Plaza de la Reina, Plaza Virgen, Valencia Cathedral

- Placa Verge, Real Basílica De Nuestra Señora De Los Desamparados, Royal Basilica of Our Lady of the Forsaken, Plaza de Manises, Plaza de San Lorenzo, Plaza Décimo Junio Bruto, Palacio de Colomina, Centre Arqueològic de l'Almoina, Forsaken Plaza de l'Almoina, Palace of the Archbishop of Valencia, Iglesia de Santa Catalina

Plaza de la Reina (Plaça de la Reina) is one of the most central squares, situated just a couple of blocks north of Plaza del Ayuntamiento. Here you find the southern side of the Cathedral, palms, trees, open air restaurants, a beautiful bank building with golden brick facade and cafés like the Grand Cappuccino Café.

Plaza de la Virgen (Plaça de la Verge), a couple of blocks further to the North, is a square where you find the Northern facade of the Cathedral, the Turia Fountain - a beautiful fountain that is dedicated to the now dry river Turia, the Palacio de la Generalitat, (Regional Government Palace), a renaissance building built in 1421, open air cafés, the Royal Basilica (more info further down) and restaurants and Iglesia de Santa Catalina, a church built in the middle ages above a mosque with a tall baroque tower. The church was rebuilt in the 16th century after a great fire, we visited the interior. Virgin Square is a major gathering place during the Fallas festival. The square is beautifully illuminated after dark.

Valencia Cathedral, Catedral de Santa Maria, is the most famous historic building of Valencia. This gothic cathedral was built in the 13th-15-the century above a mosque that in turn was built over a visigoth church. One of the four surviving holy grail chalices, a agate cup, can be found in its chapel! It was supposedly taken by Saint Peter to Rome in the 1st century. The cathedral is situated between Plaza de la Reina and Plaza de la Virgen and is a Roman Catholic parish church. There are a lot of paintings by famous painters inside. We visited the cathedral during the mass so we had to be cafeful taking pictures. Today a lot of beggars gather around ther cathedral.

Real Basílica De Nuestra Señora De Los Desamparados (Royal Basilica of Our Lady of the Forsaken) has its main facade at Plaza de la Virgen. It was constructed 1652-67 as the first new baroque construction of the time. There is an image dedicated to the Virgin at the side chapel. Plaza de Manises, Plaza de San Lorenzo Plaza, Palacio de Colomina are other small squares around the cathedra as well as Plaza Décimo Junio Bruto, where you find an university building, Centre Arqueològic de l'Almoina, the old skybridge between the Cathedral and the Royal Basilica of Our Lady of the Forsaken. Next to it is another small square, Plaza de l'Almoina, where you find the Palace of the Archbishop of Valencia.