48 Hours In: Valencia

WHY GO NOW?

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WHY GO NOW?

Because Spain's third city now has many more direct flights from Britain. And Valencia, which has its own language, Valenciano, also has some spectacular festivals. The next is on the second Sunday in May, when the feast of the Virgen de los Desamparados (Virgin of the Forsaken), the city's patron saint, will see the Plaza de la Virgen outside the city's basilica (1) filled with flowers.

TOUCH DOWN

Fly from Heathrow on Iberia (0845 850 9000; www.iberiaairlines.co.uk); from Bournemouth, Coventry and - starting 20 May - Doncaster Sheffield on Thomsonfly (0870 1900 737; www.thomsonfly.com); from Manchester on Jet2 (0871 226 1737; www.jet2.com); and from Stansted on easyJet (0905 821 0905; www.easyJet.com) or Ryanair (0871 246 0000; www.ryanair.com). The bus from the airport takes 45 minutes to reach the bus station(2) and costs €1 (70p). A taxi takes 15-20 minutes and costs around €10 (£7.50).

GET YOUR BEARINGS

The heart of Valencia is the old city, tucked into a loop of what used to be the river Turia - until a flood in the 1970s encouraged the diversion of the river, leaving the river bed as a 3km-long park crossed by many bridges. The old city is bounded on the west by the 15th-century Torres de Quart (3), pockmarked by cannon fire in the French invasion of 1808; on the north-east by Torres de Serrano (4), almost unreal in its restored perfection; and in the south by another gateway, the Estacion del Norte (5), its façade adorned with sculpted oranges and its interior with murals and stained glass depicting regional life. The narrow streets of the old town lead to squares and fine buildings like La Lonja (6), the old silk exchange, with its Gothic crenellated façade and twisted columns.

The main square, Plaza del Ayuntamiento (7), is a mix of architectural styles from the copper-domed splendour of the Town Hall through Rococo, Spanish colonial, Moorish to the plain Art Deco lines of the cinema. The main tourist office (8) is close by on Calle Poeta Querol (00 34 96 351 49 07; www.turisvalencia.es). It opens 9.30am-7pm from Monday to Friday, 10am- 2pm on Saturday and 11am-2pm on Sunday.

CHECK IN

The two-star HSVenecia on the Plaza del Ayuntamiento (7) (00 34 963 524 267; www.hotelvenecia.com) has rooms overlooking the plaza. Doubles start at €80 (£66), excluding breakfast and for an extra €12 (£8) check-out time can often be extended to 6pm. At the bottom end of the price range is the Home Deluxe Hostel (9) at 11 Calle Cadirers (00 34 963 914 691; www.likeathome.net), with its individual rooms and a terrace beneath the azure dome of the adjacent church. Beds start at €18 (£13), with breakfast. A recent upmarket addition is the stylish Palau de la Mar (10) at Navarro Reverter 14 (00 34 96 316 28 84; www.hospes.es). This 19th-century palace has been converted into a modern hotel. Double rooms start at €171 (£122), without breakfast.

TAKE A VIEW

The Miguelete, the octagonal bell-tower of the cathedral (11) is the best-known vantage point - as queues will indicate. It is open 10am-1pm daily (except Sundays, when it closes at 12.30om) and 5pm to 6.30pm, entry €2 (£1.40). For another perspective, go to Torres de Serrano (4), which is open 10am-2pm and 4pm-8.30pm Tuesday to Saturday, 10am-3pm on Sunday, closed Monday.

TAKE A HIKE

Walk from the bustling centre to the Jardin del Turia - along the old river bed, through groves of trees, past the glass-roofed Palau de Musica (12) with its dancing fountains, past Parque Gulliver (13), where a figure of a giant lies on the ground with children scrambling over it. The real reward of the trek, though, comes with the first glimpse of the City of Arts and Sciences (14), an eye-catching complex of futuristic glass and white metal buildings designed by the Valencian architect Santiago Calatrava (00 34 902 100 031; www.cac.es). The eyeball-shaped Hemisferic houses an IMAX cinema and a planetarium; while L'Oceanographic is Valencia's aquarium. Entrance to the complex costs €28 (£20).

LUNCH ON THE RUN

Visit the striking marketplace (one of the largest in Europe), opposite La Lonja (6). It has glorious wrought iron, stained glass and tiled insets on the wall, and sells everything from olives to ostrich eggs. It opens 8am-2.30pm weekdays, and on Saturdays until 3pm. Stalls on the edge sell paella valenciano: €4 (£2.80) for a metal foil container of yellow rice with butter beans, chicken and rabbit. Or try churros - deep fried dough - to be dipped in hot chocolate at one of the many stalls. To eat them in style, visit the Hortereria de Santa Catalina (15) in Calle Sombreria, which is tiled inside and out with scenes from Valencian life. Small cups of thick white hot chocolate are served at marble tables.

