Jardines de Turia - Gardens of Turia in Valencia
The Turia old river bed is another jewel of Valencia that shouldn't be missed and... well.. is impossible to miss. It is the central axis of the city, 9km of a green belt surrounded by ancient walls and buldings.
With all honesty, no matter how aesthetic and varied various section of the garden are, it is not a masterpiece of gardening to stun you with the power of Gardens of Babylon. Rather, the river bed gives you a sense of what Valencia really is, the spirirt of Valencia. The river bed is the embodiment of the cosy charm of Valencia. It is here that this calm and ancient city embraces you with its unlost warmth and sunny tranquility.
Origins
Valencia grew up on Turia. However, the river had always been prone to floods and in 1957 the flood was particularly bad. A fair few people lost their lives, much of the city was devistated. Valencia decided to divert the course of the river. And the fertile soil of the riverbed quickly gave life to a lush garden.
The River of Culture
This
is what the Valencian government labelled the garden. Indeed - historically
the river banks got saturated with various architectural monuments, museum
and culture centres. The government went further and developed the riverbed
into an entire world of leisure and culture. There are numerous playgrounds
and sports areas, fountains and well-trimmed arty gardens. The river bed
is always full of people, there is something for everyone. With time the
riverbed became the obvious area for new cultural projects: Palau de la
Musica now has its own section of the garden, while the City of Arts and
Sciences sits right in the river bed. And the space between Bridge de
las Flores and the Calatrave (Exposicion) Bridge always has some kind
of fair, festival or circus residing there.
To understand the scope of this phenomenon, you should have a look at the official website of Rio Turia. You can also view the footage of a flight over the river: Flight over Turia video
It is worth your while to see it. Having a walk through the river will tell you much about Valencia and its people. And it is a nice change from the noise of the city - the trench effect makes it a refuge to relax your senses.
Flight over
Rio Turia video
Opening Hours
The Gardens of Turia never close but it is not advisable to walk here after dark.
Suggested Walk
Where exactly to go depends on what you are interested in - the river is a diverse sequence of ambiences. This map can help.
Generally speaking, the most spectacular part of the river is, undoubtedly, the stretch that connects the centre (starting below the Bridge de las Flores) with the City of Arts and Sciences. It is only 30-40 min long, at a leisurly pace. So why don't you walk to the CAS instead of taking a bus or a taxi.