A city like València offers its visitors an infinite number of places to see and discover, from the central neighborhood of El Carmen to the beaches of Malvarrosa and Cabanyal, from museums and gardens to peculiar buildings and plans with which all members of the family can have fun.
However, as in all cities, the capital of the Turia has certain businesses and corners full of magic that often go unnoticed by visitors. That’s why we at Flight Mode like to share with our fans some of those special places that we think one should visit or that may be of interest to those locals who don’t know them or those travelers who wish to get to know the city a little better than it is currently.
L’ham del mercat
This picturesque shop located a few meters from the Central Market (Mantas, 5), is a true exponent of the Valencian tradition of yesterday and today.
Inside this peculiar establishment, one can find everything from all kinds of handcrafted beers made in the Valencian Community to typical Valencian ceramics, as well as a large number of handcrafted products which are the specialty of this shop.
Fernando the owner, will tell you a thousand stories for each product while sipping typical Comunidad liqueurs such as nougat or horchata and he guarantees you unique objects such as his notebooks with the cover that portrays Valencia’s Street art, a souvenir unique and special!
Atypical
If our first recommendation was a sample of the tradition of the city and its surroundings, it offers us a more ‘atypical’ view of Valencia and its most representative places.
Atypical is a brand of Valencian designers with two shops in the heart of Valencia (Caballeros, 10 and Mercado Central p.321-325) that are dedicated to the creation of souvenirs and merchandising of some of the most representative places of the city. So if you want to take a different souvenir of Valencia although representative of its culture or history, in their shops you can find original designs that will make you remember its streets over time.
Baviera Winery
For all those who consider themselves wine or spirits enthusiasts, Bodega Baviera (Corretgeria, 40) is love at first sight.
Inside you will meet its owner, Vicente Gabarda, a true winemaker who loves his job and whose shop dates back to 1870, when it was known as La bodega de las nieves, as it stored the snow that came from the Serranía de Valencia from which all kinds of ice cream and slush drinks were made.
Specialized in technical tastings for all wine tourism professionals, Vicente will tell you about his history with love and passion and for someone special he will open the doors of his famous “ collector’s corner ” to show you more than 6000 bottles preserved during the years.
Rafael Solaz antique bookstore
Another place with a lot of history located very close to the Plaza del Ayuntamiento is the Librería de Rafael Solaz (Sant Ferran, 7). This place was, since 1850, first a pharmacy and then a haberdashery, until its current owner Rafael Solaz who turned it into one of the most beautiful bookstores in the city and it is worth a visit because of the magic of the place and its history.
La Fábrica de Hielo
If you prefer to get away from the center and decide to go to the beach in Valencia, a very attractive place in front of the Cabanyal Beach is the Ice Factory (Pavía, 37).
As its name says, this cultural space is located in the Old Ice Factory, which was abandoned and since 2014 has become one of the places of reference in the city to have a beer but also to see concerts, markets, workshops, music, dance and an infinite variety of cultural activities in front of the sea that make this space a suggestive alternative after having spent all day on the beach.
