VALENCIA
Just before the New Year’s Eve 2024 happen, we spend few days in VALENCIA, SPAIN to enjoy the festive season there and have, like Spanish would say, FELIZ NAVIDAD (Happy Holidays)! Even though the sun was not there all the time, we managed to catch some of it! Luckily Valencia turned out to be perfect destination for the all-day-long walks in order to take the most of it!
Straight from the airport we headed with metro to the city center to start our adventure with some calories intake. When looking for the local bakery, despite all the navidad wonders, we have found some incredible delicious ring-shaped sweet bread decorated with paper crown filled with whipped cream, custard, or truffle cream called “Roscón de Reyes”. It is specially baked to celebrate Three Kings Day on the January 6th. Valencia surprised us with the variety of the traditional food you can found there, but more on that later!
Most of the Valencia’s attractions is located around the old town. With just a walk we could reach out to several historic spots, starting with Torres de Serranos and Torres de Quart (Quart Towers), medieval gates that once guarded the city. While most of the walls were dismantled in the 19th century, two impressive gates remain and are must-visit landmarks, especially if you are looking for the value to price viewpoints. You can spot there the sign of the Valencia – bat and the crown, back in the middle ages as a sign of the protection and good luck according to legends, now incorporated into the emblems of football clubs.
Another great spot for the perfect city views photos is the El Micalet Tower – the bell tower of the Cathedral of Valencia. The cathedral houses, what many believe to be, the Holy Grail, the chalice used by Jesus at the Last Supper. This relic, displayed in the Chapel of the Holy Grail, is made of agate and dates back to the 1st century. We climbed the Micalet bell tower with over 200 stone steps to reached the bell and catch some rooftop views. Waiting for your way down be cautious to not sit just under the bell, when it happen to ring, as we did! Nevertheless, located at Plaza de la Reina, cathedral offered the holidays spirit as there was still opened small Christmas market with handmade local art. The whole old town has many festive accents during this time, like the Christmas tree just near the Plaza de la Virgen.
In order to get some lunch we headed straight to Plaza del Ayuntamiento. It is heart of Valencia’s Christmas celebrations, with a giant Christmas tree, stunning lights, merry-go-round and an ice-skating rink. The main square is surrounded with stunning architecture like the town hall or main post office, the square is an ideal spot for relaxing and people-watching, with plenty of benches and open space or to have some tapas. In Spanish cuisine variety of small dishes, perfect for sharing. We did have some Bravas Valencianas, the most popular Valencia’s take on patatas bravas, crispy fried potatoes served with spicy tomato sauce and aioli.
The food lovers although should be satisfied with the incredible food market located in the old town of Valencia – Mercado Central. One of Europe’s largest fresh food markets, perfect for holiday treats, like of kinds of nougat (turrón), marzipan, and local oranges. One of the Spanish New Year’s Eve tradition is to eat 12 grapes on midnight Known as the “Doce Uvas de la Suerte” (Twelve Grapes of Luck), it is a symbolic way to welcome the new year with good fortune, so we could find plenty of festive grapes during this time.
Mercado Central is also a place where local seafood is not only distributed, but also we could buy there the local pallea. It is the most iconic Spanish dish and its origins lie in Valencia. Traditionally made for bringing people together over a shared pot of flavorful rice and fresh, local ingredients, like beans, meat or sea food. We have already eaten one in Barcelona, but here comes some picture of the best paella we had a chance to taste. The best part was take it away and to enjoy the dish by the sea! With just short walk we headed to Playa de la Malvarossa, the beach located near to the city, and enjoyed the palm trees promenade and fresh breeze of the sea!
The last experience came with the most sunny day of our trip – we headed to the City of Arts and Science. Famous for the futuristic architecture and beautiful reflections in the nearby pools, where the aquarium, science museum, and opera house is located. The perfect spot for the architecture photographers or just for the walk to enjoy the views. With the festive atmosphere all over the city, end of the year celebration in Valencia turned out to be a memorable way to welcome the new year, that’s for sure!
