On my way from Barcelona to Valencia, I was sitting on a train next to a lovely, older Valencian woman. She explained me everything about Valencia and suggested me things to do. I’m now going to share those things with you.

If you only have a few days to spend in this beautiful city, here are top 5 things to do in Valencia:

1. The City of Arts and Sciences

This is a must thing to do in Valencia as many of the buildings have become icons in the city. Oceanogràfic, The Hemisfèric, Príncipe Felipe Science Museum, Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia and The Ágora are the names of the buildings. Also, the bridge that crosses the former riverbed of the River Turia is quite a sight. Even if you don’t want to pay to go inside the buildings, you can admire the stunning architecture from a distance.

2. Plaza de la Virgen

Situated in the beautiful old town of Valencia, you can’t miss this square. It is one of the oldest squares in Valencia and very picturesque. Go there in the evening like I did and admire the beautiful lights.

3. Valencia Cathedral

This Roman Catholic parish church is located between Plaza de la Virgen and Plaza de la Reina. You can’t miss this if you are walking around in the city.

4. Playa de la Malvarrossa

You can take the bus number 19 from the train station (Estació del Nord) to the beach. This bus also passes The City of Arts and Sciences. The beach is wide and open with fine sand. Go swimming or enjoy your lunch with the ocean view.

5. Eat paella

Valencia is the city of paella, and you just can’t leave the city before trying this fantastic dish. If you are a vegan like me, there is also a vegan paella called Paella de verduras. There are a lot of touristy restaurants where paellas are overpriced. You should not pay more than 10€ for a paella. If you go to the Playa de la Malvarrossa, you will find affordable paellas there. Another recommendation for the city is a restaurant called Llèpol, Carrer d’Oltà 51, situated just next to Plaza de la Virgen. In Llèpol I paid around 8€ for paella de verduras.

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