Go Discover - InterContinental Hotels Group

Art & Architecture
3
Valencia
EYE-PoPPING MoDErN ArCHITECTUrE,
oNE oF THE CoUNTrY’S BEST
CoNTEMPorArY ArT GALLErIES AND
3KM oF BEACH FrINGING THE SIzzLING
MEDITErrANEAN CoAST – WHAT MorE
CoULD YoU WISH For FroM SPAIN’S
THIrD LArGEST CITY?
Sunny Valencia is an ideal
option for a short break,
or as a base for exploring the
surrounding region. Founded by
pensioned-off Roman legionaries
and for five centuries under
Muslim domination, Valencia’s
first golden age was in the
15th and 16th centuries when
it flourished as a trading port.
The historical city centre, with
its broad plazas, magnificent
cathedral (reputed home of
the Holy Grail) and Unesco
World Heritage listed La Lonja
commodity market hall, is a joy
to behold.
However, it’s Valencia’s
contemporary architecture that is
causing the biggest buzz today,
Hot tip!
with all eyes turned towards
the stunning Ciudad de las
Artes y las Ciencias (City of Arts
& Sciences). This 350,000 sq
metre complex is proving more
popular than Madrid’s Prado;
the highlight is the fabulous
Oceanogràfic aquarium. The
Institute Valenciano de Arte
Moderno (IVAM) is one of
Europe’s leading repositories of
contemporary art while the fine
art on display at the Museo de
Bellas Artes – including works by
El Greco, Murillo and Goya – has
benefited from an extensive
renovation of the building.
The harbour is also back in the
spotlight, spruced up for 2007’s
America’s Cup yachting regatta
from April to July.
Attend a concert at the monumental Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia, another
bold creation of Santiago Calatrava. It took nine years and over €250
million to build this ambitious arts complex, hailed as the 10th wonder of
the world.
Suggested Itinerary:
Day 1
A day will fly by at the Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias; the spectacular white
buildings are mostly the work of internationally renowned local architect Santiago
Calatrava and include the wonderful Oceanogràfic aquarium, the Museo de las
Ciencias Príncipe Felipe looking like the skeleton of a giant whale, and the brooding
Hemisfèric housing a planetarium, IMAX cinema and laser show.
Day 2
Head to Plaza del Mercado where you’ll find both the colourful Mercado Central
market and the former silk exchange La Lonja, a Gothic beauty whose rib-vaulted
ceiling is held aloft by soaring columns looking like giant sticks of barley sugar.
Later compare and contrast old and modern art at both the Museo de Bellas Artes
and Institute Valenciano de Arte Moderno. For dinner sample paella, the dish that
Valencia bequeathed to the world.
1km = 0.6 mile approximately. The featured distances on the map correspond to the approximate distance
between the city centre and the hotels. For a full list of hotels and other destinations, see pages 28-35.
Book online at www.ichotels.com/GoDiscover Call 00800 95 800 800 (from Europe) or 0870 400 8840 (from the UK only)
Eating out
La Lola (Subida del Toledano 8; +34 96 391 8045)
Suave and sophisticated, La Lola offers Spanish
nouvelle cuisine and incredibly tempting desserts.
Restaurante Submarino (Camino de las Moreras;
+34 96 197 5565)
Ignore the reproachful eyes of a thousand fish as
you dine at this elegant circular restaurant within
the Oceanogràfic.
Eating in
A delicious three course dinner is available from
€15 per person at Holiday Inn Valencia.
Where to stay: see map
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2
3
4
Holiday Inn Valencia from €75
Express by Holiday Inn:
Valencia Bonaire from €55
Valencia Ciudad de las Ciencias from €65
Valencia San Luis from €49
Prices include breakfast and are per room per night.
Valid 1 November 06 – 31 March 07.
If you like Valencia, why not
also visit Barcelona or Zaragoza?
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