up a compact piece oflatticework. The major townsare Alboraya, Burjassot,Rocafort, Moncada, Paterna,Manises, Torrent, Aldaya,Picanya and Catarroja.The inhabitants combinefarmwork with intenseindustrial activity. They keepthe traditions of craftwork,such as ceramics, thepreparation of earth almondorgeat (horchata de chufa)and fan making, so as not tolose the marks of their

identity, while making themost of the opportunity todevelop prosperous industrieslike furniture.

Museum of El Patriarca

Julio Gonzlez Centre (IVAM)



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Ports and nauticalsports

The 112 kilometres of theValencian coastline offercountless opportunities forleisure and sport. With anannual average of nearly2,700 hours of sunshine, atemperature of 24 in summerand 10 in winter, lovers ofnautical sports will findeverything they need on thepremises strategically placed allalong the shoreline where, withthe exception of Cullera, cliffsare rare. From north to south,the nautical sports centres are as

follows: Canet den Berenguer,Pobla de Farnals, Port Saplaya(residential estate), Real Clubnatico de Valencia, El Perell,Cullera, Ganda et Oliva

Federacin de Vela de Valencia

(Spanish Sailing Federation):% 963 530 120) 963 534 331www.fvcv.com

Sports, golf and activetourism

All the most popular sports,including traditional ones, suchas Valencianpelota, may bepractised on the many facilitiesavailable. However, when onholiday, one tends to beparticularly interested in sports

providing a greaterinvolvement in the naturalenvironment of the area, suchas golf. In Valencia, the golferwill find the El Saler GolfCourse, considered in Spain tobe exemplary. Also on the coast,

in Oliva, is the Oliva Nova GolfCourse, designed by SeverianoBallesteros. Other coursesinclude: LEscorpion, in Betera,Manises and El Bosque, inChiva.Thinking now of thoseinterested in active tourism, thechoice ranges from hiking, with

the tracing of two major

Sailing Club. Valencia

Golf. El Saler

Leisure andshows



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European paths, the GR-7 andthe GR-10, and touring by

bicycle to abseiling in thegullies, canoeing, horsebacktouring, gliding andparagliding.

Leisure and cultureIn Valencia, cultural activitiesrevolve round the temporaryand permanent exhibitions heldat its 86 museums and theinnovative, competitiveapproach of 56 art galleries.Plastic arts have a long traditionin this part of the world, wherethe visitor can see the works ofthe leading figures in eachperiod of its history, from Juande Juanes and Ribera to Sorolla,Benlliure and Pinazo, notforgetting the recent

contributions of Alfaro, Valds,Genovs, Calvo and Navarro.

With five music chambers, theacoustic quality and theimposing building of Palau dela Msica deserving a special

mention, and a good numberof theatres, Valencia presentsthe visitor with a wide selectionof cultural activities as regardsany of the performing arts.A quick glance at theentertainments page andleisure guide in the newspaper

and the billboards roundthe city will suffice.

Ciudad de las artes ylas cienciasThis complex (lit.: The City ofthe Arts and Sciences) is anavant-garde work by architectsSantiago Calatrava and Flix

Candela. Its purpose is toprovide its visitors with training,information and enlightenmentin the arts, the sciences andnature.

The complex is made up ofLHemisteric, Museo de lesCiencies (the Science Museum),Palau de les Arts (the ArtsPalace), LOceanographic (theOceanography Museum) andLUmbrale.

NightlifeThe Province of Valencia isfamous for its discothques,where the music plays untildawn. They are situated on the

outskirts of the city and on the

Palau de la Msica. Valencia



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Valencia-Cullera road, crossingnumerous residential estatesand beaches.

FiestasThe calendar of popular fiestasis rich and varied in Valencia.Each part of the year has itsown celebration andrecollection of tradition. The

bonfires of San Antonio Abad(January 17th) come first on thecalendar, with burning pyres offirewood and the blessing ofanimals. Of particular note isthe one held in Canals. OnMarch 19th, the fallas dedicated

to St. Joseph take over thestreets of the capital and ofover 60 other towns in theprovince. On the appointed day,huge catafalques bearingcardboard figures are erected,to be burnt four days later amida blaze of fireworks. These are

the fiestas which attract thelargest number of spectatorsand arouse most interest

among visitors, drawn by thecolourfulness of the passacaglia,the offering to the Virgen ofthe Helpless and the fireworkdisplay. Later on in the year, atEaster, various stageproductions may be seen inXtiva, Requena, Benetsserand Moncada, in addition tothe highly popular Eastermarine processions in thecoastal towns of Valencia.

