Architecture in Valencia - your guide how to find the best spotsThe Jardins del Turia are 6 kilometres of parks built in the riverbed of the long-diverted Turia. Downstream of the main part of the city center, La Cuidad de las Artes y de las Ciencias - the City of Arts and Sciences is a stunning cluster of futuristic architecture on an 87-acre site that includes Prince Felipe Museum of the Sciences, the Hemispheric (home to Valencia’s IMAX cinema), the helmet
For more modern brilliance, head towards Institut Valencia d’Art Modern (Guillem de Castro 118. Phone 96/386-3000. Closed Monday. Free Sunday). The ancient city walls cut right through the museum. Older buildings of interest include The Central Market (8000 square meters of market space inside a steel and glass building decorated with Valencian ceramic tiles) and the Llotja de la Seda, the Silk Exchange. The bustling, twisting backstreets of the Carmen and El Cuitat Vella- the Old City- are lined with character-ful traditional homes and stores.
The Museo de Bellas Artes (Calle de San Pio V. Closed Monday. Free Sunday) is worth a look – for both architecture and for its works from Valencia’s golden age, as is the slightly self-important City Hall on the Plaza del Ayuntamiento. The Almirante Muslim Baths are full of atmospheric Moorish features (Almirante 3 Valencia's 13th-15th century Cathedral is primarily gothic, with a mix of romanesque, gothic and baroque influences. There are guided tours from 4-7pm. The Cathedral Museum, Museu de la Seo, is a tiny treasure trove of religious treasures. The Basilica of our Lady of the Forsaken, Plaza del la Virgen is an imposing presence.
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