spain holiday rentals: apartments in valencia

Valencia is a municipality and a city of Spain. It is the capital of the municipality, of the province and the Valencian Community, being the third largest municipality by population in Spain. Situated on the banks of the River Turia, the city was founded as Valentía Edetanorum in 138 B.C., although it was during the Roman era under the reign of Augustus when it reached its maximum splendour, although after the Muslim invasion it was significant in the 10th century as the capital of the Taifa Kingdom, and later conquered by El Cid.

Its historic old city is one of the largest in Spain. Its historical and monumental patrimony is internationally recognized and many of its monuments are listed as World Heritage Sites. The most famous of these include the Miguelete; the Cathedral (which sits on the same site as the first temple of the city from Roman times, as well as that of an Arab mosque); the Torres de Serranos y de Quart; la Lonja de la Seda; and the City of Arts and Sciences.

The Museum of Fine Arts of Valencia is the most important painting museum of the Community and one of the finest in Spain.

Valencia has two urban beaches: Las Arenas and Malvarrosa, both of which boast fine golden sands.

The traditional cuisine of the city, the famous Mediterranean diet, makes special use of rice, olive oil, fresh farm vegetables, and fish and seafood from the Mediterranean coast and in paella all these ingredients come together exquisitely.

Valencia is a city with countless traditions and festivals, among which are Las Fallas, enormous, papier-mache sculptures of great beauty, representative of current political, social or cultural figures – whose origin goes back to the bonfires built with leftover pieces of wood which were burned by the carpenters of the city on the eve of the festival celebrating the patron saint of the city San José, and which today is a world recognized festival.