The city was founded by the Romans in 138 b.C. on the banks of the river Turia, in a strategic location at the conflux of various communication routes linking it to the rest of the Iberian Peninsula. It reached its greatest splendour during the Arab domination. It was reconquered by El Cid in 1094 and subsequently by James I of Aragon in 1238. Valencia is currently the capital of the Region of Valencia and is one of the key ports of the Mediterranean. Population: 807,200

Tourist Information: Tourist-info Valencia Plaza de la Reina, Plaza de la Reina, 19 ( 96 315 39 31). Open Monday to Saturday 9:00 to 19:00 and Sunday 10:00 to 14:00. Tourist-info Valencia Airport, arrival level in terminal building ( 96 153 02 29). Open Monday to Friday 8:30 to 20:30 and weekends 9:30 to 17:30. Tourist-info Valencia Dipitación, Poeta Querol ( 96 351 49 07). Open Monday to Friday 9:30 to 19:00, Saturday 10:00 to 14:00 and Sunday 11:00 to 14:00.Tourist-info Valencia Renfe, North Railway Station, Xátiva, 24 ( 96 352 85 73) Open Monday to Saturday from 9:00 to 19:00 and Sunday 10:00 to 14:00. More information at www.turisvalencia.es ( 010).

Weather: Valencia enjoys a mediterranean weather with hot summers and warm winters. This is the current weather:

Telephones: Valencia code number is 96, even necessary for local calls. For international calls dial 00 plus the country code you wish to call. Public telephones works with coins and prepaid cards on sale at newsagents. For telephone information dial 11888 or 11822.

Airport: Manises airport - VLC is located 8 km west from the city, along A3 highway in the Manises and Quart de Poblet locations ( 96 159 85 00).It is comunicated with the city center by Metro lines 3 & 5 (fare 1.70 € / 25 minute trip) and Aerobus to Cid Avenue with Burgos Street, Bailén & Angel Guimerá with Juan Llorens (fare 2.50 €). Taxi fare to central Valencia cost around 18 €.

Train Station: Estació del Nord, Xátiva, 24. Estació del Grau, Manuel Soto St, next to the port ( 902 24 02 02). Well communicated by high speed trains with Barcelona (Euromed trains) and Madrid (Alaris trains) and long distance trains with other points in the Iberian peninsula.

Bus Station: Estación Central, Menéndez Pidal, 13 ( 96 346 62 66).

Port: Trasmediterránea, Passenger Terminal, Muelle de Poniente ( 902 45 46 45). Balearia, Estación Marítima ( 902 160 180).

Public Transport: Valencia is interconnected by a Metro/tram system ( 902 46 10 46) and a bus EMT network ( 96 315 85 15). There are also a night bus service from Ayuntamiento. Single bus trip cost 1.25 €, single Metro trip 1.40 € (round trip 2.40 €), 10 bus trip ticket (bonobus) 6 €, 10 Metro trip ticket (bonometro) 6.50 € & 10 combined bus-Metro trips (bono transbordo B-T) 7.45 €. There are also combined tickets for 1, 2 & 3 days (T1, T2 & T3) for 3.50 €, 6 € & 8.60 €, and monthly cards 37.40 € for adults and 28.05 € for youngsters. All tickets -except single ones- are sold through Móbilis cards, with a validity of 1 & 5 years depending on their materials. Cards are sold in ticket offices, vending machines and authorised dealers at 1 & 2 €, plus the recharge needed.

Taxis: Minimum charge from 6:00 to 22:00 is 1.25 €, plus 0.77 € each kilometre (0.89 € on Saturdays and bank days) in zone A and 0.89 € each kilometre (0.97 € on Saturdays and bank days) in zone B. From 22:00 to 6:00 minimun charge is 1.60 €, plus 0.89 € each kilometre in zone A and 0.97 € in zone B. Airport supplement is 3.50 €. Radio Taxi, 96 370 33 33. Tele Taxi, 96 357 13 13. Rapid Taxi, 96 374 02 02. Auto Taxis, 96 395 95 60. Customer Service telephone: 96 316 07 00.

