It was a 7-day trip in the winter of 2024. It is worth to travel to Spain in the end of February, because in this time the weather can be good, although it can be also windy. I traveled by air plane to Alicante and I rented a car there for 7 days. The accommodations were in Valencia (3 nights), in Villajoyosa (1 night) and in Murcia (2 night). On this trip I got to know the two regional capitals of Valencia and Murcia and some other coastal towns and I saw some natural beauties, too.
25.02.2024 – Arrive to Valencia
The trip begins at the Zurich Airport and you can reach Alicante in a few hours. Rent the car and drive through the rocky landscape to the town of Xativa. The town is pretty, but it is not so lively (I was there in Sunday afternoon). In the evening you can reach Valencia. You have time to catch the sunset on the beach of Patacona.
26.02.2024 – Valencia
Spend the whole day in Valencia, because there are a lot of things to see. I was Monday, when I was there and the museums were closed, but the weather was so good, that I did not actually need to go in a museum (tip: I recommend you to see the following museums if these are open: the Museo de la Ilustración, Centro de Arte Bombas Gens and Palau dels Valeriola – El Centre d’Art Hortensia Herrero). I realy loved to compare the old- and the new districts of Barcelona and Valencia is also similar: there is an old town and a new one (Eixample). In the old town you can see the Serranos Towers, the gothic-baroque Cathedral (photo above), the gothic La Lonja de la Seda, the Central Market. I found interesting the Plaça de l’Ajuntament (City Hall Square), where you can feel like in a big city. The former river of the city is now a big green corridor and it is very worth to walk along it and in the end of this long park you can visit the spectacular buildings of the Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències by Santiago Calatrava (photo below). In the Eixample you can feel the spirit of octogonal urban planning (as in Barcelona, but in a smaller scale). In the end of the day you can go to the harbour of Valencia and you can visit the Pavilon America by David Chipperfield (unfortunately the building was not in a good condition, when I was there).
27.02.2024 – Castellon and Sagunt
Go to the city of Castellon a la Plana. The city is not so interesting, but there is a beautiful museum there by the architects Mansilla+Tunon (photo) and it is free to visit (tip: the porcelain exibition is very nice). Drive further to the town of Sagunt. Although the small scale of the town there are pretty a lot of things to see: the fortress, the calvary, the church of Santa Maria de Morvedre and the roman theatre with some contemporary extensions by Giorgio Grassi. In the end of the day go back to Valencia an take a walk in the campus of the university. There is also a building by Giorgio Grassi: the university library.
28.02.2024 – Costa Blanca towns
Start the day in the small town of Almussafes and visit the most beautiful noble house of the town, the Casa Ayora. The inner walls are clad with azulejo ceramics and old wallpapers and the architects (Trazia Arquitectura) made some nice modern details (I liked the lamps very much). I was also Dénia, but it was not so interesing, so you can skip it and rather drive further to Calpe, which is really the most beautiful place on the Costa Blanca: the beach with the huge rock ist really eyecatching. Visit in Calpe the two buildings by Ricardo Bofill: Edifici Xanadú (photo) and Edifici La Muralla Roja, both of them are good exemples of the stucturalist period of Bofill. (Tip: on the biggest hotel booking system on internet, you can find apartments in both buildings, so you can rent in them an apartment.) Drive further to Benidorm, which I really liked, although the city crazy with its skyscapers. The colourful Promenade is the best planning, but it is also worth to see it.
29.02.2024 – Alicante
Start the day in Villajoyosa, which has a beautiful beach and there are also two contemporary buildings in the town (which I unfortunatelly forgot to visit…): Central Market (Solid Arquitectura) and the Local Police by FOA. (Tip: there is a very interesting new building in Jijona near Alicante: the reconstruction of Torre Grossa, but it is only open in the weekends, so I have not got luck…) Drive to Alicante and start at the university: the building of the rectory by Alvaro Siza (photo) is the best building there, but there are so others, too. I also visit the stadium by E. Miralles and C. Pinos, but it closed for the public. In the old town of Alicante you can visit the Passeig Esplanada d’Espanya, Placa dels Estels, the Plaça de l’Ajuntament with the city hall, Basilica of St Mary, the MACA Contemporary Art Museum (tip: a visit is free) and Casa de la Mediterrània (it was closed, when I was there). In the evening you arrive to Murcia.
01.03.2024 – Costa Calida
In the morning go to the pink hypersaline lake near Torrevieja – a salt-loving algae makes the water pink. If the weather is windy it is more spectacular. The town of Torrevieja is not so interesting, but maybe it is worth to walk along the promenade by sea. More interesting is Cartagena with its long and eventful history. There are many things to see in this small but important town: Naval Museum and University, roman theater by Rafael Moneo (photo), Museo Foro Romano Molinete (Temperaturas Extremas), Parque Torres (reach it by the panoramic lift), Auditorium and Convention Center The Batel (selgascano arquitectos).
02.03.2024 – Murcia
Murcia is the capital of the region and the main attractions are the huge gothic-baroque Cathedral and the Episcopal Palace on the Plaza del Cardenal Belluga. On this square there is also an important building for architects: the new city hall by Rafael Moneo (photo), which had great impact for the contemporary architecture in its time. On the riverbank there is the Museo Hidráulico Los Molinos del Río Segura by J. N. Baldeweg and it is also worth visit. Go back to Alicante Airport and the trip ends here.
And here are the maps (click on the upper left button and filter the maps:
ADAM BALOG 