Housed within a stately, 19th-century palace in the neighborhood of La Xerea, you'll find one of Valencia's premiere private art institutes. The Centro Cultural Bancaja hosts long-running exhibitions which tend to focus on Spain's most famous artists.
La Xerea is one of the six neighborhoods which make up the Ciutat Vella, or "Old Town," of Valencia. And of all the city's neighborhoods, it's our favorite. La Xerea is central, historic, packed with ancient churches, palaces and monuments, and somehow manages to retain the calm of a quiet residential zone. And most importantly, it's our home.
Normally, when we hop on bikes and leave Valencia for the south, it's to visit one of the many beaches stretched out along the coast. But today, we had a different destination in mind: the rice fields between the city and the lagoon of Albufera.
With its antiquated residential buildings, seaside location, and laid-back way of life, Cabanyal should be among Valencia's most desirable places to live. But that's not the case... yet. We took a couple days to explore the neighborhood, enjoying the atmosphere of its narrow streets and learning about the long-running political battle which has left it a shambles.