Bike rentals: Valencia Bikes, Paseo de la Pechina, 32 ( Turia). Open Monday to Friday from 9:00 to 18:00. Valencia Bikes, 24 hours a day on the gas stations of Av. Baleares, 20, Av. Primado Reig, 76 & Valle de la Ballestera, 44. Doyoubike, in plaza Marqués de Busianos, Av. del Puerto, 21 & Puebla Larga, 13. Open Monday to Friday from 9:30 to 14:00 and 17:00 to 20:30, Saturday from 9:30 to 14:00. Segway, 1 & 2 hour tour along historical city at 30 € & 50 €.

Lost & Found: Santa Cruz de Tenerife, 1( 96 352 54 78). Open Monday to Friday 8:00 to 20:00.

Medical Assistance: La Fé Hospital, Av. Campanar, 21 ( 96 386 27 00). Clínico Hospital, Av. Blasco Ibáñez, 17 ( 96 386 26 00). Malva-Rosa Hospital, Isabel de Villena, 2 ( 96 398 99 00).

24 hour pharmacies: Profesor Beltrán Bàguena, 8 ( Túria). Centro Comercial El Saler ( 13, 14, 15, 35 y 95). Reino de Valencia, 65 (L'Eixample). Marqués del Turia, 55 ( Colón). Convento Jerusalén, 22 ( Xátiva).

Emergencies: All the emergencies: 112; Medical Service: 061; National Police: 091; Local Police: 092; Firemen: 080.

Restaurants: Neco, Pascual y Genis, 8. Mediterranean buffet at reasonable prices (Colón). Can Bermell, Santo Tomás, 18. Valencian cuisine in Carmen Quartier. El Romeral, Gran Vía Marqués del Turia, 62 (Colón). From 1944 home-made cuisine at reasonable prices. La Marcelina, Av. Neptuno, 8 ( Neptú). Beside the port, great variety of rice dishes. L'Estimat, Av. Neptuno, 16-18 ( Neptú). Anothe venue with rice dishes. Asador Aurora, El Bachiller, 1 ( Benimaclet). Castillian cuisine. Tokio, Av. Pío XII, 1 ( Túria). Japanese dishes at reasonable price. Albacar, Sorní, 35 ( Colón). Imaginative cuisine. El Timonel, Félix Pizcueta, 13 ( Xátiva). Home-made cuisine.

Cafés & horchatas: Bolsería, Bolsería, 41. A two floors design café in the middle of Carmen Quartier. Sant Miquel, Sant Miquel, 13. Peaceful café next to the other. Horchatería Daniel, Av. de la Horchata, 41 - Alboraya ( Palmaret). A big restaurant next to the Metro station. They serve one of the best horchatas in town. Horchatería Panach, Av. de la Horchata, 19 - Alboraya ( Palmaret). Another famous horchatería. Horchatería Bon Aire, Av. de la Horchata, 28 - Alboraya ( Palmaret). The same than the others.

Pubs & Clubs: Most night venus spread around Carmen Quartier, specially on Quart and Caballeros Street. On summer nights many locals go to the Port area and Arenas beach, to Luna Rossa, Eugenia Viñes ( Les Arenes), at the back of Las Arenas. Johnny Maracas, Caballeros, 39. Multicultural pub with salsa and capoeira nights. Woody, Menéndez y Pelayo, 25 ( Facultats). Theatre-café next to the University. Number One, Pl. Cánovas del Castillo, 6 ( Colón). Design pub at the entrance of the old town. Habana Club, Juan Llorens, 41-43 ( Angel Guimerà). Open Wednesday to Saturday 23:00 to 6:00. Rumbo 144, Avenida Blasco Ibáñez, 144 ( Amistat). Ambiente universitario. Venga Acá, Av. Gaspar Aguilar, 17 ( Patraix). Latin music. Fox Congo, Caballeros, 35. A cool designer bar. Radio City, Santa Teresa, 19. Live music. Sant Patrick's, Gran Via Marqués del Turia, 69 ( Colón). Irish pub.

Gay venues: Venial, Quart, 26. Gay club. Deseo 54, Pepita, 15 ( Sagunt). Beside Serranos Towers, club for youngers.

Beaches: Malvarrosa and Las Arenas beaches are just north from the port, well-comunicated by Metro. These are most visited by valencian and foreigners. Out from the city to the south are Pinedo, El Saler, La Devesa and Recatí-Perellonet.

