Valencia’s City of Arts and Sciences looks like it’s from the future. Cultural visits to Valencia take on new meaning with its technology. After all, its backdrop was used in scenes of Disney’s film, Tomorrowland due to its cutting edge building designs. Santiago Calatrava, the architect of the buildings, definitely went above and beyond when he designed them. Because of Calatrava, Valencia’s City of Arts and Sciences is a major tourist destination of the city. It’s a great place to get kids out and about and learning, making it an ideal destination for school trips and family vacations. With five unique buildings, there’s so much to do in this lively cultural hub. Here’s a little taste of what you’ll get to see and learn about if you ever come to visit it.
City of Arts and Sciences
PALAU DE LES ARTS REINA SOFIA
This spectacular building takes performing arts to a whole new level. It is an essential stop for cultural visits in Valencia. Over 70 meters in height, the Palau de les Arts packs in the latest technological advances to give you the ultimate opera experience. You’ll love the portable platforms, interchangeable sets and simultaneous translation via screens that are built into the seats. The Palau de les Arts also sets the stage for musical and theatrical acts, open-air dance performances and live concerts too. If you’re looking for fun, here’s where it’s at.
HEMISFERIC
Hemisferic is more than just the shape of an eye. It’s an amazing cinema packed with a Laserium, Planetarium and IMAX cinema with over 900 meters of screen. It is the perfect place to check out shows during cultural visits in Valencia. Check out cool IMAX films like Born to Be Wild, Hubble, Flying Monsters 3D. Born to Be Wild takes you on a journey through spectacular landscapes of Borneo forests, jungles and savannah of Kenya, while Hubble depicts the five spacewalks by astronauts to repair the Hubble telescope. Flying Monsters 3D is definitely a treat for dinosaur-obsessed kids. The movie recreates the history of the prehistoric giants and debunks their many mysteries.
MUSEO DE LAS CIENCIAS PRÍNCIPE FELIPE
This intricately designed building not only looks like a whale skeleton, but also holds some of the best interactive science activities for all ages. The Museo De Las Ciencias Príncipe Felipe’s displays are complete with graphics, pictures, huge texts, experiments and buttons to touch. There’s more to the museum than just interactive exhibits too. On the ground floor, you can see some live experiments at the museum’s «Science on Stage» and «TV Studio». The first floor also houses the longest pendulum in the world along with a life-size replica of DNA 15 meters high. How cool is that?
OCEANOGRAFIC
Oceanografic invites you on an amazing journey through the wonders of the deep blue sea. The aquarium’s aquamarine park extensively covers marine life in oceans around the globe, with ten structured areas displaying diverse ecosystems. You’ll view sea animals from Mediterranean habitats, the polar oceans – the Arctic and the Antarctic, the islands, the tropical seas, the temperate seas and the Red Sea. There’s also the Dolphinarium exhibition where you can catch live, interactive dolphin shows that are perfect for kids. So, get ready to clap your hands and cheer on some dolphin friends!
AGORA
The Agora is a new addition to the City of Arts and Sciences. It’s a versatile space that is used for various events like conferences and musical performances. It is quickly becoming a staple for cultural visits in Valencia. Though there’s not much going on here now, there will be in the near future.
Like the rest of the City of Arts and Sciences, its events are bound to impress.