Campanar lies in the northwest of Valencia. This quarter remained independent until the end of the 19th century, when it merged with the city of Valencia. People often see Campanar as the business district, but it offers much more than most expect. Nowadays, many choose to live in this popular neighbourhood because of its new luxury apartments and its location near Turia Park and the city centre. In addition, you’ll find plenty of sights, activities, and nice restaurants and bars nearby.
Sights
Palacio de Congresos de Valencia
Palacio de Congresos is the congress building of Valencia. Norman Foster, a British designer well known for the Millennium Bridge in London, the renovation of Camp Nou in Barcelona, and a metro station in Bilbao, designed it. The architecture of the congress building impresses with all its pillars, a leaf-shaped roof, and plenty of glass. The ponds and fountains that surround the building make visiting and walking around the outside area worthwhile. Did you know that in 2010, Palacio de Congresos won the award for the best congress building in the world? Besides congresses, the building also hosts exhibitions, concerts, and operas.
- Avenida de las Cortes Valencianas 60, Valencia
- Website
Dama de Elche
When you are visiting Campanar, this remarkable 18 meters high, cobalt blue coloured sculpture is hard to miss. It is placed in Valencia in 2007, cost over 2.4 million euros and was designed by the Valencian artist Manolo Valdés. He is internationally well known for designs like ‘Lady on the horse’ which stood in New York and ‘Butterflies’ which was part of an exhibition in the United Kingdom. Valdés received several awards for his designs in countries like Japan, Portugal, Iraq and Spain.
Dama de Elche means lady of Elche: this is a city nearby Alicante where the sculpture is found. This sculpture is actually a replica of the original Dama de Elche, which dates between the fourth and fifth century before Christ. The National Archaeological Museum in Madrid has the original. She was an Iberian woman, dressed in typical Iberian clothes. The big round forms on both sides of her face almost look like big wheels, but are accessories like Iberian women used to wear.
To do
Zoo
The Bioparc of Valencia is located in Campanar and is different than you might expect! Instead of entering a regular zoo, you are entering the natural habitat of the animals. Bioparc created ecosystems where species live together, just like animals in the wild. You can see mixed groups with giraffes, antelopes and zebras like you will find them mixed in Africa too. Did you know you can even walk through the habitat of the monkeys? Take a look at our Bioparc page for more information, opening hours and prices.
Shopping
The place to shop in Campanar is the shopping mall ‘Nuevo Centro’. This mall has two floors with clothing stores, the well known warehouse El Corte Inglés, a supermarket, shoe stores, sport clothing stores and much more. Are your feet tired of walking around all day? Even for a pedicure, you are at the right spot! Check our shopping page to find out more about the shopping possibilities.
Relaxing in the park
When you like to spend your free time both in the city and nature, Campanar might be the perfect neighbourhood for you. It is adjacent to the Cabecera Park and the Turia Park. The Turia Park is over 9 kilometres long and offers a lot of opportunities to do a work out, enjoy a picnic or just relax and read a book. The Cabacera Park is very green and filled with flowers. It has a little park inside called Jardín de Polifilo where you will mainly find the locals.
More fun inside!
Although Valencia enjoys over 300 sunny days per year, you might want to explore indoor options during the night or on cloudy days.
Yelmo Cines is a cinema in Campanar where you can watch the latest movies in their original language. Perfect for the ones that don’t speak Spanish! Tip: make sure ‘VOSE’ is added to the title of the movie, this means it is shown in the original language with Spanish subtitles. Another advantage is that the tickets are not as expensive as you are probably used to: the tickets at Yelmo Cines cost between the €5 and €7.
Besides the cinema, you can have a lot of entertainment in the bowling centre La Bolera. Go here with your friends or on a date night with your partner! Next to bowling, they offer activities like air hockey, table football, billiards and table tennis.
Not ready to go to bed yet? Then find out how lucky you are at the casino! Whether you enjoy poker, fruit machines, or blackjack, the Casino Cirsa Valencia has something to offer for everyone. Additionally, it’s a great place to keep the night lively and exciting. Read more about this casino, the location and the opening hours on our page Casino Cirsa Valencia.
Don’t forget to take some sleep
If you don’t mind staying a bit outside the historic city centre, then Campanar makes the perfect place to book your hotel. Not only can you enjoy many nice activities there, but you’ll also find it next to beautiful parks. Moreover, the neighbourhood hosts business-related locations and plenty of nice cafés and restaurants. When you don’t like to walk to all the sights and attractions, you can easily take a bus, metro or rent a bike!
NH Valencia Center ****
This hotel from the well-known NH chain stands in Campanar and offers the perfect place for people who like to relax. The hotel features a sauna, a swimming pool on the rooftop terrace, and a solarium for sunbathing. On weekends, they serve breakfast until 12.00 and on Sunday, you can even enjoy a free late check-out. For more information about their facilities and prices, check the hotel NH Valencia Center.
Price: From €93,00 per night Stars: ★★★★ Hotel rating: 8.0+
Hotel Kramer ***
This modern and trendy hotel sits in the centre of Campanar, near the shopping centre Nuevo Centro. It offers simple but well-maintained and comfortable rooms, as well as a nice restaurant where you can enjoy a delicious breakfast. Next to the hotel, you will find the metro station, perfect if you don’t like walking to the centre or want to go to the beach on a sunny day. For more information about their facilities and prices, check Hotel Kramer.
Price: From €108,00 per night Stars: ★★★ Hotel rating: 9.0+
How to get to Campanar
You can get to Campanar in various ways. Take metro line 1 to Turia or Beniferri or bus line 2, 39, 60, 62, 63, 64, 73 and 90, which also cross the neighbourhood. Prefer to take a taxi? They are not that expensive in Valencia.
Tips
- Did you know that the bus station of Valencia is located in Campanar? From here, you can easily travel in any direction! Moreover, the ‘Estación de Autobuses’ is conveniently situated right next to the Nuevo Centro shopping mall, on Avenida Menéndez Pidal 13.
- When your hotel is situated in a particular area, you will often stay there and in the city centre. However, Valencia has so much more to offer! For example, the Cánovas and Ruzafa neighbourhoods are definitely worth visiting because of their beautiful buildings, cool markets, and great restaurants and bars. Additionally, exploring these areas gives you a richer experience of the city beyond the usual spots. We designed a walking route through these neighbourhoods.