Valencia

The home of paella, combining the futuristic City of Arts and Sciences, the old town's Silk Exchange and Mediterranean beaches; its Las Fallas festival in March is world-famous.

Valencia (València in Valencian) is Spain's third-largest city and capital of the Valencian Community, set on the Mediterranean coastal plain at the mouth of the Turia River, about 350 km from Madrid. Founded by the Romans in 138 BC and later ruled by the Moors, it became a major Mediterranean trading hub in the 15th century. The city falls into three main areas: ① the Old Town (Ciutat Vella) — the Cathedral, the Silk Exchange, the Central Market, the Serranos Towers and the El Carmen district; ② the Turia Gardens, laid out in the former riverbed, which run southeast to the futuristic City of Arts and Sciences; ③ the eastern seafront — the port and the Malvarrosa and Las Arenas beaches. About 10 km south of the city lie the Albufera lagoon and its rice fields, birthplace of paella valenciana (traditionally made with chicken, rabbit and green beans). The climate is Mediterranean, with around 300 days of sunshine a year and mild winters; Mar–Jun and Sep–Oct are the most pleasant, while Jul–Aug is hot and humid but great for the beach. During Las Fallas (15–19 March each year, UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage), hundreds of giant figures go up across the city, a firecracker show (Mascletà) is set off in the Plaza del Ayuntamiento every day at 2 pm, and the figures are burned on the night of the 19th; accommodation prices soar, so book well ahead. Getting there: high-speed trains from Madrid take about 1 h 40 min–2 h, and from Barcelona about 3 hours; Metro lines 3 and 5 link the airport to the city in about 25 minutes; the city has a metro, trams and the Valenbisi bike-share scheme, and the old town is easily explored on foot. Allow 2–3 days. Entry requires a Schengen visa. In Spain, lunch is around 2 pm and dinner after 9 pm. Must-tries include paella (authentic versions are mostly served only at lunch), squid-ink black rice, and horchata (tiger nut milk) with fartons pastries.

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