Times changes, timetables and prices vary continuously, attractions that were once interesting are no longer so a year later, and others that were not even mentioned become a must in no time. For this reason, at infoidiomas.com we are always updating and we would be grateful if our clients would tell us about details and information that has become obsolete. We will acknowledge them by publishing their names in future editions.

Quart Towers

The centre of the city is the plaza of the Town Hall, the façade of which is of eclectic style, which was built in the 20th century ( Xátiva; Monday to Friday from 9:00 to 13:00). It is the starting point for some of the main thoroughfares, such as the Avenida de María Cristina, at the end of which is located the Market Square that contains the Central Market, constructed in the modernist style in the early 20th century ( Monday to Saturday from 8:00 to 15:00); the Silk Exchange -known as that of the Merchants- built in the Gothic style between 1482 and 1498 to house the Court of the Consolat del Mar ( Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00 to 14:00 and 16:30 to 20:30, Sunday from 10:00 to 15:00; adults 2 €, students 1 €, free on weekends) and the church of the Santos Juanes, built in the 14th century in the Gothic style and subsequently adapted to Baroque. In this tangle of streets can be found some of the most outstanding Gothic palaces in the city, and the corners with the most character, such as the Plaza Redonda, erected in 19th century and named as the "clot" (the hole) and the churches of Santa Catalina -in the Plaza de Santa Catalina- and San Nicolás -in the Calle Caballeros- built in the Gothic style and adapted to Baroque in the 18th century. To the west of the Plaza del Mercado -if we leave it along Calle Quart- stand the Quart Towers, constructed in cylindrical shapes in the 15th century to defend the city ( bus 5, 7, 60 & 81; Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00 to 14:00 and 16:30 to 20:30, Sunday from 10:00 to 15:00; free entrance). Immediately opposite lie the Botanical Gardens ( Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 14:00 and 16:30 to 20:30 depending on weather conditions; 1 €), which houses the Natural History Museum ( bus 95; weekends from 11:00 to 14:00; free entrance), and adjacent to it the Church of San Miguel and San Sebastian.

Tower of the Micalet

Back in the square, if we go up the Calle Salines we come to the Valldigna Gate which was part of the old Arab walls ( bus 5, 16, 28 & 29); and on our right the buildings of the Palau de la Generalitat -in Caballeros, 2- characterised by their Gothic turrets and a magnificent patio; and the palaces of Baylia and the Marqués de Scala in plaza de Manises, the headquarters of the Valencia province government ( bus 6, 8, 9, 11, 16, 28, 70 & 71). In the nearby Plaza de la Virgen stands the Basilica of the Desamparados which honours the city's patron saint and was built in baroque style on Roman forum ( daily from 7:00 to 14:00 and from 16:30 to 21:00) and the Cathedral built in several styles with its three doors: Hierros (baroque), Apostoles (gothic) and Palau (romanic) ( bus 6, 8, 9, 11, 16, 28, 70 & 71; Monday to Saturday from 10:00 to 17:30 and Sunday from 14:00 to 17:30, on summer until 18:30; audio-guide 3.50 €), the south façade of which looks onto the adjoining Plaza de la Reina, which offers the finest view of the octagonal belfry tower of the Micalet, and where the church of San Martín stands, with its Baroque interior and Gothic exterior. Back at the Plaza de la Virgen and entering the Calle Almirante, we come to the Almudín, a Gothic building of the 14th century used as a storage warehouse transformed into a temporally exhibition hall ( Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00 to 14:00 and from 16:30 to 20:30, Sunday from 10:00 to 15:00; adults 2 €), the church of San Esteban where Saint Vicente Ferrer was baptised, and the Palacio Marqués de Campo -in plaza del Arzobispo, 3- which currently houses the City Museum ( Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00 to 14:00 and from 16:30 to 20:30, Sunday from 10:00 to 15:00; adults 2 €, students 1 €), and open to the archaeological site of the Almoina ( bus 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 16, 26, 28, 31, 36, 70, 71, 80 & 95; Friday from 16:00 to 20:00, weekends from 10:00 to 20:00; free entrance). The nearby Palacio del Almirante -in the Calle Palau on the corner with Calle Avellanes- retains 14th century Arab baths which constitute the largest site of Arab colonisation in the city ( bus 4, 6, 8, 9, 11, 16, 28, 36, 70 y 71; Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00 to 14:00 and from 18:00 to 20:00, Sunday from 10:00 to 14:00). To our left stands the Palacio Arzobispal -built last century-, and to our right -at the confluence with Calle Milagro- the churches of Santo Tomás and San Juan del Hospital, erected in the Gothic Style by the Maltese Order in the 14th century.

