Valencia

A city sees green

As the third largest city in Spain, Valencia offers an exciting mix of historical sights, modern landmarks, gastronomic delights - and plenty of nature. As part of its sustainability strategy, the Mediterranean metropolis has set itself the goal of becoming the first carbon-neutral city by 2025.

The measures to achieve this are diverse: a new 12,000 square meter pedestrian zone has been created around the central Plaza de Ayuntamiento, while the 160-kilometre network of cycle paths is being further expanded and a speed limit of 30 kilometers per hour already applies to cars in 75 percent of the city.

The garden and park areas also play a major role on the road to a greener city. Crowds of people are rare here, but fresh air and a variety of activities are on the agenda. The heart of the Valencian gardens is the Jardín del Turia, which was created in the dry riverbed of the Turia and merges seamlessly into the Turia Nature Park. This takes visitors from an oasis in the city directly into an idyllic nature reserve.

As one of the largest urban parks in Spain, the Jardín del Turia runs through the city over a length of nine kilometers. Here, visitors stroll past palm trees and water features as well as fragrant rose gardens and orange trees. The garden is also spanned by 18 bridges from different eras, including some by world-famous star architects, such as the "Assut d'Or" by Santiago Calatrava or the "De las Artes" bridge by Norman Foster.

The Jardín del Turia leads out of the city and directly into the Turia Nature Park, which covers an area of around 4,600 hectares along the River Turia. Thanks to its diverse landscape of Mediterranean pine forests, riverside areas and the vegetable gardens typical of Valencia, various animal and plant species find a home here. Whether on foot, by bike, in a kayak or on horseback - there are many ways to discover the Turia Nature Park. Fans of culture and history will also get their money's worth with guided tours through the Roman and Gothic history of the region.


Further information at
www.visitvalencia.com.