Valencia's historic centers are located in the town. We took the Tuk Tuk Tour to take an overall look at the landmarks and we took the bus to go to the places of interest.
Central Market or Mercado Central
Wherever we go, we do not leave out the marketplace that is well known. In Valencia, Central Market is the one. It is still operating actively for Valencian residents.
The quality of the products, produce and veggies was very good to excellent. We enjoyed the tour.
Colon Market
Colon Market is the oldest market, but now it houses bars and restaurants only and its size was quite small.
La Lonja de la Seda or Mercaderes (Silk Exchange)
This place is one of UNESCO Heritage Sites designated in 1996. It is known to be the masterpiece of the Valencian Gothic architecture, built around 1500 AD. Honestly, the contents were not as impressive as advertised, but it could be my ignorance. Also, different from the name, there was no silk at all. I learned later that there is a separate Silk Museum. Oh well...
Valencia Cathedral
Valencia Cathedral is usually number 1 or 2 in popularity. Its location next to the Queen Plaza and the Virgin Plaza makes it quite attractive to a lot of visitors.
Virgin Plaza or Plaza de la Virgen
The plaza was not huge, but the amviance was cozy and very inviting. A lot of people were hanging out in the plaza and at the cafes and restaurants in the surrounding area.
Iglesia de los Santos Juanes (St. Johns Church)
In front of the La Lonja de la Seda was a church dedicated to two Johns: i.e. John the Baptist and Apostle John. It was unique to see a church that was dedicated to two people with the same name in the bible. Below is the photo that shows John the Baptist on the left and Apostle John on the right.
Gonzales Marti National Museum of Ceramics
Valencia has many museums and we decided to visit one of the better-known ones. We picked the Ceramics Museum and it was a good choice. Like many other government places, it was closed from 2-4 PM. It is housed in one of the palaces. The marble decorations and the exhibited artifacts were beautiful and impressive.
Torres de Serranos or Ancient City Gates
Valencia was protected by the fortified wall and the wall had 12 gates for people to pass through. But, they were destroyed by Napoleon of France, but two are still standing. We saw one of them and it was not difficult to imagine how big the scale of the wall and the gates. It was quite impressive.
There are a lot of other places of interest, such as Institute of Modern Arts, Museum of Religious Arts but we felt that we saw enough during the period we stayed in Valencia.
Valencia was full of historic landmarks that were telling the long and rich hisoty of the city. - Jeffrey
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