Hemisfèric inside Art and Science City

Queen Sofia Palace of Arts inside Art and Science City

Going up the Calle Navellos we come to the Palau dels Borja, the headquarters of the Courts of the Region of Valencia, and beyond the 14th century Serranos Towers in plaza de los Fueros ( Pont de Fusta; Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00 to 14:00 and from 16:30 to 20:30, Sunday from 10:00 to 15:00; adults 2 €, under 12 & students 1 €), which lead to the Gothic bridges of the Real (Royal), the Trinidad, Serranos, and San José over the former bed of the river Turia, currently used for gardens and sporting facilities. On our left stands the Church of the Carmen, the house and museum of the painter José Benlliure in the Calle Blanquerías at number 23 ( Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00 to 14:00 and from 16:30 to 20:00, Sunday from 10:00 to 15:00; adults 2 €, students 1 €), and the Valencia Institute of Modern Art-IVAMJulio González Centre -in Guillem de Castro 118- a building from 1989 with eight galleries of permanet and temporary exhibitions ( Tuesday to Sunday October to May from 10:00 to 19:00 and June to September 10:00 to 22:00; adults 2 €, students 1 €, free on Sundays), which shares its works with Carmen Centre in the Calle Na Jordada.

clock building in the ferry terminal

Back along the former river bed we come to the Church of the Temple opposite the Fine Arts Museum ( Pont de Fusta; Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 20:00; free entrance) and the Royal Gardens -in General Elio Street- within which is located the Natural Science Museum ( Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00 to 14:00 and from 16:30 to 20:30, Sunday from 10:00 to 15:00; adults 2 €, under 12 & students 1 €). If we continue along the river, we come to the recent Palau de la Música -in paseo de la Alameda, 30- built by José Mª Paredes in 1987 and the Art and Science City, where the largest oceanographic park in Europe can be visited ( bus 19, 35, 40 y 95; adults 21.20 €, children under 12 y.o. 16 €, students up to the age of 25 and Youth Card holders a 15% discount on the adult price; 902 10 00 31), the Hemisfèric enclosures where enjoying audio-visual presentations on one giant screen ( adults 7.20 €, children under 12 y.o. 5.60 €, students up to the age of 25 and Youth Card holders a 15% discount), the Principe Felipe Science Museum ( Monday to Friday and Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00 and Saturday from 10:00 to 20:00; adults 7.20 €, children under 12 y.o. 5.60 €, students up to the age of 25 and Youth Card holders a 15% discount) and the Queen Sofía Palace of Arts made by the arquitect Santiago Calatrava open in October 2005. There is also a combined ticket for visiting the whole enclosure, valid for two consecutive days, that costs 28.80 and 21.60 € respectively. For more information visit www.cac.es. If we continue along the former river bed towards the port, we come to the dockyards in plaza Juan Antonio Benlliure ( Grau; Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00 to 14:00 and 16:30 to 20:30, Sunday from 10:00 to 15:00; adults 2 €, students 1 €) and the clock building that afford access to the ferry terminal.

Valencia Card allows free entrance to museums and monuments in the city and environs, unlimited use of public transportation and discounts on restaurants and shopping. Prices for 1, 2 & 3 days are 10, 16 & 20 €.

LAS FALLAS

The fallas are satirical monuments made of combustible material such as papier mâché and wood. They are set up to public view on the main squares and crossroads of the city from March 15 until they are finally burned in the cremá on the night of San José on 19 March. Specialised artists are entrusted with the design and elaboration of these original monuments, which are the result of the effort of each quarter whose inhabitants constitute falla commissions. They work throughout the year in order to create the most original ninot. Only exception is done by a ninot for popular request. Together with fire and smoke, powder and firecrackers are the essential elements of this Valencia festival.The Museo Fallero -in plaza Monteolivete, 4- exposes the Ninots Indultats from 1934 ( bus 13, 14 & 18; Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00 to 14:00 and 16:30 to 20:30, Sunday from 10:00 to 15:00; adults 2 €, students 1 €, free on weekends).