This is one gorgeous museum, inside AND out- and the people here are so friendly and helpful. We…read moregot here only 50 minutes before closing, so we had to see it fast, but we would not have missed it for the world. First, the exterior is amazing. Then the interior! Glass and crystal chandeliers. Gorgeous period rooms (carriages on the first floor!) Fabulous paintings- both framed and on the ceilings. Tiles, Vases, Mantel Clocks, Statues, kitchen ware- you name it, you will see it here. If you are familiar with the Decorative Arts Museum and the Romanticismo museum- this is like a combination of those two Madrid museums. It's 5 euros, but free if you have the National Museum Cards for Spain- which can be bought at many of the National Museums of Spain, and which we found to be a good deal, since we love museums. You can take pictures here- but NO flash. We were so happy to be able to take some pictures away to help us remember our experience.

Don't miss this absolutely amazing palace/ceramics museum. What's great about the Museum is that…read morethe price of admission includes a free fifty-minute guided tour in one of many languages - Francesco was our tour guide, and he was fantastic at contextualizing the building, and walking us through the important pieces in the collection. And make time to wonder at the beauty of the building's exterior.

During an excursion to Guadalest from our cruise, we were taken on a scenic drive from Alicante to…read morethe beautiful mountains. Guadalest was a highlight of our visit to Spain and would love to come back to see more of this neat town at our own pace. Guadalest is not wheelchair accessible due to the climbing steps, so be prepared to be physically active during your stay. There are plenty of shops in the town with local vendors and it didn't feel overly crowded during our quick stop. Enjoy the 360 views of the sweeping mountain tops as you walk around the village. Guadalest is truly a wonderful place to see in Spain and I highly recommend going!

Guadalest is a very small village of half-hour drive from Alicante. The whole village can be…read morevisited in 20 minutes. It's full of tourists who probably have come from the beaches close to here. In this beautiful village that is located on top of a little mountain, you can walk and enjoy the breathtaking views on every side, or sit down at a bar and have a drink - which is very reasonably priced. The green/blue marsh (Pantano in Spanish) that is covered by a yellow/white mountain range is probably the greatest attraction of Guadalest. However, if you wish to spend more time, you can visit one of the few museums around the village. There's one that is a traditional house. The entrance for this one is free, but photography is not allowed.

Beautiful architecture. Worth visiting for this alone. I happened to be visiting during a Leonardo…read moreDaVinci exhibit. Just incredible the breadth and depth they went into. Very informative. I really appreciate the cleanliness of the building, the attention to detail within each exhibit, and most notably, the interactive experiences. Each exhibit I visited had multiple interactive opportunities to help engage the audience. Great way to capture the attention of young and old alike; not just walking through looking and reading copious amounts of explanations on the art presented. One star off because some of the exhibits felt disjointed between one another, signage could be better.

Maaaaaaannnnnnn.....Chicago really lost out!!…read more The Chicago Spire, designed by Santiago Calatrava, was supposed to be erected as the tallest building in the USA. However, the efforts stalled and we were left with just a big hole in the ground. I mention that data point because the Cuidad de las Artes y las Sciences (City of Arts and Sciences) was designed by Santiago Calatrava. He also designed Milwaukee's Modern Art Museum (I've been there) and the Occulus (NYC - haven't been yet). His futuristic, modern and clean designs incorporates and draws inspiration from local plants, the skeletal features of a whale, the sails of a ship, etc., etc....His work is instantly recognizable - like Frank Gehry's, Art Deco, and on a smaller scale - Frank Lloyd Wright. And coming here to the City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia, which by way, this place puts Valencia on the map as a Do Not Miss city!! I understand that Rick Steves did not overly advertise this great city and on this rare occasion, I respectfully think he's mistaken to do so. My only regret is that we just did a walk-by and a few drive-bys to admire its Beautiful design and the distinct buildings which include an aquarium, planetarium, museum, etc. There are outdoor areas for enjoying artwork, foliage, architecture, paddle boarding, so on and so forth. And try to wrap your mind around this - it's part of a linear parkway that extends about 6.5 KM in one direction!! If you're training for a marathon or an avid runner, what a big plus to run through this area on a daily basis. I can only think of running from Giants park to Golden Gate Bridge, being more picturesque. Or the lake front jogging path from Addison St. to 15th street in Chicago. On a smaller scale, I do see Santiago being influenced by Gaudi, here and there, and it's because of his use of organic shapes and tiles. Overall, Plan to spend a day or two here and actually go inside the facilities, my drive-bys and walk-bys provided just a glimpse of this futuristic compound.....

Una experiencia que vale la pena , solo ve listo para caminar. Museo y experiencias vale la pena…read more 10/10 recomiendo.

I didn't care for this museum. The exhibits are pretty boring and the Museum layout didn't feel…read moreorganized. It seems to be geared for children, but many of the children I saw didn't look entertained. The actual building is beautiful and the grounds are gorgeous. Price for admission is 8 Euros. The museum is ENTIRELY interactive, with exhibits just haphazardly placed throughout. There were a few interesting exhibits, but that's about all I can say. If you only have a short time in Valencia, I recommend the Aquarium- it's incredible