Valencia, Spain - things to do and see
- Thread starter Nickster
- Start date
Dr. Furface
One small step for me
hipipol
Peckham Wry
Placa De la Virgin
Have a look at the Old Basilica, the foundations include headstones from a Roman cemetry
One desrcibes a "Valorus Vetrani" who had fought against the "Iceni and Belgae", both Britsh tribes who rebeled against the Romans under Queen Boudica
A fantastic city, love it
PS The main Policia Local office has a chapel which was built by the Knights Templar
Love the place
Have a look at the Old Basilica, the foundations include headstones from a Roman cemetry
One desrcibes a "Valorus Vetrani" who had fought against the "Iceni and Belgae", both Britsh tribes who rebeled against the Romans under Queen Boudica
A fantastic city, love it
PS The main Policia Local office has a chapel which was built by the Knights Templar
Love the place
chainsaw cat
Tea. Biccies. Happy now?
One of the best cities i have ever been to, don't worry about planning your stay, you'll have a fantastic time whatever your prreferences.
SCRUNY said:
Will do. I'm going with this college
http://www.estudiohispanico.com/index-valencia.html
Last year I went to Santander for a month with another college
http://www.uimp.es/home.asp
Had an awesome time, and my spanish improved massively. Highly recommended!
lang rabbie
Je ne regrette les gazebos
The Mercado Central (covered market) is a fantastic experience for food, Modernista (i.e Art Nouveau) architecture and people watching. Unfortunately the central glass dome is obscured by scaffolding as the place gets its first refurbishment since the Spanish Civil War.
The medieval Lonja (Silk Market) over the road is worth a visit while you're there - amazing barley sugar columns.
The former curving route of the River Turia is now a 4km linear park all the way from the north west of the city down to the new Ciudad de las Artes y Ciencas (CAC) designed by Calatrava nearer to the port - it makes a really great green jogging circuit for the early morning or evening in what can otherwise be an oppressively dusty city in summer.
It looks like your school is actually on the tram route (metro Linea 4) to the beach - the trams can get ridiculously busy as much of the various universities' new campuses are all in that district. This line doesn't actually go into the city - it is often easier to get off at Pont de Fusta stop and walk across that bridge into the old city rather than staying on for another ten minutes and changing lines to get back across the river.
IIRC the town beaches are still too polluted to have blue flag status - only really sunbathing and clubbing locations so you need to get out of town if you are into watersports.
The medieval Lonja (Silk Market) over the road is worth a visit while you're there - amazing barley sugar columns.
The former curving route of the River Turia is now a 4km linear park all the way from the north west of the city down to the new Ciudad de las Artes y Ciencas (CAC) designed by Calatrava nearer to the port - it makes a really great green jogging circuit for the early morning or evening in what can otherwise be an oppressively dusty city in summer.
It looks like your school is actually on the tram route (metro Linea 4) to the beach - the trams can get ridiculously busy as much of the various universities' new campuses are all in that district. This line doesn't actually go into the city - it is often easier to get off at Pont de Fusta stop and walk across that bridge into the old city rather than staying on for another ten minutes and changing lines to get back across the river.
IIRC the town beaches are still too polluted to have blue flag status - only really sunbathing and clubbing locations so you need to get out of town if you are into watersports.
gaijingirl
Well-Known Member
I stayed there for 6 months in 1995 and only really remember the incredibly cheap cinemas, an amazing squat in the old town where I used to hang out, the filled in river and going to see a fireworks display (in the park in the river bed) which had absolutely no concept of health and safety... we had to brush off the burning cardboard which had fallen from the sky!! 
I still remember the street I lived on... Calle Luis Santander... and the cars that used to park 3 abreast - they'd leave their handbrakes off so you could push 4 or 5 together from the outer layer on a street in order to leave enough gap to get your own car (in the 2nd layer) out.
I imagine it's changed a lot since I went there, but it was a great place at that time.
I still remember the street I lived on... Calle Luis Santander... and the cars that used to park 3 abreast - they'd leave their handbrakes off so you could push 4 or 5 together from the outer layer on a street in order to leave enough gap to get your own car (in the 2nd layer) out.I imagine it's changed a lot since I went there, but it was a great place at that time.
hipipol
Peckham Wry
El Carm
Getting trendied up, but the market is on the edge, by the old Silk Exchange, just behind, little sq with ace old style cafe, decent menu del Dia just an amazing city, your getting their just in time, get railway station, all so gorgeous
You cant help but get off on the place
South of that you,ve got Denia,Xabia, Calpe, Altea......
All good
Getting trendied up, but the market is on the edge, by the old Silk Exchange, just behind, little sq with ace old style cafe, decent menu del Dia just an amazing city, your getting their just in time, get railway station, all so gorgeous
You cant help but get off on the place
South of that you,ve got Denia,Xabia, Calpe, Altea......
