Valencia – The green city! Spanish Course in Valencia.
Still not sure where to pass your Spanish course? Here is an idea: What about Valencia? With its nearly 800.000 inhabitants, Valencia is the third biggest city in Spain. It is also one of the greenest cities of Spain because of the following reason: The city used to be crossed by the river Turia. Because of a big flooding in the 1950s, where many people died and a lot of houses got destroyed, the river has been dewatered, or better, relocated and the dry river bed has been turned into a big park area which serves as the green lung of Valencia.
History
Valencia was founded by the Romans in 138 before Christ. The Roman settlement was situated right where the historical center is now. In 711, the city was conquerred by the moors. And in 1238, Valencia became Castilian. In the 15th century, the city enjoyed a strong growth and became a big Mediterranean port and an important center of economy and finance, the most important branch of economic activity beeing the weaving of silk.
In the 19th century, the town picture was subject to a lot of changes. The city got too big for its city walls, so those were taken down and new districts were created (Eixample and Extramurs).
During the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), Valencia was part of the Republican territory and was even seat of the government from 1936 until 1937. The city was severely hit by Franco´s air raids and was one of the last cities to fall into his hands in 1939.
As already mentionned above, Valencia suffered a big flooding in 1957. Thereupon, the government of Valencia decided to relocate the river Turia out of town, turning its dry river bed into a leisure park, crossing the whole city.
Districts
The city of Valencia is divided into 16 districts: Ciutat Vella, Eixample, Extramurs, Campanar, La Saïdia, El Pla del Reial, Olivereta, Patraix, Jesús, Quatre Carreres, Poblats Marítims, Camins al Grau, Algirós, Benimaclet, Rascanya y Benicalap.
Means of transport
In Valencia you will easily get from one place to the other. You find a vast net of busses and six metro lines. For schedule and prices, visit: www.metrovalencia.es
If you want to visit other Spanish cities, there are two train stations: Valencia Joaquín Sorolla (Fast trains) and Valencia Estaciò Nord. There are three direct long-distance connections to Alicante, Barcelona and Madrid with RENFE. And there are 6 train lines which connect Valencia with small villages in the surroundings.
Check out the schedules at: www.adif.es
Of course there is an airport as well, Aeropuerto Manises, which is connected with the city centre by bus and by metro. It is the destination for many planes from Germany arriving via Mallorca.
www.aena-aeropuertos.es
Climate
Valencia enjoys a Mediterranean climate, which means that its summers are dry and hot and its winters are wet and mild. August is the wormest month with an average temperature of25,5 °C, and January is the coolest month with an average temperature of 11,5 °C. The average temperature of the sea between June and October is 20 °C.
Must-Dos
Lonja de la Seda (Silk market): Being one of the most significant Gothic buildings in Europe, the Lonja de la Seda has recently been declared UNESCO World Cultural Heritage. It was constructed between 1482 and 1533 and served as a silk market.
Cathedral: The cathedral was constructed on top of the foundation walls of a moorish mosque from 1262 onwards. Since then it has been subject to many architectural changes, with features ranging from Roman, Baroque to Mudejar Style, turning the cathedral to a famous place of pilgrimage for friends of architecture.
Ciudad de las Artes y de las Ciencias (City of Arts and Sciences): Set in the dewatered river bed of the river Turia. It includes an opera, a huge aquarium, a museum of science a cinema and a botanic garden.
Costa de Valencia: Valencia is known for its three beautiful beaches: Playa de las Arenas, Playa de Malvarrosa and Playa de la Patacona. Actually, the beaches around Valencia belong to the Costa del Azahar. But among the big tourist masses, they are now preferably known as the Costa de Valencia. Especially in summertime, when the temperatures easily reach the 40°C, there is nothing better than spending the day at the sea.
But Valencia is also known for its traditional cuisine! Did you know that the paella is the national dish of Valencia? Furthermore, the city is known for its Jamón Serrano (Serrano Ham). So our advise: Do never leave Valencia without having eaten in one of its traditional restaurants! Spanish Course in Valencia is a good idea for you.
Conclusion
In Valencia you find everything you could probably wish for during your stay in our language school. You have good food, parks, history, culture, nightlife and beautiful beaches which will make your stay with us unforgettable. Spanish Course in Valencia has everything you need. We also recommend Spanish Course in Malaga.