The celebration of CorpusChristi takes place in Valenciaand also in Xtiva in the formof processions going back as faras the Middle Ages, in whichguilds, biblical characters and

the various social classes wererepresented. Under the spell ofthe night of St. John (June 24th),the love of fire is reborn andthe bonfire is lit by the sea sothat participants may carry outthe rite of dipping their feet inthe waves. In honour of the

Virgin of the Assumption(August 15th), big processionsare organised, the most

Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias



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outstanding being the Fiesta deles Alfabegues (basil plants) in

Btera. At the end of themonth, the famous TomatoFiesta is held in Buol.

In the last week of August,Ontinyent holds its Fiesta ofMoors and Christians, as does

Bocairent in February.Cocentaina and Paterna alsohold their fiesta at this time,the latter with a fireworkdisplay (known as the cord).The parades with periodcostumes, moving in step toexotic music, recall the rivalryexisting between the Moorishand the Christian troops at thetime of the Reconquest. Thistradition is also kept in Albaida,Agullent and LOlleria.

The end of August and

September is the time for thegrape harvest fiesta in Requenaand Utiel and also for Gandasbig fiesta, dedicated to St.Francis of Borja, while inAlgemes, a fiesta is held inhonour of the Virgin of Health.

On October 9th

, the ValencianCommunitys official day, themain item on the menu is thetraditional Sant Donis marzipanconfectionery. The yearsfestivities come to an end withthe Christmas Season, whennativity scenes and processions

abound, not forgetting theMadmans Fiesta in Jalanceon the 28th.

Shopping and handicraftsIn ceramics, the shopper willfind a wide range of qualitiesand sizes, with Manises as theundisputed traditional centre ofproduction. Tavernes Blanquesis the home of Porcelanas

Lladr, a firm which exports allover the world. To earthenwareand pottery must be added thecraft of vegetable fibre appliedto furniture and householdequipment, as seen in thetowns of Vallada, Montesa ,Navarrs and LOlleria. This lasttown, together with Llosa deRanes, also supplies a fullcatalogue of handmadeglassware. Craftwork in wood,which led to the thrivingfurniture industry, is to befound in Alboraya, Xirivella

and Torrent, while Sagunto isthe place for handicrafts incork. Connected in a way to thisraw material, the towns ofAldaia, Alacuas, Godella and

Falla. Valencia



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Spain. In the course of the year,about 50 different shows take

place in the spacious fairenclosure situated inBenimamet. The mostimportant ones concern thepromotion of innovations infurniture, market gardening,toys, ceramics, textiles,

childrens fashion and jewellery.

There are also regional andlocal fairs displaying farmproduce and machinery,handicrafts, old and modernbooks, sausages, wine andantiques.

GastronomyThe Valencianpaella, madewith rice, chicken, rabbit andgreens, is the typical dish in

Valencian gastronomy. Eachvillage has its own variationsand preferences because ricemixes well with so manydifferent ingredients. However,the most popular specialitiesare the meatpaella (with

chicken or rabbit), the seafoodpaella and the mixed one.Among fishermen, a dishknown as arroz a bandaevolved, so called because therice and the fish are cookedseparately, for the flavour to betaken in, and it is served with

garlic and oil (all i oli). Ricedone in the oven in anearthenware dish is also

Popular ceramics market. Valencia

Valencia show finecraftsmanship in fan making,going from the simplest to themost sophisticated models,made with mother of pearl andpainted by hand.

If the shopper is on the lookout

for foodstuffs, he will find awide variety of sausages,confectionery and bakeryproducts at thebakehouses and cake shops, notto mention rice and citrus fruitsand other fruits which are more

usual in the inland area. Thevisitor should also taste thedelicious red and white wines.

