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Valencia

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Founded by the Romans, Valencia has been the home of many cultures over its history: Romans, Visigoths, Moors and the Aragonese all made the city an important cultural and financial centre.

In the year 1094, Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, called El Cid Campeador, conquered Valencia on behalf of the Christians, but the city later fell to the Almoravids in 1102. Following the Moorish domination, it was in 1238 that James I of Aragon ( 9Kb ) finally reconquered the city, and founded the Kingdom of Valencia , with its characteristic legislative privileges (Furs).

During the 15th and 16th centuries, Valencia became one of the major economic powers on the Mediterranean seaboard. It was the time of the Valencian siglo de oro (Golden Age), which was characterized by splendour in the arts at the hands of Joanot Martorell (author of Tirant lo Blanc, the first modern European novel), Ausias March, Roig de Corella, Isabel de Villena, Jordi de Sant Jordi and Jaume Roig, among others.

During the War of Spanish Succession, Valencia sided with archduke Charles of Austria, and after the victory of the Bourbons at the Battle of Almansa (April 1707), Phillip V abolished the local privileges, or fueros. In 1874, Alfonso XII was proclaimed constitutional king at Sagunto , north of Valencia .

When democracy was restored, the Land of Valencia was given its present Autonomous Statutes in 1982. The history of the city, now the capital of the Land of Valencia , is both rich and varied, providing a patrimony that has converted it into one of the major cities in Spain on both cultural and economic levels.

Of historical interest yet cosmopolitan, the city has grown and adapted to the times, conserving its rich heritage while becoming a leading economic and financial centre in present day Spain .

Bathed in Mediterranean sun, giving warmth and that special kind of light that Sorolla immortalized on canvas, it is by no means strange that the poet in the Cantar del Mio Cid spoke of the "luminous city of Valencia ".

You'll be pleasantly surprised by the City of Valencia itself and the warm, inviting character of its inhabitants. We ask you to discover it for yourself and enjoy the the extensive range of activities that await you.

The province of Valencia in the largest of the three which go to make up the Valencian Community.

It is situated in the centre of the Spanish Mediterranean coastline. It overlooks the spacious Gulf of Valencia and is skirted at the back by a group of medium-high mountains and rolling plains leading to the lands of Aragon and Castile-La Mancha.

The north coast of Valencia , the shoreline which is closest to the capital, has become a large expanse of sand, where tall towers of apartments and service infrastuctures have been built, sharing the landscape with farmsteads and large market gardens (huertas).

Situated to the south of the capital, separated from the waters of the Mediterranean by a chain of dunes and pine groves, the lake of La Albufera was formed in the distant past from the deposit od sediments from the Rivers Turia an Jucar, which hemmed in this small inland sea of fresh water.

The beaches in Valencia are very high-quality beaches to the north of the port of Valencia, with excellent facilities and water sports equipment hire available, exotic beaches as Malvarrosa Beach in Levante. Pineda Beach is a beach to the south of Valencia with access for the disabled and basic services for public use. Saler Beach : over six kilometres of sandy beach near Valencias La Albufera Natural Park. Devesa Beach : although isolated, this beach has a range of services available and is set right in the heart of Valencias La Albufera Natural Park. El Recati Beach in Perellonet: very long sandy beach in the residential area where a lot of accesses to the beach are private.

The visitor to the region of La Safor finds himself in an attractive area with a history of its own, nestling in a natural environment whose characteristics are twofold: the high mountains which form the ranges of Mustalla, Safor, Grossa anf Aguilles blend into a natural circle of pinnacles and woodland, while the plain is crossed by an accommodating coastal corridor of market gardens and beaches.

The night life in Valencia is famous for its discotheques, where the music plays until dawn. They are situated on the outskirts of the city and on the Valencia - Cullera road, crossing numerous residential estates and beaches. A lot of bars en discotecas are stuated in Calle Juan Llorens. Fridays and Saturdays are the crowdiest days, many people are around. The atmosphere is lively and rather hot. It is a must have been -site to go out after dining at El Carme and before visiting la Floridita at the beach.

If youre in Spain around March 12th and need some good reasons to travel to Valencia , Las Fallas are about the best one. Between the 12th and 19th of March, the people of Valencia block traffic with towering sculptured statues that artisans have spent the past year making.

All day and night, crowds of locals and foreigners fill the streets and the sounds of exploding firecrackers and fireworks fill the air. If firecrackers scare you, its always wise to be careful, but within a few hours of the explosions, youll probably find that youre lighting some yourself.

At the end of the week, the huge statues are awarded prizes and then all are set on fire, which marks the end of Las Fallas and the beginning of spring.

The Valencian paella, made with rice, chicken, rabbit and greens, is the typical dish in Valencian gastronomy.

The 112 kilometres of the Valencian coastline offer countless opportunities for leisure and sport. With an annual average of nearly 2,700 hours of sunshine, a temperature of 24 C in summer and 10 C in winter, lovers of nautical sports will find everything they need on the premises strategically placed all along the shoreline where, with the exception of Cullera, cliffs are rare.

From north to south, the nautical sports centres are as follows:Canet d En Berenguer, the prot of Pobla de Farnals and the marina, situated inside the Port Saplaya Estate. Valencia has its own Royal Sailing Club, in Sueca, possesses a sailing complex on a canal at La Albufera and Cullera on the outlet of the River Jucar. The nautical sports centres at Gandia and Oliva complete the range of locations awaiting the sea-lover, with a total of over 3,700 mooring points.

All the most popular sports, including traditional ones, such as Valencian pelota, may be practised on the many facilities available. However, when on holiday, one tends to be particularly interested in sports providing a greater involvement in the natural environment of the area, such as golf.

In Valencia , the golfer will find the El Saler Golf Course, considered in Spain to be exemplary. Also on the coast, in Oliva, is the Oliva Nove Golf Course, designed by Severiano Ballesteros. Other courses include: L Escorpion, in Betera, Manises and El Bosque, in Chiva. Thinking now of those interested in active tourism, the choice ranges from hiking, with the tracing of two major European paths, the GR-7 and the GR-10, and touring by bicycle to abseiling in the gullies, canoeing, horseback touring, gliding and paragliding.

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