All good
Donna Ferentes
jubliado
gaijingirl
Well-Known Member
Donna Ferentes said:
That's exactly what I spoke about in my post just above!
Donna Ferentes
jubliado
Ah, bugger. Sorry.
gaijingirl
Well-Known Member
Donna Ferentes said:
*feels guilty*
No problem......
you can have the Valencia dodgy/bizarre parking story, I'll swap it for some amusing chess anecdote!.... As promised here is my report:
4 hours of classes a day plus an hour of culture class...pretty heavy going, but the standard of teaching was very high (and the beach was nearby!). Unlike other courses I've been on they were big on grammar although there was also plenty of opportunities for conversation practice. The college was actually run by another language school called Don Quijote which has colleges in every major Spanish city. There was a level test the first day to determine which class you should enter (classes are limited to maximum of 8 but in mine we had just 3 people at one point!) The class structure followed EU recognised progression: Inital, Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, Superior, Proficient (each of these lasting about 6 weeks so in theory you should be able to go from speaking no spanish to being fluent in 9 months - highly unlikely methinks!) Got a certificate at the end of it and you can sit an exam if you want to or have to (i chickened out of that!)
The student residence wasn't so good - your average university hall I guess, unfortunately had to share it with lots of American high school kids! So my recommendation is to opt for a student flat (only as long as it has air-con coz some of them didn't and you REALLY felt the heat at night!)
Valencia itself is a fantastic city and I've fallen in love with the place. Loads of stuff to do, festivals all year round. Was a bit worried that everyone would speak Valenciano and not Español but it wasn't a problem - everyone spoke castilliano spanish. Can't wait to go back!
4 hours of classes a day plus an hour of culture class...pretty heavy going, but the standard of teaching was very high (and the beach was nearby!). Unlike other courses I've been on they were big on grammar although there was also plenty of opportunities for conversation practice. The college was actually run by another language school called Don Quijote which has colleges in every major Spanish city. There was a level test the first day to determine which class you should enter (classes are limited to maximum of 8 but in mine we had just 3 people at one point!) The class structure followed EU recognised progression: Inital, Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, Superior, Proficient (each of these lasting about 6 weeks so in theory you should be able to go from speaking no spanish to being fluent in 9 months - highly unlikely methinks!) Got a certificate at the end of it and you can sit an exam if you want to or have to (i chickened out of that!)
The student residence wasn't so good - your average university hall I guess, unfortunately had to share it with lots of American high school kids! So my recommendation is to opt for a student flat (only as long as it has air-con coz some of them didn't and you REALLY felt the heat at night!)
Valencia itself is a fantastic city and I've fallen in love with the place. Loads of stuff to do, festivals all year round. Was a bit worried that everyone would speak Valenciano and not Español but it wasn't a problem - everyone spoke castilliano spanish. Can't wait to go back!
hipipol
Peckham Wry
Valencia, getting more Anglo friendly
http://webcam.comunitatvalenciana.com/webcam.htm?AVT_SESION_ID=c58bfed41eac91b7f4284146ce1ce677#
The Placa d'el Virgin is streaming, feel like you is there!!!!
A bit of Spanish helps....
But you dont need much
http://webcam.comunitatvalenciana.com/webcam.htm?AVT_SESION_ID=c58bfed41eac91b7f4284146ce1ce677#
The Placa d'el Virgin is streaming, feel like you is there!!!!
A bit of Spanish helps....
But you dont need much
editor
hiraethified
It's an amazing place
The incredible futuristic City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia, Spain – in photos
The incredible futuristic City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia, Spain – in photos
shakespearegirl
just worked out taglines
Bumpety bump, headed to Valencia for a long weekend in February- any recent recommendations on eating, drinking, general mooching
Johnny Vodka
The Abominable Scotsman
Thinking I might do an Alicante/Valencia double bill in May. What would be a good number of days to stay in Valencia? I can be away for a week, give or take a couple of days.
DJWrongspeed
radio eros
I'd say 2days, it's a lovely city and somewhere more tourists should go i.e. not Barcelona.
If you have a car then Mirador de Gabi is a great way to explore the Serra. Other places are the beaches of Benicassim, old town Denia or the spa town of Montanejos to cool off in the hills.
shakespearegirl
just worked out taglines
We went for 3 nights last year and felt like we hardly scratched the surface!
Favelado
I'm loving Engels instead.
I'd like it if all the tourists just stayed in Barcelona. Valencia feels like it's well on the way to getting ruined so anything anyone can do to cool it down as a destination would be great.
Favelado
I'm loving Engels instead.
Have a good one mate.
