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Valencia: The City of Oranges

By: Caron Kristan

Roughly half way up the eastern coast of Spain lies the port city of Valencia ? one of the most popular tourist destinations in Spain. Valencia is a city that can legitimately claim to have everything: sun, sea, sand, incredible cuisine, amazing culture, and a mixture of ancient history and modern magnificence.

Valencia has been inhabited for thousands of years, but first came to some sort of prominence as a Roman town over two thousand years ago. Valencia later became part of the Moorish civilisation and thrived as a trading centre, bringing wealth to the area and leading to a whole raft of impressive buildings that can still be seen today.

At the end of the 11th century Valencia was the centre of one of the most famous periods of Spanish history. Exiled from court, El Cid, the onetime champion of the Spanish King, conquered the city and turning many mosques into churches. After his death, his wife, Ximena, ruled the city for two years before it was conquered by the Almoravid Dynasty, and then later conquered again by Christian Crusaders.

Valencia''s rich and often violent history has come back to the fore in recent years as attempts have been made to increase the city''s position as a centre of tourism. Renovation work has been done on many major sites, enhancing the mixture of styles found in the city.

That is not to say that Valencia''s charm lies only in its history, a great many of modern sites have also been built. Perhaps the biggest of those is the ''Ciutat de les Arts i les Ci?ncies,'' ?the city of the arts and sciences? which is an enormous entertainment complex covering many square kilometres. The area is particularly attractive in the evening, when the glass coverings allow masses of light to escape and illuminate the surrounding water.

Valencia is the host to one of the biggest carnivals in the world, the Falles, which is held in March every year. The Falles is a five day long festival which features pyrotechnic displays every day and a string of different processions. The explosions can come as a shock to unprepared tourists, but it''s a great time to visit, particularly as Valencia is sunny throughout the year.

Valencia''s final claim to fame is the Spanish dish paella. Known throughout the world as one of the staples of Spanish culture, the residents of Valencia claim that paella was first made in their city. Regardless of the truth of this claim, if you visit Valencia, make sure you try out the paella!

The city most famous for its Oranges outside of Spain is rapidly becoming one of the most popular tourist destinations in southern Europe. It is a city that has everything and is a fantastic destination for a holiday.

Article Source: http://www.casinoarticlessite.com

Caron Kristan was inspired to write this article after visiting Valencia with Octopus travel and recommends their booking facilities when searching for Valencia hotels.

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