Things to see in Valencia: the must-sees, area by area

What to see in Valencia's old town?

Ciutat Vella packs two thousand years of history into a two- or three-hour walk. Its heart is Plaza de la Virgen, with the Basilica of Our Lady of the Forsaken and the Cathedral, home to a chalice venerated as the Holy Grail, whose bell tower, the Micalet, is climbed by 207 steps.

Five minutes away stand the Silk Exchange, a masterpiece of civil Gothic architecture and a World Heritage Site since 1996, and opposite it the Central Market, opened in 1928: more than 8,000 m² of Valencian Art Nouveau full of fresh-produce stalls.

• Cathedral and Micalet: the Holy Chalice, Renaissance frescoes and the best views of the centre.
• Silk Exchange: the hall of spiral columns and the orange-tree courtyard.
• Central Market: go in the morning, when it's buzzing (it closes in the afternoon and on Sundays).
• Church of San Nicolás: its restored frescoes have earned it the nickname "Valencia's Sistine Chapel".
• Serranos and Quart Towers: two gates of the medieval city wall, open to visitors.
• Palace of the Marqués de Dos Aguas: an exuberant Baroque façade and the National Ceramics Museum.

City of Arts and Sciences: what to see and how to get there

Santiago Calatrava and Félix Candela's complex is the modern face of Valencia: the Hemisfèric (cinema and planetarium), the Science Museum, the Umbracle, the Palau de les Arts, the Ágora and the Oceanogràfic, Europe's largest aquarium. Walking between the buildings and pools is free; you pay to go inside.

It lies at the end of the Turia gardens. From the centre it's about a 30-minute walk along the old riverbed, or by bus: EMT lines 24 and 25, which start at Porta de la Mar, stop next to Les Arts and the Science Museum.

If you'll visit more than one building, combined tickets (Oceanogràfic + Science Museum or + Hemisfèric) are cheaper than buying them separately.

The Turia gardens: 9 km of park in the old riverbed

After the 1957 flood, the Turia river was diverted south of the city and its old bed became a park more than 9 kilometres long that crosses Valencia from west to east. It's the best way to walk or cycle from Bioparc to the City of Arts and Sciences, passing the Palau de la Música, the Gulliver (a giant lying down for children to climb on) and the historic bridges of the centre.

Which museums in Valencia are free?

Valencia has a generous and largely free museum scene. The Fine Arts Museum, Spain's second-largest art gallery, with works by Sorolla, Goya and Velázquez, is always free. The municipal museums (Silk Exchange, Almoina, City Museum, Fallas Museum, the towers…) are free on Sundays and public holidays.

The sea: El Cabanyal, Malvarrosa and the Marina

Twenty minutes by tram from the centre lies the seafront: El Cabanyal, the old fishermen's quarter with tiled house fronts, and the Malvarrosa promenade with its rice restaurants. To the south, the Marina de València, the port redeveloped for the America's Cup, has waterside walks and the Veles e Vents building.

More places worth seeing

• Colón Market: a 1916 Art Nouveau building turned into a space for cafés and restaurants.
• Estació del Nord: an Art Nouveau station hall decorated with orange mosaics.
• Bioparc: an immersive zoo with African wildlife, at the west end of the Turia gardens.
• El Carmen: narrow streets, street art and remains of the Moorish city wall.
• Russafa: a municipal market, specialty coffee and independent shops.
• The Albufera: rice fields and a lagoon 15–20 km away, with boat trips at sunset (EMT line 24 to El Palmar).

Tickets and guided tours

For paid attractions, booking ahead avoids queues, especially in summer and at weekends. These are the most popular:

• Old town in a day
• Markets and Valencian flavour
• Art and museums in El Carme
• Valencia tours