After the devastating rains in October, the city of Valencia has shown extraordinary resilience and is once again welcoming visitors with the same enthusiasm and hospitality for which this great city is known.
Read more about Valencia’s upcoming festivities in our recent article here.
Valencia’s European Green Capital legacy is clear for all to see. Projects that reinforce the city’s commitment to sustainability and restaurants distinguished for their dedication to local produce join the celebration of the Jubilee Year of the Holy Chalice and new openings that promise a very appetising and fun agenda for 2025.
Four green routes to enjoy the most sustainable version of Valencia
The European Green Capital has established Valencia as a sustainable destination in the Mediterranean and the legacy of this recognition continues to bear fruit. The four green routes created in 2024 to make the European capital more tangible now have an audible and easy-to-read version to make them accessible to people with hearing and cognitive disabilities. The first route runs through the green lung of the city, the Turia Garden; the second proposes a new way of exploring the old town from the point of view of sustainable mobility and urban design; the third passes through the fertile periurban countryside and the Mediterranean Sea creating an extraordinary natural larder. Lastly, the fourth is a synthesis of the previous three for those who have less time to discover the city. These green routes are in addition to other advances in sustainability, such as the first cycle lane in the Ruzafa neighbourhood, the drive to promote the candidacy of L’Albufera Natural Park as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, the renovation of public buses to reach a 90% electric and hybrid fleet by 2028, the new fire water cannons in the Devesa de El Saler and the development of the largest urban photovoltaic plant in Europe, installing more than 6,000 solar panels in its cemeteries. These are just some of the sustainability initiatives that are greatly improving the quality of life for residents and visitors in what CondeNast Traveller readers consider to be Europe’s best city.
Roig Arena, Valencia’s new stadium
The new Roig Arena stadium, a 47,000 square metre multi-purpose venue, is set to revolutionise the world of events in Valencia. It will open in the second half of 2025, holding up to 20,000 spectators and will be the venue for sporting events, concerts and top-class shows in the coming years. Composer Hans Zimmer’s performance in March 2026 has been confirmed and tickets are now on sale. The Roig Arena will also be the home of the Valencia Basketball Club. Over €280 million have been budgeted for the project, financed entirely by a Valencian business owner.
The third Jubilee Year of the Holy Chalice is here
Valencia is celebrating the third Jubilee Year of the Holy Chalice, which from October 2025 will make the city the epicentre of religious tourism. The Cathedral of Valencia, home to this relic recognised by the Vatican as the cup used by Jesus during the Last Supper in Jerusalem, will be an unmissable place of pilgrimage to gain plenary indulgence. A guided tour departing every Friday from the tourist office of the Visit Valencia Foundation in the Plaza del Ayuntamiento, traces the traces of the Holy Chalice in the city, with fascinating stories of those who sought it and many others who coveted it, and the works of local artists who were inspired by it. Beyond the spiritual meaning of the celebration, it is a unique opportunity to understand the context of cultural splendour that the city was experiencing when the most venerated cup in the world arrived in Valencia.
New hotel openings
The new Novotel Valencia Lavant is set to open in the first quarter of 2025 and will feature modern and sophisticated accommodation and nine meeting rooms. With its rooftop bar and panoramic views, it will be the perfect place to organise events or relax after exploring the charms of Valencia. This new establishment will join the two recently opened Estimar hotels, in the city centre and on the beach at Pobla de Farnals.
Valencia, the birthplace of chess worldwide
Three 15th century Valencian poets first described the movement of the queen piece in the game of chess in the poem “Scachs d’amor” (1475), thus initiating the rules of modern chess. Two decades later, another Valencian author published in one of his works the new rules of the game, which would be disseminated throughout Europe by means of an exceptional ally, the printing press. 550 years later, the city is celebrating this anniversary with an international tournament that will bring together grandmasters of the chessboard. The Open International Valencia Cuna del Ajedrez will take place from 5 to 13 July at the Polytechnic University of Valencia and will be open to participants from all over the world. The city will host other tournaments, guided tours and workshops as part of the programme for this anniversary that reminds us that what happened in Valencia marked a turning point in chess history.
The Church of Santos Juanes recovers its Baroque splendour
After just over four years of restoration work, the Church of Santos Juanes (1692) will recover its splendour after the intervention financed by the Hortensia Herrero Foundation. An interdisciplinary team, some of which has already worked on the Church of San Nicolás, is working on the recovery of the fresco paintings on the vault of the church, the work of Antonio Palomino; the sculptures, stuccoes and gilding of the Baroque decoration and the conservation of the structure of the building, including the façades.
A team of some 30 specialists are putting the finishing touches to the work, using cutting-edge technologies such as bio-cleaning with bacteria, lasers and ultrasound, to restore the Baroque shine to one of the city’s largest churches. Visitors can see the progress of the restoration work in real time by purchasing a ticket to tour the church while the work continues, as well as an exhibition explaining the phases of the work and the materials and techniques used.
17 new Valencian Mediterranean food supply benchmarks
Valencia’s unique gastronomy has been recognised in the latest edition of the prestigious We’re Smart Green Guide, which adds eight new sustainable restaurants to its list, bringing the total to 17 recommended establishments. Fierro, Lienzo, Casa Montaña, La Barraca de Toni Montoliu, Simposio, Félix Chaqués, Ma Khin Café and Dos Estaciones join already consolidated benchmarks in the guide, such as Ricard Camarena Restaurant, ranked among the best vegetable restaurants in the world, or La Salita, with chef Begoña Rodrigo as the best vegetable chef in Europe.
Valencia has solidified its position as a gastronomic hotspot thanks to its rich Mediterranean food supply, based on fresh, local produce such as fruit and vegetables from the city’s surrounding countryside, rice from L’Albufera Natural Park and fish from the Mediterranean. This unique combination of ingredients encourages cooking that reflects tradition, innovation and sustainability, all of which are essential features of Valencian gastronomy.
Europe’s unique beluga whale encounter
Plombir and Miranda, the two beluga whales rescued in June 2024 from the Nemo Aquarium in Kharkov (Ukraine) in an international rescue operation, are now fully adapted to their new home and will soon join the two Valencian beluga whales, Yulka and Kylu. This meeting will offer Oceanogràfic visitors a unique opportunity to see four of these magnificent cetaceans in one place, something that cannot be experienced in any other aquarium in Europe. It will not only be an unforgettable moment for those who wish to enjoy the beauty of these animals but also a milestone for the conservation.
