The Romans founded Valencia originally as a kind of retirement home for their bravest warriors. And it’s not hard to see why plenty of people would have fought hard to try and end up here.
It’s a beautiful, historic city and one of the oldest on the Iberian continent. It is also often unfairly overlooked, thanks to its noisy Catalan neighbour, Barcelona. So, here is Quingo Scooters’ take on the best things to do in the city of Valencia.
Gaze in awe at some incredible Gothic architecture
Valencia is a city built on trade and La Lonja, the silk exchange building from the late 1400s, is an excellent illustration of how wealthy it has been over the years.
The stunning barley sugar style twisted columns in the Hall of Columns are a remarkable architectural achievement and well worth seeing.
This is also a cool and calm place to spend time if the heat of the city gets too much. There are a couple of very small steps at the entrance that should be easily negotiable with a mobility scooter.
Browse in one of Europe’s largest covered markets
Although it is from a very different era, Valencia’s Mercado Central is an equally stunning piece of civic architecture. The building is art nouveau, and huge: there are over a thousand different stalls to explore.
You’ll need to access it via the side entrance but once you’re inside it is largely accessible for those of us who use a mobility scooter.
This is a fantastic place to explore and get a sense of the thriving heart of the life of the city. It is the perfect place to browse for gifts or even for something to eat or drink. We recommend a cooling glass of the local almond drink, horchata, to refresh you.
Visit one of the best modern zoos in the world
Valencia’s zoo is relatively small but is perfectly formed. The BIOPARC Valencia, as it’s known, really is a zoo with a difference. It is fully accessible, and has been designed to make you feel as if you are actually right there, in among the animals.
This isn’t the kind of zoo where you feel like you’re separated from the natural habitat they have created. Instead, you might suddenly find yourself face-to-face with a hyena (alarmingly close!), only to realise that it actually on the other side of a cunningly-designed hidden trench. An incredible experience.
Relax on the Green River
Once, the city of Valencia had a river, which devastated the city in a flood in the 1950s. The solution that the city came up with is a lesson in sound and sensitive city planning.
The city authorities moved the river, and transformed the bed that remained into the Jardi del Turia. This ‘green river’ is now a network of interlinked parks, sports pitches and level paths that gently embrace the historic heart of the city.
There is ramped access down to it, and then an accessible and level surface for many kilometres once you are on the ‘river’ itself.
Did you know?
Valencia was where the famous Spanish leader El Cid finally met his end, during a siege in 1099.
Getting to Valencia
Although not as many fights go to Valencia as nearby Barcelona, it is still relatively easy to get to from the UK. You can fly from Edinburgh, Bristol, Manchester and the London airports.
Once you’re there, the airport is very accessible to those of us who use scooters, with barrier free access to all areas. There is also an excellent assistance service available too, although you will need to get in touch with the team beforehand to arrange. Find out more here.
Transfering from the airport into the city itself is also straightforward. There is the option of taking one of the two wheelchair-accessible metro lines (lines 3 and 5). Alternatively, there are also regular accessible buses with ramped entrances that connect with the city centre.
If you’d like more general information about getting around within the city itself, this site is a great place to start planning your journey.
Travelling with scooters
The great news for those of you travelling abroad is that Quingo Scooters are all approved for air travel by IATA so you won’t have any problems taking them on the plane. That said, it is always well worth getting in touch directly with any train, bus and airlines you want to use just to double check their rules on scooters before you go. For more handy tips on travelling with your scooter by air, take a look at our page here.
Share your accessible getaways abroad with us
Do you have any accessible getaways abroad recommendations? In Europe or perhaps further afield? If you do, we’d love to hear from you, so drop us a line and we’ll feature them.
About Quingo Scooters
The Quingo Scooter range features six models to suit your needs and budget. New models are now available from just £22/week on our new contract hire scheme which includes all servicing and maintenance, Insurance, Roadside Recovery, Call Outs and Consumables including Batteries and Tyres. For more information on this or the latest Quingo Scooter range, please visit our website. Alternatively, if you have any Service questions you can always contact us or call customer services on 01582 430 900.
Keep up to date with the latest mobility scooter advice, tips and interesting places to visit on the Quingo Scooter Users Blog. Connect with Quingo and keep up to date with all our latest news on Facebook and Twitter.
All Quingo Personal Mobility Vehicles are provided by Forever Active, the UK’s exclusive distributor. Forever Active is a trading name of Advantage Marketing Corporation Limited (AMC). AMC Limited is an appointed representative of First Senior Insurance Services Ltd which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. First Senior Insurance Services FSA Register number is 30847
