Valencia lures most visitors with its history, cuisine and beaches. But did you know that it also has a vibrant art scene? And many of the best spots to get a fix of culture are housed in incredible venues. So, on the off-chance you don’t enjoy the art, you still have the architecture to admire.
In this post, we’re going to share seven amazing places to enjoy art in Valencia. This is a famously sunny city, so you might not want to spend too much time indoors. But even here, there can be rainy days. And during the peak summer months, popping inside a museum for a quick, air-conditioned break is just what the heat-stroke ordered.
And even if you hate art, and would never go to a museum… we’ve got bad news for you! Valencia’s streets are like an open-air museum themselves. There’s no avoiding it, unless you walk around with your eyes closed.
#1 Centro del Carmen de Cultura Contemporánea
We’ll start with the Centro del Carmen de Cultura Contemporánea. To make it easier when asking for directions, you can also call it the CCCC. Everyone in Valencia will know what you mean.
This museum is housed inside the Convento del Carmen, founded in 1281. Don’t worry about having to bump shoulders with monks, they’re long gone. But their beautiful convent remains, and has been repurposed as an excellent spot for contemporary art The twin courtyards and old halls are almost as cool as the art itself. Maybe cooler, actually.
A big plus point for the CCCC is that entrance is free, and that there are always new exhibits showing. Pop in, cool down and see some art.
Read more about the Centro del Carmen de Cultura
#2 San Pío Museo de Belles Artes
Nestled between the Turia River and Viveros Park, you’ll find the Museo de Belles Artes: Valencia’s fine art museum. Like the CCCC, this was originally a monastery. Then, it was converted to a wartime hospital, before eventually finding new purpose as an art museum. The Belles Artes mainly focuses on Spanish painters like Goya, Sorolla, El Greco, and Velázquez, but also has a huge collection of altar paintings. And I mean huge … to be honest, unless you’re really into old religious art, it can get a bit repetitive.
Read more about the San Pío Museo de Belles Artes
#3 Centro de Arte Hortensia Herrero
We now move on to the Centro de Arte Hortensia Herrero (CAHH), Valencia's latest addition to its art circuit. Our apartment is right around the corner from the CAHH, so we had kept a very close eye on the renovations of the old palace, which would be housing the collection. It took a long time, but they did an incredible job of turning this stately old building into a exciting new center for the arts.
The CAHH showcases the private art collection of Hortensia Herrero, who is the vice-president of the Mercadona supermarkets. We suppose that this is her way of giving back to the community, after her chain racked up record profits during the covid pandemic.
In the museum you’ll find important works by international heavyweights like Georg Baselitz, Anish Kapoor, Calder, and Miró, but also art by locally Spanish and Valencian artists, with some pieces made especially for the space.
Read more about the Centro de Arte Hortensia Herrero (CAHH)
#4 Find Art in the Streets of Valencia
Want to appreciate art without having to step inside a museum? Well, that’s easy: just walk around the city. Literally anywhere, but especially in the the neighborhood of El Carmen, you’ll find stenciled graffiti, physical art objects glued to the wall, and giant murals by artists such as ESCIF, Julieta XLF, David de Limón and Disneylexia.
Read more about Valencia’s Street Art.
#5 MuVIM
The MuVIM - Museu Valencià de la Il·lustració i la Modernitat, focuses less on classic paintings and more on thought-provoking temporary shows, from design, photography, and urban art to cultural history and social commentary. The museum can be hit-or-miss; we've had just as many disappointing experiences here, as positive. So it's a good idea to check their website to see what exhibitions are currently are being shown.
But if you're into brutalist architecture, you might like the museum, regardless of the current exhibitions. A lot of cement, a bit of glass, and the overall impression of an inescapable labyrinth.
Read more about the MuVIM
#6 IVAM
IVAM stands for Institut Valencià d’Art Modern, Valencia's institute for modern art and it's probably the museum we return to most frequently, because of the high quality of their rotating temporary exhibitions.
The IVAM was founded in 1989 and was the very first Spanish museum dedicated entirely to modern art. The collection includes more than 12,000 works, from early avant-garde movements to contemporary installations.
Read more about the IVAM
#7 Bombas Gens
Housed in a former factory building in Marxalenes Park, Bombas Gens opened in 2017 as a museum dedicated to the digital arts. The factory dates from the 1930s, when it producing industrial pump, and it makes a stunning location for artwork.
As with many of Valencia's museums, a visit to the Bombas Gens depends upon the quality of the temporary exhibits, but is worthwhile regardless because of the cool space in which its found. We love that Valencia honors its history by restoring and maintaining old buildings this way.
Once you're done with the art, you can also check out the gardens, and even visit an old Civil War-era Refugio (visits to this need to be arranged beforehand). And if you get hungry, there's Ricard Camarena Restaurant named after, you guessed it, Ricard Camarena: Valencia's most famous chef. If Michelin stars get you all hot and bothered, you'll love this place, which has two.
Read more about the Bombas Gens