Valencia in 3 1/2 days: why not just stay there?
- lavieenroute
- Aug 7, 2023
- 4 min read
Heart, stomach and eyes agree: Valencia is one of those places you simply hate to leave.
Day 1: The departure from Zurich is uncomplicated. Apart from various youth sports teams on their way to unspecified championships, the crowd of travelers is spread inconspicuously across airport trains and the expansive terminal landscape. The only unanswered question at this point: What sport might it be that requires 17-year-olds to chow down on a can of Quöllfrisch as early as 7 a.m. in the morning?
Be that as it may. Valencia has welcomed us in the meantime, the discovery of the city begins with a subway ride into the city center. Our hotel - it bears the traditional Spanish name "Helen Berger" - is prepared for our arrival and has air conditioning ready for us, which makes the Valencian summer seem even more pleasant.
The Helen Berger hotel:
After a snack, it is time for us to get used to the heat and to start wandering through the city. Only interrupted by an unspecified amount of coffee or gelato breaks, we slowly get to know Spain's third largest city - and we're amazed.
Old meets new, the vibes are Mediterranean, elegant and authentic. First impression: Wow!
It is a mixture of visible history, striking architecture, a well-kept appearance and - probably the most important factor - very friendly people we meet. With all the exploring of the old town and the cathedral, we forget the time and realize that even by local standards, it's already dinner time. For us, that means tapas, Agua de Valencia (definitely not mineral water) and a cozy evening in the still heated old town.
Day 2. We raid the hotel's "pan con tomate" supplies and then leave our air-conditioned city oasis. We trade it in for naturally air-conditioned, deep green, palm-covered boulevards on the way to the city park.
A/C, the traditional way:
What distinguishes this park from other cities: The park area is located in a former riverbed and winds along the old town. So if you come from there, you pretty much automatically always end up in the park - because why not? Along parrot-covered trees, past bike-riding tourist groups and salsa-dancing couples, we make our way to the beach and are amazed again.
The modern skyline of the "Ciudad de las artes y de las ciencias" builds up in front of us, its bright white exterior contrasting with the blue summer sky. The Spanish-Swiss architect Santiago Calatrava has created this place which in its elegance could not be a better complement to the charismatic old town of Valenica. This white landscape of forms is by no means too sterile: People are also welcome in the water areas, and in general this district, which is dedicated to science and art, seems to fit seamlessly into the big city bustle.
Chic: Calatrava's master piece
In the evening - in the meantime we got rid of our sand and sun cream marinade - a rather unusual spectacle awaits us. At first, we manage to walk into the wrong direction, even though the oncoming crowds could have been a hint. Instead, we are happy that we meet the squeakily green and squeakily loud monk parakeets, which live in Valencia, a little closer on this warm evening.
Green, loud, wonderful: meeting Valencia's (im)migrant birds
Finally, we decide to follow the noisy crowd after all and encounter a sight that must be unique in this form. We learn that every last Sunday in July there is a special parade, the "Batalla de Flores", meaning Battle of Flowers. A borderline experience, especially for flowers. Decorated floats parade through downtown, with people on the floats and spectators throwing carnations at each other. A colorful, loud and simply beautiful spectacle.
Friendly battle: Batalla de Flores
Day 3 - we are hungry. That's why today the focus is on the local specialty - Paella Valenciana. After all, we are in the epicenter of the Spanish rice pan. Together with other paella enthusiasts and three locals from the cooking school "My First Paella" we meet in the Ruzafa market hall and first buy what we want to process immediately. Our little paella fan club finally moves to the cooking studio, where we cool down on the one hand and warm up on the other, because the preparation of fresh sangria is also part of the program. We swing the knives, don't skimp on olive oil and learn new cooking techniques - lovingly guided by the local food professionals.
Success: The paella looks and tastes good - here in the vegetarian version
We round off the day with an extensive walk that takes us to the old town district "Barrio del Carmen". Winding alleys, sometimes bright, sometimes shady, old houses, sometimes untouched, sometimes freshly spruced up, and a lot of street art make up the charm of this part of town. At the latest here it happened and we think about what we would have to do spend much more time in Valenica.
Stay weird: Challenge accepted!
Day 3 1/2. We ignore the imminent departure and decide to make a round through the largest market hall of the city, the "Merkat Central" before breakfast. Early in the morning life comes into the hall, tomatoes, beans, fresh bread and friendly small talk fill the stalls. We soak up the atmosphere and finally realize: soon a plane will be waiting to take us to rainy Switzerland.
Do we really want that?
The city awakens - and so does its biggest market
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