Bright blue skies, sea breezes, and a subtropical Mediterranean climate. Valencia has all the charm of a warm, friendly land. Valencia lies between sea and sky.

Valencia has a long and prestigious history bathed in radiant light. The region is very fertile, and the city has always had a maritime calling. Positioned on a vast plain next to the sea, this city of 800,000 inhabitants is a centre for communications, and a hive of cultural, social, and commercial activity with a population of a million and a half in its metropolitan area.

In true Mediterranean style, Valencia is a city where work, business, and economic growth are dynamic, and fun is seriously boisterous.

In Valencia you can still see traces of Roman, Visigoth and Muslim cultures, amongst others, and some notable examples of all kinds of art in many different styles. In the final phase of the 20th century many modern communication, financial, cultural, scientific, and leisure infrastructures were put in place that have made Valencia stand out among Spanish and European cities.

In the last few years, the city has been seen by the whole world in all its splendour as a site for great events such as the regattas of the America’s Cup, the 5th World Meeting of Families, or the European Formula 1 Grand Prix.

The city of Valencia, rich in monuments and boasting architectural spaces of great interest, is also home to more than fifty museums and exhibition halls. Many of these were created thanks to donations and private collections. The most important visual arts museums in the city are the Museo de Bellas Artes San Pío V (Valencia Museum of Fine Arts San Pío V), and the IVAM or Institut Valencià d'Art Modern (Valencian Institute of Modern Art).

These are spaces where you can see permanent collections and temporary exhibitions, and where different activities are carried out that are designed for both the citizens of Valencia and visitors to the city. They are managed by various public administration bodies, private corporations and associations.

Some of them are dedicated to illustrious Valencians such as the famous writer Blasco Ibáñez in his Casa Museo (Museum House) which is located in his old beach house on the Malvarrosa beach, or the Casa Museo Benlliure (the Benlliure Museum House) in Calle Blanquerías and, most recently, the Casa Museo Concha Piquer (the Concha Piquer Museum House) in Calle Ruaya.

Some of the other museums are considered historic buildings in their own right: la Casa de las Rocas (the Corpus Museum) was constructed in the fifteenth century in order to serve as a museum. Also worth a mention are the collections at the Paleontological museum, on show since 1908 in the Museo del Almudín (Almudín Museum), and currently in the Museo Paleontológico in the Viveros gardens, where you can see unique geological and paleontological pieces, the Museo de Ciencias Naturales (Museum of Natural Science), the Museo Taurino (Bullfighting Museum, next to the bullring), the Museo del Arroz (Rice Museum) and the Museo Fallero (Fallas Museum, mainly during Fallas season).

The most noteworthy modern feature of Valencia is the Ciudad de las Artes y de las Ciencias (The City of Arts and Sciences). It brings together different disciplines of art and culture in the same space, and includes various museums, aquariums, exhibition halls, IMAX cinema screens and entertainment spaces, both in the open air and inside air-conditioned buildings.