Valencia is sometimes called València. In the Autonomous Community of Valencia it’s the capital city. It happens to be the most populous one as well. Today, Valencia stands 3^rd among the largest Spanish cities. It has a population as large as 814,208 (according to the data of 2009). In the whole EU, it’s the fifteenth most densely inhabited municipality. Around 1,564,145 people now reside in the Valencian urban areas, whereas around 1,705,742 now reside within the metropolitan area of Valencia.

Today, it’s integrated totally into a modern industrial area at the Costa del Azahar. The main festival of Valencia is Falles, which is renowned worldwide, whereas the customary dishes or paellas are originated from around different parts of Valencia. This city now contains a highly dense heritage of monuments, which includes the Llotja de la Seda (it has been declared a World Heritage Site in 1996). Still, apart from all that, the prime landmark of this area is certainly the City of Arts & Sciences, which happens to be one of the most promising avant-garde museum complexes.

Valencia has lots of interesting structures featuring unique architecture. The olden winding streets with the Barrio del Carmen have buildings that date as early as Roman or Arabic times. Take the Cathedral for instance, as it was built artistically between the thirteenth and fifteenth centuries. This sanctuary is mainly featuring Gothic styling, but you sure could find elements of Baroque along with Romanesque architectures. Alongside the Cathedral remains the Gothic Basilica of the Virgin (which is also known as the Basílica De La Virgen De Los Desamparados). Today, the fifteenth century Serrano as well as the Quart towers remain as the parts of the walls which surrounded the city once upon a time.

Silk exchange marketplace of Valencia was given official recognition by the UNESCO. This market is called the La Lonja de la Seda and is erected during the early on Valencian gothic period. Today, it’s among the World Heritage Sites. The modern day Central Market (or Mercado Central) has become among the largest and most hectic in Europe. And the major railway station here is called Estación Del Norte. It’s built in a prominently modernisme (the Spaniard version of Art Nouveau) style.

World-renowned (as well as city-born) veteran architect called Santiago Calatrava actually produced a futuristic City of Arts & Sciences which is known as the Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències. It now contains a nice opera house that is used as arts centre. Other things comprise a specialized science museum and an IMAX planetarium. Besides these, people also come here to visit the oceanographic park as well as other fascinating structures like the long and covered walkway or restaurants. This architect has also contributed in the design of the bridge which is named after him at the city center. Among the highly modernized architectures of Valencia, there is the Music Palace (also known as the Palau De La Música).

The largest among the city squares in Valencia is the Plaça de l'Ajuntament. It contains a large town hall (called ajuntament) together with a cinema that features classic movies (such as the John Adolphsen). Besides this, there are numerous restaurants or bars. You could hear some raucous fireworks of the mascletà each afternoon in the Las Fallas. These days, the Plaça de la Verge comprises the Basilica of the Virgin as well as the Turia fountain. Today, it’s amongst the most popular spots that locals and tourists hang out with. You can also find the Plaça de la Reina here, witch matches well with the scenic settings of the Cathedral, beautiful orange trees alongside numerous bars and gourmet restaurants. For tourists in Valencia, the Turia River is also worth watching.