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| Mercado Centrale, Valencia |
What a fantastic city Valencia is! No wonder El Cid fought the Moors for it. There is a contrast between the ultra modern of the Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias and the medieval old city, where many of the buildings date from the 14th Century. The magnificent art nouveau Mercado Central was opened in 1928 and is one of the largest markets in Europe.
Opposite the market is the colonnaded hall of the 15th century Lonja de los Mercadores. We made our way through the narrow streets via the city gates of Torres de Quart and Torres de Serranos to the Plaza de la Virgen, passing the Palau de la Generalitat which was built in the 15th century and still looks like new! This is where the Valencian regional government is based.
Next to the Cathedral is the 16th century Basilica which has a beautiful painted ceiling and an ornately dressed statue of the Virgin. The Plaza de la Virgen is on the site of the original Roman forum, and we had a guided tour of the archaeological site La Almoina. The magnificent art nouveau station was completed in 1917 and looks like an enormous palace, and the nearby Post Office has a wonderful glass ceiling.
To do Valencia justice, more time was needed than the two days we had allowed. Definitely a city to return to in the future!
To do Valencia justice, more time was needed than the two days we had allowed. Definitely a city to return to in the future!
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