WINDOW SHOPPING

Thanks to Valencia's love of festivals and music, there are plenty of shops displaying different crafts like Luthiers (16) in Calle St Teresa (00 34 96 315 36 59) where one can see the craftsmen at work through the window. Mercado Colon (17), is a market built by a disciple of Gaudi - a soaring arched space constructed of wrought iron, tiles and bricks and now home to elegant glass-sided boutiques and cafés. It opens 9.30am-1.30pm and 4.30pm-8pm weekdays, 9.30am-2pm on Saturday.

On Sunday mornings around Plaza Redonda (18), a slightly down-at-heel circle of shops with names of original trades picked out in tiles over their doorways, is a pet market, with birds, kittens and puppies in boxes, ready for a speedy retreat should police appear.

CULTURAL AFTERNOON

The Instituto Valenciano de Arte Moderno (19) or IVAM, in Guillem de Castro (00 34 96 386 30 00) www.ivam.es) is rated as one of Europe's most modern art galleries and has a large collection of sculptures by Julio Gonzalez, a Catalan artist who collaborated with Picasso. It opens 10am-10pm daily except Monday, admission €2 (£1.40 - free on Sundays). A completely different experience can be found at the Museo Nacional de Ceramica (20), in the Palau del Marques de Dos Aguas in Calle Poeta Querol (00 34 963 516 392), which contains examples of Valencia's biggest industry: tiles. It opens 10am-2pm and 4-8pm from Tuesday to Saturday, admission €2.40 (£1.70) Even if it is closed, go just to look at the fine façade.

AN APERITIF

Every square and corner boasts a bar, many of them with added extras: in Plaza Dr Collado (21), Café Lisboa (00 34 96 391 94 84) has the advantage of shade from a huge olive tree - how it survived here is a wonder. Or try the Negrito (00 34 96 391 42 33) in Plaza Negrito (22). Agua de Valencia, served in glass jugs, is a local speciality. This looks like freshly squeezed orange juice, but it has a kick from added vodka and cava (sparking wine).

DINING WITH THE LOCALS

Ristorante Tapeneria (23) is a small cosy restaurant not far from the cathedral, in Calle Tapeneria (00 34 96 391 54 40). The three-course menu at €18 (£14) includes dishes like pasta with red pesto, osso bucco and swordfish, and it is open evenings only, 9.30-11.30pm. La Lluna (24) in Calle San Ramon (00 34 96 392 21 46) is a pleasant vegetarian restaurant with good desserts.

SUNDAY MORNING: GO TO CHURCH

Services are held in the cathedral (11) with its plain Gothic lines and striking lantern of milky glass panes, or - the city's pièce de résistance - the Chapel of the Holy Grail. This is the real thing - the chalice used at the Last Supper, as verified by Pope John Paul II. Masses here are on the hour from 8am-1pm. Or visit St Catalina - a 13th-century church whose Gothic curves have been rescued from the ruins.

OUT TO BRUNCH

Good tapas can be found at Café Del Mar (00 34 96 392 25 58) in Plaza Lope de Vega (25). Alternatively, try Café St Jaume (26), at Calle Caballeros 51 (00 34 96 391 24 01), an elegantly converted pharmacy with a pleasant tree-shaded courtyard in front.

A WALK IN THE PARK

Escape from the frenetic city by visiting the University Botanical Garden (27) in Calle de Quart (00 34 96 3 5 68 00). Stepping inside the gates, the sound of the traffic is replaced by the cooing of doves. There are good sections on succulents, industrial plants and species native to the Mediterranean, and the gardens are open daily except Monday, 10am-8pm April to September (open until 9pm between May and August), admission 60c (40p). Around the corner is the equally delightful Garden of the Hesperides (open 10am-8pm, admission free), a beautifully designed garden contrasting straight lines of erect cypresses and smooth rounded bushes, all in soothing shades of green.

TAKE A RIDE

... out to Cabanyel, the gypsy quarter of town near the beach on the smart modern tram which leaves from Pont Furst (28). Tickets cost €1.40 (£1). Get off at Dr Lluch stop, cross the road and walk up the Calle Pescadores and look for the the remaining ex-fishermen's cottages that are painted in bright colours. It's a bit shabby, but has a completely different atmosphere to the old city. Afterwards walk down to the beach at Las Arenas.

THE ICING ON THE CAKE

The biggest festival of the year is Las Fallas, in which gigantic models all go up in smoke on the feast of St Joseph on 19 March. But at any time of year you can get a taste of it by going to see the collection of ninots - the caricature figures - that were spared from the flames, at the Museu Faller (00 34 96 352 54 78 ext 46250) in Plaza de Mont Olivet (29). The museum is open 9.15am- 2pm and 5.30-9pm, Tuesday to Saturday.

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