The city of Valencia

Reasons to study Spanish in Valencia

THE CITY:

  • Population: 900,000.
  • Location: East Coast of Spain in autonomous region of the same name.
  • Valencia has an international airport making the city well connected to the rest of the world
  • It is Spain's third largest city and where numerous international fairs and exhibitions are held
  • Valencia is the ideal place to learn Spanish thanks to its privileged location on the Mediterranean coast ensuring an ideal climate throughout the year. You will immediately feel at home thanks to its kind inhabitants.
  • After hosting the 32nd edition of the America's Cup Regatta in 2007, Valencia has become one of the main European tourist destinations and a cosmopolitan metropolis to enjoy a great deal of culture and entertainment.
  • The fast cars of Formula One have also raced through its streets in a unique circuit linking the port area and the sea to the emblematic City of Arts and Sciences, a cultural and architectural symbol of Valencia.

CULTURAL/RECREATIONAL:

  • People in Valencian love fiestas and love sharing their joy with others. The most popular of festivities are by far the world famous Fallas (12-19 in March), with their festive bonfire explosion of fireworks, colours, and the semi-sweet smell of gunpowder.
  • Entertainment and leisure activities in Valencia make up one of the most exciting and extensive ranges throughout the Mediterranean. Valencia is ideal to enjoy a night out due to the wide range of nightclubs, pubs, and discos providing the right kind of scene.
  • There are many monuments to be admired and museums to be visited in Valencia: a visit to the Cathedral and the Royal Monastery of Santa María are a must-see.
  • Valencia has a fantastic climate and more than 500 kilometres of coast, which has one of the most extensive beaches areas throughout Spain.
  • In Valencia you can find remains of the Phoenician, Greek, Iberian and Roman civilizations if you want to discover more than just sand and sun.

More information about Valencia

The province of Valencia is the largest of the three which make up the Valencian Community. It is situated in the centre of the Spanish Mediterranean coastline opposite the Balearic Islands and equidistant from Madrid and Barcelona, which are the country's two major decision-taking centres. Overlooking the spacious Gulf of Valencia the city is skirted by a group of mountains and rolling plains leading to the lands of Aragón and Castilla-La Mancha. Valencia is identified with the Mediterranean Sea because the culture deriving from the old Mare Nostrum is manifested in its patterns of social behavior.

It is the most densely populated town in the Valencian community as well s its administrative capital. Sightseeing around the city begins in the Old Quarter. Until the mid-nineteenth century, it was defended by a wall, nowadays being the inner route of the number five bus. Still standing as a proof of the former are the spacious Torres de Quart, the graceful Torres de Serranos, and some wall remains in the basement of the IVAM (Valencian Institute of Modern Arts). The most outstanding artistic heritage is found in the districts of Xerea and Seu, where the marks left by the Romans lie hidden beneath modern palaces and churches as well as Arab ruins.

Plaza de la Virgen
Plaza de la Virgen 		Palau de la Música
Palau de la Música

The Mercat district formed itself around the commercial life of the Valencia´s population; accordingly, its two most emblematic buildings are used for trading purposes. The Gothic building of La Lonja was declared by UNESCO as a heritage of humanity and features a beautiful columned room with the old tables where trading transactions were finalized, which are still in use today. Outside the wall grew the Valencia of the bourgeoisie with broad landscaped thoroughfares, wide pavements, and countless instances of modernist architecture. On the other side of the Turia's old riverbed lie the Fine Arts Museum along with the nursery gardens and the ultramodern part of the city which, on account of its size, serves as a nexus between the old quarter and the coastal townships. The futuristic face of the city is mirrored on the old riverbed through the Gulliver Children's park and the culture and leisure complex of the Ciutat de les Arts i de les Ciencies. Life in the city spreads down to the seafront with the beaches of La Malvarrosa and Las Arenas as well as the harbour.

Fiestas and Celebrations in Valencia

The calendar of popular fiestas in Valencia is varied and rich. Each season has its own celebration and recollection of tradition.

The bonfires of San Antonio Abad come first on the calendar, with the animals´ blessing and the burning pyres of firewood. The blessing held in Canals is worth noting.

On March 19th, the Fallas devoted to St. Joseph take over Valencia´ streets and of over 60 other towns in the province. On the appointed day, huge platforms bearing intricate cardboard figures are erected so they can be burnt four days later amid a blaze of fireworks. The Valencia Fallas are the fiestas attracting the largest number of spectators and arouse most interest among visitors and tourists, drawn by the fireworks display, the offering to the Virgin of the helpless and the colourfulness of the Passacaglia.

There are other festivities in Valencia such as the Corpus Christi in June, the Moors and Christians Fiestas and, of course, the famous tomato-throwing festival of "La Tomatina".