The City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia is one of the main cultural and leisure attractions in town and one the most important architectural complexes in Europe. It is like a little village inside Valencia, boasting enchanting buildings and interesting exhibitions. If you’re living in Valencia or you’re going there for a weekend trip, this dreamy place is definitely a must-visit site.

Boasting a surface of 350.000 square meters, the City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia (also known as Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències) is the masterpiece signed by the architects Santiago Calatrava and Félix Candela. This huge complex is made up of five buildings and other elements, such as bridges and squares; it has a futuristic design, according to the characteristics of the “organic architecture”, but it still holds Mediterranean features, such as bright spaces and surfaces and the blue pools.

Ready to have a virtual walk with us? Here we listed for you the main attractions in the City of Arts and Sciences and a brief description of each one of them.

Guide to visit the City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia

Hemisfèric

The first stop of our brief itinerary is the Hemisfèric, also known as Planetarium. This building resembles a giant eye in the middle of a water pool. This enchanting architectural work was the first one completed in 1998. The aluminium shutter opens to reveal an eye-like effect (it’s said it looks like the iris of the eye) and it hosts the IMAX Cinema. But the Hemisfèric is more than a cinema: it also works as a planetarium and a laserium, a laser lighting display.

El Museu de les Ciències Príncipe Felipe

Science is the leitmotif of this incredible building: from lights shows to DNA. The original shape of this museum resembles a whale skeleton and it levels on three floors: the ground floor is home to a basketball court, the first one has a lovely view on the Turia Gardens, while the second floor hosts “The legacy of science” and the third one the “Chromosome Forest”. As the name suggests, this building was thought of as an interactive science museum. 

Umbracle

The half-open structure of the Umbracle building gives the feeling of a long seaside promenade, mixed up with majestic modern architecture, featuring fixed and floating arches. It’s home to many indigenous plants, such as lavender, rosemary, palm trees, rockrose and much more and it‘s a 320 meters long walk.

Umbracle Terrace also is the name of the amazing and elegant nightclub that stands right next to this building, where you will spend the best nights of your Valencian experience!

Oceanogràfic in the City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia

This aquarium is the largest one in Europe, with a 110’000 square meters surface and it boasts 42 million liters of water! The Oceanografic has the incredible shape of a water lily and it’s home to many species from all over the world. If you want to spend an unforgettable day with your homies or if you want to surprise your family and friends visiting you in Valencia, get the tickets here!

El Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía

This pretty building works as an Opera House and performing arts centre; it’s divided into four areas: the main hall, the master hall, the auditorium and the Martin y Soler theatre. We may consider this as our favourite building: an elegant jewel with an extraordinary architecture. We definitely love it! 

El Pont de l’Assut de l’Or

In this futuristic scene city, there are pools, buildings, green areas, squares and also bridges. Pont de l’Assut de l’Or is white cable-stayed bridge, whose tower is the highest viewpoint in the city!

Àgora

Inspired by the ancient Greek agora, this covered square with metal and crystal materials is used to host performances, exhibitions and many important events that liven up the enchanting City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia.

City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia: how to get there

For our tenants living in the Camins al Grau area, reaching the beautiful complex of the City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia is going to be quite easy: just by walking, by bike (or by bus for the laziest ones!). 

• Those who live a little further, they can use the metro service: catch line 3 (red) and 5 (green) to Alameda stop and you’ll find the complex approximately 15 minutes walk from the station.
• Or you can also use a train to either Estación del Norte (main city station) or Cabanyal and then a bus that will take you to the City of Arts and Sciences.
• The bus line active in this area is the number 95 and you can find it crossing to the other side of the river Turia.
• Car owners, no worries, there’s an available underground parking for you, at the Umbracle building.

Our little guide is over and we truly hope you enjoyed our tips to spend a fun day in one of the most beautiful architectural complexes in the world!