It is one of the newer neighborhoods of Valencia, but Durría is one of the most emblematic and emblematic of the city. Yes, we are talking about the neighborhood of the City of Arts and Sciences, a scientific and cultural leisure complex to enjoy with family or friends. It is located on the old riverbank, a real green lung of Valencia, where visitors can walk, relax or play and admire the 18 bridges that cross it. The work of architect Santiago Calatrava, it has many buildings that have become symbols of the city. All of them deserve a detailed visit to their continent and their content.
Oceanografico is a good starting point. Many buildings with avant-garde architecture feature representations of the most important ecosystems of the planet’s seas and oceans. It also has Europe’s largest aquarium with 45,000 species of 500 different species. Every day you can see a unique exhibit at the Dolphinarium.
After a dip in this refreshing water, we approach the neighboring Agora, where the CaixaForum headquarters is located, which was conceived as an organism. Surrounded by water and forming a lake, it has three rooms that host exhibitions, concerts, conferences, workshops and guided tours.
It’s time to take a break along the way and recharge your batteries. If we want to taste a high-quality meat burger currently prepared in a modern and urban environment, the area offers interesting gastronomic alternatives, such as The Good Burger (Pg. de l’Albereda, 43). For lovers of Mexican cuisine, Pepe Taco (Avenida Prof. López Pinero, 16) offers a wide and varied menu of tacos, burritos and snacks.
We continue our visit at the Science Museum housed in a grand building surrounded by sheets of water. Inside it offers various interactive exhibits on science and technology and science workshops. Next, you can visit its building, even if you don’t attend operas, concerts, jarzuelas or ballet, which take place on a stage of more than 1,500 m2. 3D digital projections on a 900-meter concave screen in the largest room in Spain: Calatrava’s amazing work, Hemisphere, which represents a giant human eye representing what we can see inside, is up close.
Among these jewels, there is the Umbracle, a large garden of typical Mediterranean plants and contemporary sculptures. We can end our route today at 100 Montaditos (Avenida Professor Lopez Piñero, 16 and Calle Menorca, 19), tasting its delicious morsels in a casual atmosphere, making for a worthy finale to our avant-garde journey.
