The Jardí del Túria — the former bed of the Turia river, diverted after the 1957 flood and turned into a nine-kilometre garden that curves through the heart of Valencia.
Turia gardens have become a natural place for large scale cultural projects, such as the City of Arts and Sciences . The section by this complex is probably the most looked-after, with designer lawns, pretty ponds and art on the paths.Wacky sculptures in the section of the gardens by the City of Arts and Sciences . Many take a photo opportunity here - playing on a copper piano in Valencia.This is one of the sculptures which are aboundant in the stretch by the Palau de les Arts . This part of the gardens has quite a few wacky artworks scattered sporadically over the grounds.Having always been the axis of Valencia since the city was born, the banks of river Turia have naturally matured with spectacular bridges, promenades and architecture. Coupled with the recent expansion of leisure and cultural events in the gardens, and new projects such as City of Arts and Sciences, the Turia gardens are sometimes referred to as "the river of culture".Palau de la Musica was one of the first futuristic buildings in Valencia. It is a concert hall for classical music, built like a giant greenhouse in the 1980sThe section by Palau de la Musica is one of the liveliest in the gardens, with fountains, often music and events in the summer, such as open air cinema.The section by Palau de la Musica is always lively, with a fair few people enjoying the tranquility and a promenade. It is also on the route of the Turia train, a sight-seeing little train that runs to help people view the gardnes faster.After the diversion of river Turia to its new course in the end of 1950s following a particularly bad flood, there were several plans for the now vacant riverbed, including construction of a mega-highway to aleviate the traffic problem. In the end a decision was taken to turn the riverbed into leisure gardens.The gardens are situated in the old bed of river Turia, which was always prone to floods. The flood of 1957 was particularly destructive: bridges were ruined, whole neigbourhoods had water levels up to the second floor of the buildings and a fair few people lost their lives. Following that the city council decided to divert the course of the river.River Turia has always been the lifeline of Valencia. The first Roman settlement in 2nd century BC was built on its banks, using the waterway as an economic vein. For centuries river Turia was Valencia's access to the Mediterranean.Turia gardens is a great place for promenades when you feel like having a walk, preferred by many here, from young to old.This is a very pretty spot in the gardens - a perfectly round pond crossed over in the middle by an ancient bridge, lined with mature shady palms. A perfect place for some relaxation or reading a book.The Turia gardens are crossed by a variety of gorgeous bridges from all epochs and times, back when Turia was still a river. This bridge is one of the prettiest and most ancient in ValenciaValencia is considered one of the greenest European cities, and the Turia gardens are undoubtedly the jewel in its corwn, in many ways capturing the spirit of Valencia as a city where you can combine urban dynamism with tranquility of a Spanish afternoon.The Turia gardens are known for their "trench effect". Sitting in a dip in the middle of the city, it cuts the noise by about 20 decibels, which means you can still have a fairly quiet time in the middle of the rush hour around you.Sprawled over the course of the old riverbed, with its particularly fertile soil, the gardens hold a wide variety of plant species, including some very exotic ones.Puente de las Flores (the Flower Bridge) is always lined with flowers. It is emblematic of Valencia, a city passionate for flowers and often called "the City of Flowers". The flowers on the bridge are often arranged for an occasion. For example, the bridge was white and yellow during Pope's visit in 2006 (white and yellow being the official colours of 2006 Meeting of the Families).Turia is full of carefully designed hedges and lawns. This particular one depicts the standard of Valencia, with the shileld in yellow and red - colours on the Valencian flag, and the bat figure on top.The Turia gardens are the site of many cultural events, such as plentiful public fairs, circuses and celebrations. Those usually take place on their traditionally allocated cleared patch between the Calatrava bridge and the Flower bridge."The New Bridge" aka "The Comb" is also called the Calatrava Bridge. Dedicated to, and designed by, the architecture superstar Santiago Calatrava - the creator of City of Arts and Sciences, who also happens to be a Valencian.Valencia is a city that really takes care of kids, with always plenty of things staged for them. The Turia gardens are popular with families and hold a myriad of playgrounds.This section of the gardens holds some of the most interesting plants, among them - these strange shaped bottle-like trees, popular with tai chi groups on weekends.The Turia gardens is where people come to relax and do what they like, getting some quiet space in the middle of the cityOne of the oldest buildings in Valencia, called the Temple, this church was owned by the Templar knights in the Middle Ages, and is now part of the atmospheric scenery on the banks of the Turia gardens.This section holds some of the most ancient remnants of Valencia - around 2000 years old these stones used to be a part of the Roman Valentia, now on public display in the gardens.The stunning Baroque building of Colegio San Pio V (aka Museum of Fine Arts) is a spectacular vision on the banks of Turia gardens.The Turia gardens is a popular place for "alternative" get-togethers with ethnic music and New Age themesThe section of the gardens by Torres de Serranos holds several public football fields where amateur Latin Americans split up into their corresponding national teams and have "World Cups" on Sundays.The area under the Serranos bridge has been declared an independent pan-American state, with huge Latin American gatherings on weekends and during festive days. Young and old gather to play football, mingle, drink, eat and listen to Latin American music. They even bring tables and chairs to populate this section.The section directly to the North-West of the Centro is one of the best for some quiet time in nature. Lush green hills drown all noise, shadowy trees provide refuge from the scorching sun, and the numbers of people are lower than in other sections.The stretch between IVAM and Nuevo Centro - probably the best for some quiet time to stretch on the grass, reead a book and generally relax amongst lush greenery and fellow lifeless bodies.The present course of river Turia lies on the Southernmost outskirt of the city, below the Port. It is still a very unstable river, usually a fairly thin trickle which periodically expands in the blink of an eye into a strong stream before contracting again.Turia gardens finally end with some waters - as a reminder that this was a river after all. This is the quietest part, away from the city, an idilly on a lake.The Cabecera park at the Westrn end of the gardens holds a large pond / lake with ducks and swans. You could also take a ride in one of the swan boats.The Cabecera Park is on the raised grounds, with fairly high hills. You could climb to the top to enjoy the panorama of the city and the gardens.The Turia gardens might not be an outstanding feat of visual design, but the scope of this project and the practical variety of what the gardens offer make it quite an experience. In many ways, the gardens embody the relaxed pace of Valencian life and the social spirit of the city's people.
