Cultural sites in the Region of Valencia

If you love soaking up some culture during your holidays, the Region of Valencia is the perfect destination for you. Throughout the region’s three provinces - Castellón, Valencia and Alicante - there is history, art and heritage every way you look. In this post, we’re going to list just some of the incredible cultural sites that you can visit during your getaway.

Cultural sites in the province of Castellón

A great place to start your exploration of the cultural sites in the province of Castellón is Barranco de la Valltorta in Tírig. Here you can see cave art that will transport you back some 7,000 years in time. The mysterious markings here have been listed World Heritage by UNESCO, leaving you with no doubt that it is well worth visiting. 

Your next stop is Vilafamés, a small destination that is big on cultural sites. Here you can see cave art in a rock shelter, an incredible Muslim castle, Medieval fortifications, historic streets and an excellent contemporary art gallery. 

If you’re interested in the history of the Knights Templar, you could also visit a number of castles, namely the legendary Castillo de Peñíscola, Castillo de Alcalá de Xivert/Alcossebre and Castillo de Santa Magdalena de Pulpis. And then there are the Medieval charms of destinations such as Morella and Sant Mateu. 

Cultural sites in the province of Valencia

A good way to start your cultural exploration of the province of Valencia is to visit the sights connected to the illustrious lives of the Borgia family. This tour will take you to Gandia to visit Palau Ducal, to Xàtiva to see its imposing hilltop castle and to the centre of València city where you can gaze, awestruck, at the frescoes in San Nicolás church. Bocairent is another excellent destination for soaking up some culture. Make sure you don’t miss the historic Covetes dels Moros and Cava de Sant Blai. 

Millares is famed for its cave art. In Chorradores, Vicent and Roser rock shelters you can see the vestiges of our ancient ancestors in an area that has been listed World Heritage by UNESCO. And then there’s Sagunto which not only has a castle, but also a Roman circus and theatre where you can enjoy an extensive programme of performances. 

The capital of the region, València city, boasts a wide range of world-class museums and galleries, namely Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències, IVAM,  Museo de Etnología and Centre del Carme. The city is also full of Modernist buildings that are a joy to visit. 

Cultural sites in the province of Alicante

The province of Alicante also has its fair share of cultural wonders. If you enjoy visiting castles, you could choose this five-day tour that will take you on a discovery of fortress after fortress. And there is plenty of Modernist architecture to marvel at in towns like Alcoy and Novelda. 

Close to Alicante city, you simply have to visit the ruins of Lucentum, an Iberian and Roman settlement, and take a look around its museum, MARQ. In Calp you have to see Baños de la Reina, while in El Campello you could take a look at the Illeta dels Banyets and in Castell de Castells gaze at the cave art at Pla de Petracos.

And to conclude this - non-exhaustive - list of cultural sites in the Region of Valencia, we would like to mention two destinations that are inextricably linked to the lives and work of the writers Azorín and Miguel Hernández: Monóvar and Orihuela, respectively. If you love the world of books, you could even take a literary tour.