Valencia is Spain's third-largest city, a Mediterranean port where a Roman foundation, a Gothic silk exchange and Santiago Calatrava's white curves all fit into one walk. It is also the home of paella and of a festival that burns hundreds of giant sculptures every March. Here are the facts and stories that make the city special.
10 fun facts about Valencia
- Founded by Roman veterans: Valencia began in 138 BC as Valentia, a town for soldiers who had fought for Rome in the west of the Iberian Peninsula. Its old forum lay where the cathedral and the Plaza de la Virgen are today.
- A court that has met for centuries: every Thursday at noon, the Water Tribunal sits outside the Apostles' Door of the cathedral to settle disputes between farmers over irrigation water. UNESCO added it to its intangible heritage list in 2009.
- A cup said to be the Holy Grail: a chapel in Valencia Cathedral keeps an agate cup venerated as the Holy Chalice used at the Last Supper. King Alfonso the Magnanimous handed it to the cathedral in 1437, and it is still on display today.
- A stock exchange that looks like a palm grove: La Lonja de la Seda, the silk exchange, was built between 1482 and 1533. In its Hall of Columns, twisted pillars rise and fan out into the vault like palm trees. It became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996.
- A bullring modelled on Rome: the Plaza de Toros, known in Valencian as the Plaça de Bous, was built between 1850 and 1859 by the architect Sebastián Monleón. Its neoclassical brick front, with 384 arches, was inspired by the Colosseum.
- One of Europe's largest food markets: the Mercado Central was built between 1914 and 1928 and covers more than 8,000 square metres under iron, glass and colourful tiles.
- Two medieval gates still stand: the Torres de Serranos, begun in 1392, once guarded the road from the north. The walls of the Torres de Quart still show the marks of cannonballs fired during the French siege of 1808.
- A science city in a former riverbed: the City of Arts and Sciences, designed largely by Santiago Calatrava, opened its first building, the eye-shaped Hemisfèric, in 1998. Its Oceanogràfic is one of the largest aquariums in Europe.
- A drink made from tubers: horchata, or orxata in Valencian, is made from tiger nuts grown in the fields around Alboraya, just north of the city. The tiger nuts of Valencia have their own protected designation of origin.
- A festival that burns its art: during Las Fallas, from 15 to 19 March, neighbourhood groups put up huge satirical sculptures of wood, cardboard and foam. On the night of 19 March almost all of them are set on fire. UNESCO listed the festival as intangible heritage in 2016.
The flood that gave Valencia a park
For most of its history the river Turia ran right past the old town. On 14 October 1957, after days of heavy rain, it burst its banks and flooded the city, killing at least 81 people. To stop it happening again, Spain approved the Plan Sur in 1961, and between 1964 and 1973 the river was diverted into a new channel about three kilometres to the south. The plan for the empty riverbed was a motorway, but residents campaigned under the slogan 'the riverbed is ours and we want it green'. They won. Today the Turia Garden is a ribbon of parkland about eight and a half kilometres long, with orange trees, football pitches, running paths and a giant Gulliver playground.
What to eat in Valencia
- Paella valenciana: the original paella has no seafood. It is rice cooked with chicken, rabbit, flat green beans and garrofó butter beans, ideally over a wood fire, and it is a lunch dish, not a dinner one.
- All i pebre: an eel stew with garlic, paprika and potatoes from the Albufera lagoon, best eaten in the village of El Palmar.
- Horchata with fartons: a glass of cold tiger nut milk with long, soft, sugar-glazed buns for dunking.
- Agua de Valencia: despite the name, a cocktail of fresh orange juice, cava, gin and vodka, served by the jug to share.
Good to know before you go
- The Albufera Natural Park, a large freshwater lagoon surrounded by rice fields, lies just south of the city. A boat ride at sunset from El Palmar is the classic way to see it.
- If you visit during Las Fallas, book your accommodation early and expect closed streets, crowds and a lot of noise. If you prefer a quiet visit, avoid mid-March.
- Climb the Micalet, the cathedral's bell tower, for the best view over the old town's rooftops and domes.
Explore Valencia with World City Trail
Our Valencia scavenger hunt turns these sights into a game you play on your phone. The route links 10 stops and takes around two hours, with about 43 minutes of walking, and its stops include the Plaça de Bous, the City Hall, the Mercado Central and La Lonja de la Seda.
At each stop you solve a puzzle and hear a short story, at your own pace. You can start whenever you like and play in English, German, French, Italian, Spanish or Dutch.
Play the Valencia scavenger hunt →
Facts checked in October 2026.