A bed without a river
A park in a diverted river's floor — Valencia's immortal idea.
Areyes108 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Sjaak Kempe from Groningen, The Netherlands — CC BY 2.0 · Sjaak Kempe from Groningen, The Netherlands — CC BY 2.0 · Sjaak Kempe from Groningen, The Netherlands — CC BY 2.0
The Turia Gardens are the smartest urban decision a Spanish city ever took: after the killer flood of 1957 the river was diverted around the city — and when a highway was planned for the empty bed the citizens rose with "the bed is ours and we want it green", birthing Europe's longest river park: nine green kilometres embracing the old city from the Serranos towers to the City of Arts. It is Valencia's daily artery: unbroken cycling and running paths beneath eighteen bridges from Gothic to Calatravan, sports fields, orange groves and fountains — and at its middle the giant Gulliver park: the traveller's reclining body climbed and slid upon by children as Lilliput's little folk. Renting a bicycle here is the Valencian day's best decision: ninety minutes crossing the whole city in green, from history to future.
A park in a diverted river's floor — Valencia's immortal idea.
Centuries' Gothic to Calatrava's white — an open bridge museum.
A body to climb, limbs to slide — a legend as playground.
Former Turia riverbed, Valencia
IVAM, Valencian Institute of Modern ArtValencia's museum of modern and contemporary art, opened in 1989 and among the f4 minutes walk4.3
Museum of Prehistory of ValenciaA museum covering the history of the Valencia region from the Stone Age through 4 minutes walk4.7
Torres de QuartThe Quart Towers are Valencia's sterner western twins: the fifteenth-century gat7 minutes walk4.5
Centre del Carme Cultural CentreA contemporary arts centre in the former Carmelite convent, a religious complex 8 minutes walk4.7
Casa-Museo BenlliureThe house of the painter José Benlliure in Valencia, preserved as it was and ope8 minutes walk4.5Make it your route, not your destination: drop from the old quarter and pedal east — every bridge an architectural chapter — until the City of Arts rises from the green like a moored spaceship. Reverse it mornings: future to history. Walkers take the middle third and Gulliver.