The 5 Best Things to See in Valencia

Valencia fits a Gothic old town, some of Europe's most striking modern architecture and a freshwater lagoon into one city. These are the places its own hosts send guests to first.

The 5 most popular of 24 sights our hosts recommend — ranked by what guests actually looked up, not by how often they appear on postcards.

Mercado de Colón

Opening hours Open during the day
Price No entrance fee

Once a market, today it houses flower stalls and the best restaurants, but it has always been one of the most beautiful buildings in Valencia.

The Mercado de Colón was designed by the architect Francisco Mora Berenguer at the beginning of the 20th century, making it one of the most representative works of Valencian modernism, recalling in some of its features Gaudí's constructions for Barcelona.

It is a large building of 3,500 m², divided into three naves, which are closed with two brick and stone doors in the form of triumphal arch.

Its colorful facade is highly decorated, with ceramic details typical of the area, as well as an artistic wrought iron gate surrounding the structure.

Today, the ceiling height and the numerous entrances make the Market an open and luminous space.

Conceived to meet the needs of the bourgeois classes of the time, it is still located in one of the most affluent areas of the city, El Ensanche.

La lonja de la seda

Free admission Sundays and holidays

La Lonja is one of the most characteristic buildings of the city and one of the most famous civil Gothic monuments in Europe.

Since June 4, 1931 it enjoys the high distinction of National Historic Artistic Monument and on December 5, 1996 it was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

La Lonja de Mercaderes is located in the center of the city (in front of the Central Market and the Temple of Santos Juanes) and occupies a rectangular area of approximately 1990 square meters.

At the end of the 13th century, the old Lonja became insufficient due to the prosperity of the city, so in 1469 it was decided to start the construction of a new Lonja.

The main figure involved in the construction was Pere Compte, a citizen of Valencia, engineer and architect at the same time.

The Lonja consists of three clearly differentiated sections and a garden or "patio de los naranjos".

The Salón Columnario or Sala de Contratación is divided into three longitudinal and five transversal naves, according to the eight free-standing columns that support the vaults.

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Central market

Price No entrance fee

If you are a lover of gastronomy, enjoy fresh produce, its color, its flavor, and value the richness, variety and quality in the kitchen, the Central Market of Valencia is a paradise you can not miss.

It is a must visit in this city, a gigantic pantry of modernist architecture, which houses inside all the fresh products from the orchard and all the taste and smell of the Mediterranean.

The largest fresh produce market in Europe, in addition to standing out for its rich and varied food offer, is located in one of the most emblematic modernist buildings in the city.

With a surface area of more than 8,000 square meters, it is full of decorative allusions to the products of the orchard and the gardens of Valencia.

Its structure, formed by iron columns, reminiscent of the Eiffel Tower, tiles and stained glass windows, make it an architectural attraction not to be missed.

It is a place where traditional commerce meets the growing number of tourists who frequent this area.

Valencia's cathedral

Beautiful cathedral known for housing the Holy Chalice.

Built over an ancient Roman temple that was later a mosque, the Cathedral of Valencia is predominantly Gothic in style, although it retains many elements from different periods, from Romanesque to Baroque.

The current layout was begun in the 13th century. Latin cross, ambulatory and transept dome.

In the 15th century the Chapter House (currently the Chapel of the Holy Chalice), the dome, the Miguelete and the Door of the Apostles were built.

Also noteworthy are the Puerta de Hierro, in the Baroque style, and the Palau or Puerta Almoina, in the Romanesque style.

The Cathedral, dedicated to the Assumption of Saint Mary since the time of Jaime I, is a mixture of history and art.

Its walls and doors also protect precious treasures such as the Holy Chalice.

El Miguelete (viewpoint)

The Miguelete tower (in Valencian, Torre del Micalet) is the bell tower of the cathedral of Valencia, Spain. The tower was begun in 1381 and completed in 1429. You can climb to the top to enjoy a magnificent view of all of Valencia.

The Miguelete is a tower of Valencian Gothic style, 51 meters high up to the terrace, as its perimeter, and 63 meters in total. It is shaped like an octagonal prism and has 207 steps.

For many centuries it was called "Campanar Nuevo" or "Campanar de la Catedral", to differentiate it from the "Campanar Viejo", a square tower of Romanesque construction, located on Calle de la Barchilla, of whose walls hardly any remains remain.

Gradually its name was changed to "Torre del Miguelete", due to the great bell of the hours, which served to name the whole by metonymy.

It was originally an independent tower, joined to the Cathedral at the end of the 15th century when the nave was enlarged.

It is accessed through a corner portal decorated with archivolts and a passageway covered with curious striated scrolls.