Valencia-city center

The next day in Valencia we headed into the city center to check out the sights. 

Here some information about Valencia from the Visit Valencia website:

Valencia is Spain's third largest city. It is famous throughout Spain for its nightlife and for its festival, Las Fallas. It also has a lovely old quarter and a new and very impressive new cultural complex, the Ciudad de las Artes y Ciencias.

Valencia was founded by the Romans in 137 BC but became a Muslim city for five centuries with a brief interruption when El Cid took the city. Its muslim past is is reflected in its architecture. Valencia was a prosperous centre for silk, paper, leather and ceramics under Muslim rule. In 1238 James I of Aragon took the city which became part of his Catalan kingdom. It still has very strong Catalan ties.

In the 15th and 16th centuries Valencia became a very prosperous city but lost importance after both the Spanish War of Succession and the Spanish Civil War as it was on the losing side on both occasions.

Kit in front of the train station

me in the main plaza- Plaza del Ayuntamiento

The central market where we got some great tuna and tomato empanadas and spinach empanadas.

ole

Jamon- ham

The Santa Catalina Church and Tower

The inside of the church was dark and simple yet beautiful

Kit climbed to the top of the tower- I choose to sit this one out since it was very small and a bit claustrophobic for me

The stairs looking up

and looking down from the top

I love the pattern they make- like a snails shell

Views from the top of the tower of Valencia

The sister tower- The Miguelete of the Valencia Cathedral

The bells

The ladder to get up to the bells

Stairs on the way down

A famous Horchateria-

We loved Horchata so sweet and yummy

I fell in love with the colored buildings that were everywhere in Valencia- they gave everything a very festive feel.

and lastly- our hotel room

next post- the Valencia Cathedral