FairsValencia is a popular place for

business travelling. ItsInternational Trade Fair,founded in 1917, is the oldest in



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extremely popular amongValencian families, together

with rice and beet, cuttlefish,cauliflower and spinach, amongother ingredients. In the regionof La Safor, a dish known asfideu is made. This is similar torice with seafood, but noodlesare used instead of rice.

In some inland regions, themain dish is gazpacho (a coldsoup of bread, tomatoes, garlic,salt, vinegar and oil), served inthe form of a shepherds tartmade of wheat flour andcooked over the fire. This dishis found in the regions ofRequena-Utiel, Valle de Ayora,Canal de Navarrs, La Costeraand Los Serranos. In LosSerranos, the visitor might alsolike to try what is known as theolla churra, made from pieces

of pork and black pudding, andgachas (a form of porridge),so as to have a taste of theregions plentiful meat.

Speaking of meat, it is customto cook lamb chops over the

fire, together with varieties ofsausage such as longaniza (longand thin), black pudding andchorizo (spiced pork sausage).It is from the world oftraditional home cooking thatthe custom of frying chickenand rabbit garnished with

tomato sauce comes, as doesthe popular hervido (a dish ofgreen beans cooked with

potatoes and served with an oiland vinegar dressing), eaten as

the evening meal.

Valencia is a land of tastysweetmeats and bakeryproducts. There is bread of allsizes and flavours,panquemados (toasted bread),

Valencian doughnuts,turnovers, coconut cakes,anisette rolls, almond rosegons,egg-rings for Easter, Epiphanyrings, and so on, all available atthe many bakehouses andconfectioners shops.

As for drinks, a special mentionmust be made of orgeat(horchata), made from earthalmonds, which is served as acool refreshment, and naturalorange juice mixed with cava(Catalonian wine similar to

champagne) to make a drinkknown as agua de Valencia.Wine production is notable,as shown by the existence of75,000 hectares of vineyards.The main cellars are to befound in Requena, Utiel, Llria,

Villar del Arzobispo and Tujar.Quality cava is also made inRequena.

Gastronomy



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International dialling code % 34

TURESPAA Tourist Informationservice www.spain.info

Valencia Tourism Agency%

963 986 000www.comunidad-valenciana.org

USEFUL INFORMATION

Tourist Info ValenciaPaz, 48% 963 986 422Tourist Info Valencia

Plaza de la Reina, 19% 963 153 931Tourist Info ValenciaPoeta Querol, s/nEdificio Teatro Principal% 963 514 907Tourist Info Valencia-RenfeXtiva, 24 (Estacin del Norte)% 963 528 573

Tourist Info Alto Turia% 961 635 084Tourist Info Bocairent% 962 905 062Tourist Info Camp de Turia% 962 793 619Tourist Info Cullera% 961 720 974Tourist Info Ganda

% 962 877 788Tourist Info Manises% 961 525 609Tourist Info Miramar% 962 802 165Tourist Info Oliva% 962 855 528

Tourist Info Ontinyent% 962 916 090Tourist Info Requena% 962 303 851

Tourist Info Sagunto% 962 662 213Tourist Info Tavernes dela Valldigna% 962 885 264Tourist Info Xtiva% 962 273 346www.turisvalencia.es

Other handy informationLa Albufera Nature ReserveInformation OfficeRac de lOllawww.albufera.comValencian Institute of Modern Art(IVAM)Guillemde Castro,118www.ivam.es

LHemisteric, Museu deles Ciencies, Palau de les Arts,LOceanografic y LUmbrale% 902 100 031www.cac.es

GENERALITAT VALENCIANA TOURIST INFORMATION OFFICES

Booking OfficeCalle Requena, 3. 28013 Madrid% 902 547 979) 902 525 432www.parador.es

Parador de El SalerAvda. de los Pinares, 15146012 El Saler% 961 611 186) 961 627 016

STATE HOTELS (PARADORES)

AENA (Spanish Airport and AirNavigation)% 902 404 704www.aena.esRail: Renfe % 902 240 202International Information% 902 242 402www renfe es

% 963 974 040Central Bus Station% 963 466 266Trasmediterranea% 902 454 645www.trasmediterranea.esHighway Information% 900 123 505

TRANSPORT


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