All Historic Sites in València

The Bell Tower El Miguelete is the symbol of the city of Valencia. It was made in the Gothic style, and was built between the years 1380 and 1429 to a height of 50 meters. Its terrace provides a wonderful view of the city. Its name comes from the great bell dedicated to San Miguel.

The Plaza de la Virgen houses some of the great architectural examples of Valencia, including the Basilica de la Virgen de los Desamparados, The Water Court, and Casa Vestuario.

The Lonja is an emblematic building of Valencia, and one of the most famous civil gothic monuments in Europe. It was declared a National Historic and Artistic Monument in July1931 and was made a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in December 1996. The Lonja is located in the centre of the city – in front of the Central Market and the Temple of Santos Juanes – and occupies a rectangular area of 1.990 square metres. Tickets: €2 or €1 for groups, students, pensioners, large families. Free entry on Sundays and public holidays.

The City Hall of Valencia is made up of two connected blocks: the Casa de la Enseñanza (the old Mayoral School) and the section that was added by the architects Francisco de Mora y Berenguer and Carlos Carbonell Pañella at the beginning of this century. The first block is characterised by its academic design, including baroque features on the front doors, while the newer part combines more traditional and mannerist styles. The City Council has been based there since 1934, and the building also houses the municipal archives, a museum, and various offices of the administration. The construction is modern, with lavish decoration and there is a clock tower in the centre of the building. Inside, the reception area, assembly halls and the formidable marble stairway are worth mentioning, while outside the elliptical domes decorated with glazed tiles and the great balcony covering the main part of the first floor are the most outstanding features.

The Mercat Central de Valencia (Valencia Central Market Hall) has always been known for the quality, variety and freshness of its products as well as the helpful, personalised service provided by its traders. In addition to the market’s main activity, the innovative and business-like character of the traders has made the market grow and improve day by day. Nowadays, it is an important place for the sale of fresh products and a major cultural and tourist attraction not only for foreign visitors but also for the people of Valencia. The Mercat Central de Valencia covers exactly 8,160 square metres divided into two areas or zones. The first one is an irregular shape with a surface area of 6,760 square metres and the other, which is octagonal and covers 1,400 square metres, houses the fish market. The basement, which has 7,690 square metres, was previously a fish auction and is now used as a car park. The Mercat Central brings together almost 400 small traders and 1,500 people are involved in its daily activity. It is the largest centre of its kind in Europe specialising in fresh products and the first market in the world to rise to the challenge of computerising sales and offering home delivery, services which have been available since 2nd October 1996. Nowadays, the Mercat Central is an important economic focal point of Valencia, not only because of the work of its traders but also because of the large number of visits it receives and events it organises.